While most of the nation sits glued to television and radio stations,
watching and listening to reporters describe conditions in the Hurricane
Katrina devastated region, Air Mobility Command Airmen continue to fly
missions into and out of Mississippi and Louisiana.
The command is providing strategic humanitarian airlift assistance to
the region by airlifting tons of relief materials and military support
personnel and equipment into several affected areas.
As of Sept. 1, AMC has flown in excess of 50 missions, and moved more
than 530 passengers and 333 short tons of cargo.
Some of the aircraft used to fly these missions include the C-5
Galaxy, the C-17 Globemaster III, the C-141 Starlifter, and the C-130
Hercules. Aircrews flying the missions comprise the Total Force team of
active duty, Reserve and Guard Airmen from bases in Washington,
California, Massachusetts, Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, South
Carolina, New Jersey, Mississippi, New York, West Virginia, and as far
away as Puerto Rico.
According to Col. Jeff Franklin, the Tanker Airlift Control Center’s
lead controller for Katrina mission taskings, these aircraft have been
critical to moving Airmen assigned to contingency response wings from
Travis AFB, Calif., and McGuire AFB, N.J.
Forty six Airmen from the 615th CRW at Travis AFB are now positioned
at Keesler AFB, Miss., and 29 Airmen from the 621st CRW at McGuire AFB
are on the ground at New Orleans International Airport. Both units
established staging areas for incoming and outgoing personnel and cargo.
According to Lt. Col. Patrick S. Tibbetts, 819th Global Support
Squadron and 621st CRW acting commander, their day-to-day posture
enabled the McGuire team to quickly move in support of the hurricane
victims.
“We lean forward and can be ready to go at a moments notice,” he
said. “Our folks are very quick to assemble; quick to deploy; and are
light, agile teams of highly-trained and highly cross-utilized
personnel.”
The makeup of both the 621st and 615th CRWs makes them effective.
“We maintain a small footprint, but we can generate the same
effects of a much larger unit,” said Colonel Tibbetts.
In addition to the cargo and CRW missions, AMC has flown seven
aeromedical evacuation missions, moving upwards of 300 patients, some of
whom were listed as critical.
Like the CRWs, the Air Force also moves medical teams capable of
establishing facilities to treat victims. An 80-person Expeditionary
Medical Support Team from the 375th Medical Group here deployed to
support medical operations at the airport in New Orleans. They joined
units from the 89th MG at Andrews AFB, Md., and the 6th MG at MacDill
AFB, Fla., to make up the Air Forces’ Medical Rapid Response Force.
The force’s mission is to establish a 25-bed Expeditionary Medical
System capability, providing rapid response, resuscitative surgery, and
emergency medical support personnel.
In addition to the MRRF, a Mental Health Rapid Response Team and a
Dental Team also deployed to New Orleans.