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Air Force deploys FEMA to aid Haitian victims

  • Published
  • By Pascual Flores
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Nine specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency departed Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Saturday bringing communication support to military and government agencies engaged in recovery efforts in Haiti.

The FEMA team is part of the Mobile Emergency Response Support, or MERS, out of Maynard, Mass.

The combined efforts of loading supplies and equipment onto a C-17 Globemaster III from the 183rd Airlift Squadron, from the Mississippi Air National Guard's 172nd Air Wing, was the responsibility of the aircraft crewmembers and Airmen from the 305th Aerial Port Squadron here.

Using hand and arm signals, Senior Master Sgt. Walter Chapman, an ANG loadmaster from Mississippi, guided the MERS vehicles onto the aircraft, utilizing all available space for the vehicles and other supplies urgently needed by rescuers in Haiti.

An Incident Response Vehicle (similar to a mobile command post ) was loaded onto the aircraft along with three all-wheel-drive vehicles.

With the last of the vehicles onboard, aerial porters also loaded four pallets of meals.

The nine-person FEMA team will later meet with fellow team members in Haiti, who will provide generators, a water-purification unit and other supplies.

"This is our first deployment to a non-American country," said Jay Antonangeli, a MERS security specialist.  Mr. Anatonangeli, a former Marine from Concord, Mass., has been with FEMA for six years.

Colleen Higgins, the only woman to accompany the team, has been with FEMA for 35 years and, unlike her male coworkers, has no military background. "I learned through on-the-job training," she said.  "[I have been] to so many disasters that I couldn't even count them."

After landing in Tampa, Fla., to pick up a security team, the flight resumed its journey to Port-Au-Prince where it was met by Airmen of the 621st Contingency Response Wing from JB MDL.  Since the CRW arrived in Haiti Thursday, the team has been providing assistance at the airfield unloading supplies and assisting with the evacuation of American citizens.

"For the past three days we have been unloading supplies and equipment and loading evacuees onto the aircraft," said Tech. Sgt. Lindell Johnson. "It feels good to be here; you see the impact of your work and efforts ... you see you're making a difference."

With the pallets of food unloaded, the drivers of the FEMA vehicles drove off the aircraft ramp to begin their mission of providing communications.

"We just want to make sure to do all we can to make this operation successful for the Haitian people," said Pat McCann, a FEMA tlecommunications manager.

All cargo and passengers safely on the ground, the C-17's engines roared to life with New Jersey set as the next destination.