Guard unit supports hurricane relief operations at Ellington

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Catharine Schmidt
  • Air Force Print News
ELLINGTON FIELD, Texas --  Hurricane Katrina relief operations had just slowed down when Airmen with the 136th Tanker Airlift Control Element had to quickly pack their bags to support another hurricane relief operation -- this time in their home state.

The 10-person TALCE team and 26 Airmen from the 136th Aerial Port Squadron were part of a much larger operation only days before arriving here. As the work pace slowed down in New Orleans, the Airmen found out their expertise was needed elsewhere.

The guardsmen from Fort Worth, Texas, along with Airmen from the 136th Aerial Port Squadron, arrived Sept. 24 ready to support Hurricane Rita relief operations at this main staging area for Texas.

“We come in and handle all the airflow into and out of an airfield,” said Tech. Sgt. Michelle Kiral of the 136th TALCE. “We just got back from Gulfport, (Miss.) -- we were there for two weeks. The airflow there was considerably larger, although we’re told it’s going to increase here.”

Between Sept. 24 and Sept. 26, TALCE has supported the arrivals of aircraft such as C-5 Galaxys, C-130 Hercules and Army CH-47 Chinooks. Although most of the nearly 37 tons of cargo processed has been to support the unit, the aerial port loaded food and water onto Chinooks Sept. 25 that was delivered by the Federal Emergency Management Activity to Hawthorne, Texas.

Although the scope of the relief effort here may not be the same as in New Orleans where TALCE processed an average of 40 to 50 aircraft daily, the team has approached its new task with the same level of enthusiasm.

“I’m confident we can do the job we were sent here to do,” said Maj. Gerald Smalley, operations officer.

One key difference in operations here is that relief supplies do not depend as heavily on aircraft for delivery as they did in the New Orleans area. Unlike New Orleans, there is no flooding here, so relief officials are able to more readily use trucks to deliver needed supplies.

Still on orders from Hurricane Katrina, the 36 guardsmen are operating and living out of a vacant building here on base. Many of them have had no time to rest between operations, but said they are happy to be where they are needed.

“Morale is very strong,” said Maj. Dawn Ferrell of the 136th APS. “Everyone has volunteered to be here. This affects our state, and supporting our state is what the Guard is all about.”