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Travis AFB Airman's first deployment an eye-opener

  • Published
For one airman first class from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., his first deployment came with a record-setting pace in support of the relief effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Airman 1st Class Brandon Calderon, 60th Aerial Porter Squadron, left home at 4 a.m. and arrived here at 9 a. m. Sept. 3 expecting the worst possible conditions.

“The floodwaters, the death toll, the violence, everything on the news, that’s what I was expecting," said the Memphis, Tenn., native.

Although he found himself somewhat removed from the chaos, he was heavily involved in the mission.

“We hit the ground running. The first three days we were pushing 120 missions a day,” he said.

From the time he was notified until the first opportunity he had to sleep, 30 hours had passed. “We didn’t know when we would be able to sleep,” he said. “We were running on adrenaline.”

After a couple of days he was able to go to the terminal to see what his efforts had been supporting. As an aerial porter, he helped unload much of the supplies from military and civilian aircraft to support the New Orleans evacuation process.

“I was really upset to see that much pain,” he said. “It hit me all at once and brought it all home. I don’t know what I’d do if it was my family,” the single Airman said, thinking of his parents and extended family.

After the evacuee and relief support mission began to wane, Airman Calderongot got an opportunity to watch the news on the recovery effort.

“I feel like we’re getting slapped in the face every time I turn on the news,” he said. “We came in here as quickly as possible and did the fasted job we could in the shortest amount of time.”

His supervisor, Staff Sgt. Michael Humphries, 573rd Global Support Squadron, Travis AFB, has seen the effort Airman Calderon and the unit has given.

“He’s a hard charger who puts the mission first,” he said.

Airman Calderon didn’t seem to mind living in a tent city.

“I really think that everybody who’s been thrown into this environment has done well,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of friends here.”

For Calderon, the experience has been good, and he considers the memories he’s made invaluable.

“I really have enjoyed being here,” he said. “Later on, when I have kids, I’ll be able to tell them that I supported the relief effort for one of the worst disasters in U.S. history.”