Fairchild Airmen help save homes from flooding

  • Published
  • By Scott King
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (AFNS) --  Forty student candidates and instructors from the 336th Training Group Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape School here filled roughly 10,000 sandbags in Pend Oreille County, Wash., June 9, reportedly saving three homes from being flooded and making elderly homeowners extremely grateful and proud of the Air Force Airmen.

Following record rainfall and an above average snowpack throughout the Northwestern U.S., the Pend Oreille River, which flows from Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, joining the Columbia River in British Columbia, was flowing at its highest level in 14 years.

Near the town of Cusick, Wash., residents who lived on the banks of the river had growing concerns about flooding potential.

"We have lived along this river since 1995 and have seen our share of flooding, but since the beginning of May, the river has risen over 11 feet making us very nervous," said Ken Wendt, an affected homeowner. "We're in our mid-70s, so when the director of emergency management for Pend Oreille County called us and told us that Airmen from Fairchild (Air Force Base) had volunteered to help residents, we decided that we needed them."

The SERE instructors and student candidates learned of the need for assistance while they were training in the area.

"The residents who needed help lived across the river from our training area," said Staff Sgt. Brian Tomlinson, a 66th Training Squadron SERE specialist and instructor for the indoctrination course. "We were scheduled to conduct a team-building exercise on the 9th, which usually includes volunteer work, so this was perfect timing. This was a way for me to indirectly mentor our candidates, allowing them to see how military members can step up and help people in need. The sandbagging operation required not only teamwork, but our ability to relate to, and ease the minds of the folks who we were helping. The water at the time was about 5 feet from their house and rising. They needed help first thing in the morning."

The Wendt family said they were growing anxious as the river was nearing their home.

"The Fairchild Airmen arrived the morning on (June) 9th and spent over two hours filling sandbags for our house alone," Carol Wendt said. "They quickly and efficiently did whatever we asked of them to help us protect our home from flooding. They were professional, courteous and hardworking. Above all, they gave us peace of mind."

The student candidates realized the magnitude of the situation and could see the concern in eyes of the people they were helping.

"Helping these people was a privilege and a great opportunity for us to get away from our daily training stresses and come together as a team to help sandbag and protect those homes from the rising river," said Airman 1st Class Benjamin Sebald, a SERE student candidate. "It was nice to see them relax a little as their walls were going up."

The Airmen enjoyed helping the families and said they would do it again if called upon.

"We bagged a lot of bags for those three houses," said Airman 1st Class Casey Blackmon, a SERE student candidate. "We had little time to chat, and I realized how important their properties were to them. If the sand bags weren't there, they would have lost everything. I sure did sleep well that night. It was a full day's work with our 40-man crew but unlike lifting weights that don't serve any other purpose, those sandbags saved the livelihood of three families. I would be glad to do more work like this if needed."

The river water is now a few feet from the top of the Wendt family's sandbag wall and holding. It is unknown if the walls for other two homes the Airmen sandbagged are holding.

The river is anticipated to start receding soon, officials said.

"This was an answer to our prayers," Mrs. Wendt said. "If the Fairchild Airmen didn't help us, we would probably have a lot more damage to our home. We feel the Air Force is definitely doing things right to have such wonderful representatives willing to serve the public when there is a need and we are confident that they must be well prepared for serving our country. We can't begin to thank all of them for their efforts and all the rest they do to protect our country and our way of life. We will never forget this act of kindness."