EASTOVER, S.C. – Pennsylvania National Guard members currently staged in South Carolina for Hurricane Florence moved to Joint Base Charleston from McEntire Joint National Guard Base here Friday.
14 of the Pennsylvania National Guard members and four of the Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team members, as well as a UH-60 Black Hawk and a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, took off for Charleston early in the afternoon and arrived about an hour later. They are repositioning themselves at the request of local authorities to prepare for storm relief missions.
"Being here in Charleston puts us in a more advantageous position to help people affected by the storm," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mike Smith, a CH-47 Chinook pilot and member of the Pennsylvania National Guard in South Carolina. "Moving forward puts us that much closer."
The remaining Pennsylvania National Guard and PA-HART members in South Carolina are still staged at McEntire Joint National Guard Base and are preparing for the storm. All Pennsylvania National Guard and PA-HART members stand ready to complete missions as directed by local authorities and assist the local populace.