Civil Air Patrol links 300 stranded people to needed help

Civil Air Patrol / Published September 06, 2017

SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) -- A Civil Air Patrol aircraft taking photos along the rain-swollen Colorado River near Wharton, Texas, received a radio call for help and observed a group of people gathered at Holy Families Catholic Church. Three hundred people sought shelter from the floodwaters that cut-off access to the town of 8,800 people, located about 60 miles southwest of Houston, and they were running low on food and water.

A second CAP airplane was dispatched to get more detailed information about the location, including a phone number, to pass along to the Texas Emergency Operations Center. As a result, the Red Cross team at the EOC was able to contact its volunteer at the church and arrange to provide needed support.

The Hurricane Harvey relief effort on Sept. 1, 2017, was all in a day’s work for Civil Air Patrol volunteers working from their incident command post in San Antonio, site of CAP’s 2017 National Conference. On Sept. 1, aircrews flew an additional 29 hours and recorded almost 21,000 photos, bringing the totals to 61 hours flown and more than 29,000 photos.

There are now 333 CAP volunteers from 34 states who have contributed to this mission.

One of those CAP volunteers is Louisiana representative, Cadet Lt. Col. Ralph Abraham. He joined the group, piloting aerial photography flights over flooded areas of Louisiana and Texas. Abraham said he planned to fly through the weekend. Abraham told USA Today, “From the air you can see that the water is so massive it will take weeks to make sure no one’s in harm’s way.”

At the San Marcos, Texas, Regional Airport, 19-year-old Cadet Lt. Col. Chuck Baker has been managing aircrews and flights since air operations began Aug. 30. Serving as an air operations branch director, Baker is handling the logistics to support 30 CAP airplanes from around the country, as well as assigning crews and aircraft to missions, briefing them, and tracking their flight progress.

With the conclusion of the CAP National Conference on Sept. 2, the incident command post is shifting to San Marcos Regional Airport today and 15 of the airplanes will be relocated to Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base near Houston. Ellington Field, a defense and homeland security compound, operates as a joint reserve base with all five of the U.S. Armed Forces represented onsite.

“I am extremely proud of all of our aircrews, they did exactly what they were trained to do — fly the photo assignment, but let us know if they find persons in distress and get other assets out to pursue the situation when they see someone in a bad situation,” said Lt. Col. Rick Woolfolk, CAP’s incident commander in Texas.

The Texas Wing’s 3,200 volunteer members statewide provide support to various national, state and local agencies on a daily basis. With 34 aircraft and 43 vehicles assigned to the wing, aircrew members flew 5,182 hours and ground teams drove 155,264 miles during training and support of search and rescue, counterdrug and homeland security missions in 2016.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s total force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. CAP’s 57,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. CAP also plays a leading role in aerospace/science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, and its members serve as mentors to 24,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs.

Florida Navy Bases Prepare for Irma

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Navy installations throughout Florida are preparing for heavy weather as Hurricane Irma approaches South Florida.

Commander, Navy Region Southeast, Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar, directed the evacuation of non-essential personnel and family members from Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, Sept. 5. "Their safety and security is a top priority," Bolivar said. Approximately 50-60 mission essential personnel are remaining behind to maintain essential functions on the installation.

Naval Air Station Key West personnel have a designated safe haven area of within 300 miles of Atlanta. Personnel and family members need to muster with the installation, their command or through the Navy Family Accountability and Assistance System (NFAAS) website upon arrival to the safe haven area.

At the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, 166 non-essential personnel and family members and 97 pets are being airlifted from the facility off the Florida coast. They will be headed to their designated safe haven.

"Additionally," Bolivar said, "I've directed that when mandatory orders are issued by competent civilian authorities in Florida counties that could be impacted by Hurricane Irma, non-essential active duty military, civilian employees, drilling reservists and authorized dependents residing in those counties are authorized to evacuate."

Personnel and family members who evacuate must be placed on evacuation orders issued by their parent command. For Navy Installations Command personnel and families, the safe haven is within 300 miles of Atlanta. For personnel and family members assigned to other commands, they should proceed to their command's designated safe haven. Personnel and families will be reimbursed for lodging and per diem at the approved rate for their designated safe haven.

U.S. Fleet Forces, Navy Installations Command and Navy Region Southeast are providing support to the installations. Personnel and family members should check installation and Navy Region Southeast social media and websites and stay tuned to local radio and television stations for updates and additional information.

"Please keep safety in mind when traveling to your safe haven," Bolivar said. "The interstate highway and other roads will be congested with other Florida residents moving away from the storm. Be patient, follow the directions of local law enforcement officials and remember to muster when you reach safe haven."

All Navy personnel are encouraged to update emergency contact information through the NFAAS, which can be accessed at www.navyfamily.navy.mil, or through the NFAAS smartphone app available for both iOS or Android. If personnel need support, they can complete a needs assessment through the site or the app on their smartphone and a Navy counselor will make contact to provide assistance.

Emergency Family Assistance Centers will open after storm passage. Personnel and family members are encouraged to check Facebook pages for their installation or Navy Region Southeast for the latest information and updates.

Army National Guard troops prep for action as Hurricane Irma slams Caribbean, threatens Florida

By Steve Marshall, National Guard Bureau

September 6, 2017

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Hurricane Irma, a monster storm packing winds up to 185 mph, was hovering Wednesday over Caribbean islands as Florida National Guard members began preparing for a possible hit and residents started evacuating.

Air and Army National Guard members have been mobilized in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, which are in the path of the Category 5 storm.

"As we prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irma, I want our Airmen, their families and our community to know the Puerto Rico Air National Guard stands ready and prepared. We are trained to deal with natural disasters when called upon by the Governor and follow his directives," said Col. Raymond Figueroa, commander of the 156th Airlift Wing.

In Florida, where Gov. Rick Scott mobilized 1000 Guard Soldiers and Airmen, all 7,000 Guard members are to report for duty on Friday. Scott already declared a state of emergency and urged residents to heed warnings and be prepared. On Wednesday, the state adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Michael A. Calhoun, echoed that advice.

"As Hurricane Irma moves closer to our state, I truly hope that everyone takes Gov. Rick Scott's call to action seriously. The men and women of your Florida National Guard are ready and prepared to respond -- are you?" Calhoun said.

"Irma is a very serious threat and you need to make sure your family is prepared with enough food, water, and essential supplies for at least three days," he continued. "Have an evacuation plan -- Where will you go? What is your route? Who will you keep updated? Your preparedness ensures that your Guard personnel and equipment can respond where the need is the greatest. We will be there to help, but I ask that you help us by being as ready as we are."

"With Hurricane Irma now a Category 5 storm, we must do all we can to prepare our families and communities for any potential impact from this major weather event," Scott told Florida residents and visitors. "We do not know the exact path of this storm, but weather can change in an instant and while we hope for the best, we must prepare for the worst."

Late Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Nathan Deal of Georgia declared a state of emergency in six counties due to the approaching storm and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an emergency declaration for all 46 of the state's counties, which enables state agencies to better coordinate their responses.

Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said that more than 45,000 Guard members are engaged worldwide - including 1,200 fighting wildfires in California, Montana and Oregon, more than 19,000 Texas Guard and supporting states responding to Hurricane Harvey's devastation, and nearly 13,000 mobilized and supporting the combatant commands overseas.