Holloman Airmen provide eyes in the sky over Haiti

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sondra Escutia
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) --  Members of 849th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here received a tasking not typical to their normal, day-to-day mission Jan. 16.

At 9:30 p.m., the formal training squadron staff for the MQ-1 Predator was asked to provide two aircraft and a team of crew chiefs and avionics technicians to support the ongoing relief effort in Haiti.

Thirty hours later, the team of Airmen and aircraft from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., were in place on a ramp at Nellis AFB, Nev., ready to go.

"When we found out we were going on this humanitarian mission, I had more than enough volunteers," said Maj. Chris Reichardt, the 849th AMXS commander. "Everyone was very excited about the opportunity to go down and help the Haitian people as well as to forgo their three-day weekend."

Despite their motivation to help in time of need, the remotely piloted aircraft maintainers were not expecting the call.

"We are a formal training unit, so getting tasked for a real world mission is something out of the ordinary, but it's great to be tasked to go out and help in a real-world mission and to help the Haitian people get back on their feet after this earthquake," Major Reichardt said.

The contingent from Holloman AFB teamed with members from the 432nd Maintenance Group at Creech AFB, Nev., and their mission will be to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to the troops on the ground assisting the Haitians.

"(The team) will help save lives and help onsite commanders make real-time decisions," said Master Sgt. Johnny Blankenship, the 849th AMXS production superintendent.

The reaction to this tasking has been great, not only from his unit, but from all of Holloman AFB, Major Reichardt said.

Upon notification, the 49th Medical Group staff opened their doors late in the evening to ensure all members were ready to go, Major Reichardt said, and the 49th Logistics Readiness Squadron Airmen also provided all the vehicles needed to transport the aircraft in a timely manner.

"The support the base has given has been tremendous," he said. "Everybody has pulled together to make this mission happen. From notification time to aircraft sitting on the ramp at Nellis (AFB), ready to go down to help in the relief effort, was a total of 30 hours, and it would have been impossible to do that without the team effort of Holloman Air Force Base."