Puerto Rico – Two Delaware National Guard C-130s and flight crews returned this week from a five-day mission assisting with hurricane relief efforts in the Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While deployed, Delaware National Guard Airmen flew a total of more than 60 hours, transported 100 personnel, and more than 50 tons of cargo.
One aircraft flew to Minnesota to pick up a Joint Incident Site Communications Capability package (JISCC, which is a portable, turn-key satellite communications system), a team of operators, military vehicles, and a pallet of equipment. This mission went to assist in Puerto Rico.
Another mission to assist Puerto Rico involved delivering vehicles, generators, emergency aid personnel, and medical equipment. This aircraft also evacuated about 40 people stranded in Puerto Rico, and transported them safely to Savannah, Ga.
“The National Guard has the expertise in supporting the Homeland, and this is just another example of citizen-Soldiers and Airmen at their best,” said Maj. Gen. Carol Timmons, Adjutant General, Delaware National Guard.
For the past month, tens of thousands of Citizen-Soldiers, Airmen, and women have answered the call in supporting the homeland – and Delaware is a strong partner. Since the end of August, about 50 Delaware National Guardsmen and women have deployed to support the relief effort.
At the end of August, the Delaware National Guard sent about a dozen Soldiers and Airmen to the National Guard Bureau to assist in staffing the NGB Joint Operations Center. These positions include experts in communications, operations, intelligence, logistics, and public affairs. We also launched a C-130 and flight crew to Texas. That team flew 11 sorties, transported 31 emergency aid personnel, more than 24 tons of cargo, and evacuated 183 people to safety.
On Labor Day Weekend, they deployed a team from our 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron via C-130 aircraft to help in Texas. This team is comprised of flight nurses, aeromedical evacuation technicians, and a health services administrator. Fortunately, the team was not needed for any medical emergencies and returned home safely.
They currently have about 30 on duty and hundreds ready to support engineering, aviation, communications, transportation, vehicle and equipment maintenance, security, and medical needs.
Source: Delaware National Guard
Image Credits: Delaware National Guard