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All
troops transported aboard C-130 transport aircraft
of the 166th Airlift
Wing, Delaware Air National Guard based at New
Castle County Airport.
All missions except aeromedical evacuation missions
and Port Authority of
NY/NJ are joint missions of Delaware National Guard
under leadership of Maj.
Gen. Frank Vavala, Adjutant General of the Delaware
National Guard, with
troops under command of the Mississippi National
Guard. Aeromedical missions
fall under National Guard Bureau authority, or as
authorized by various
mutual support agreements between the affected
states and coordinated
between authorities in those states and FEMA. |
FIRST MISSION
Wed. Aug. 31 -- 69 troops left for Jackson, Miss in two C-130
aircraft for a security mission (44 Army Guard and 23 Air Guard
for a total of 67 in security mission, plus one public affairs
officer and one videographer)
SECOND MISSION
Thur. Sept. 1 -- Five aeromedical evacuation specialists (from
142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, DE Air National Guard)
plus 2 members of DEMA -- Delaware Emergency Management Agency
-- and one DEMA vehicle (Dodge Durango) left in one C-130
aircraft for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
The medical team transports patients by aircraft to hospitals
outside Louisiana.
THIRD MISSION
Thur. Sept 1 -- 50 troops (50 Airmen from Del. Air Guard) left
in one C-130 aircraft for Jackson, Miss. on a general purpose
mission with over 30 civil engineer personnel and the remainder
people with a variety of mixed skills needed to keep the airport
facilities at Jackson up and running and able to expand to
support more relief activities
FOURTH MISSION
Fri. Sept. 2 -- 51 troops with a wide range of skill sets, all
but one from Del. Army Guard, left in one C-130 aircraft for
Jackson, Miss.
FIFTH MISSION
Sat. Sept. 3 -- 15 aeromedical evacuation specialists (from
142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, DE Air National Guard)
left in one C-130 aircraft for Louis Armstrong New Orleans
International Airport to transport
patients by aircraft to hospitals outside Louisiana.
This makes a total of 190 troops from the Delaware National
Guard currently deployed to the Gulf Coast.
SIXTH MISSION
EXPECTED:
Sun. Sept 4 -- Seven members of the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey with three vehicles and two utility trailers to
arrive on base about 8:00 a.m., and depart aboard two C-130
aircraft about NOON for Louis Armstrong New Orleans
International Airport. If all equipment cannot be transported
Sat., other means will be found to transport to Gulf Coast.
Aircrew are flying missions, then completing mandatory crew rest
back in Delaware or at any one of several bases in the Gulf
Coast region before being able to be put back on the list of
aircrew available for further missions.
(Note: some similarities to the real life experiences of former
Air Force pilots in the Berlin Airlift after the end of World
War II. The Berlin Airlift began June 25, 1948, one day after
the blockade of West Berlin, and continued for 321 days to
supply West Berlin with necessary supplies).
This release is in the public domain, and any part may be used as written.
Tech. Sgt. Ben Matwey
Public Affairs Specialist
Delaware Air National Guard
166th Airlift Wing
302-323-3369
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