Reserve aerial spray unit swats 'skeeters' at JB Charleston

by Master Sgt. Bob Barko Jr.
910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

6/20/2013 - JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- "There must be thousands of 'em, millions of 'em. What are they doing?"

"It looks like they're preparing an invasion."

Even though this dialogue is from the 1996 science fiction blockbuster film, "Independence Day," it is an accurate description of the annual real-life assault from saltwater marsh mosquitoes on the people who work and live at Joint Base Charleston, S.C.

In 2012, Air Force Reserve Command's 910th Airlift Wing aerial spray unit from Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, deployed to Charleston in response to an emergency call to do battle with the disease-carrying pest insects inundating the joint base.

The spray mission was such a success that the pest management team at JB Charleston asked that the spray unit make the base a part of its annual rotation. This year, the 910th returned to the installation June 14-16, to continue the war on the pesky 'skeeters.'

Youngstown's 757th Airlift Squadron sprayed approximately 16,500 acres on Charleston. One area in particular, known as the spoils site, was a prime target for dispersing the mosquito control product.

"That area produces 40 million mosquitoes per acre," said Tony Mincey, JB Installation Pest Management coordinator. "It's a 30-acre site."

Charleston was in dire need of the 910th's one-of-a-kind pest control methods, according to Lt. Col. Frank Galati, mission commander for the Charleston operation.

"The pre-mission mosquito trap counts were as high as 880 (insects)," said . "We only need about 20 in the trap to go ahead with the aerial spraying, so they really needed it done."

Pest management teams check the mosquito traps a few days after each spray mission to gauge effectiveness.

"The trap counts really tell the tale of how effective the spraying was to knock down the target pests," said Mincey. He said the trap count went from 177 to 1 in the days following the spray mission.  "That is a massive improvement. So, we really appreciate what the 910th has done for us and we are already talking about them coming back next year."