Air Force mobilizes for Hurricane Rita

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  • By Louis A. Arana-Barradas
  • Air Force Print News
SAN ANTONIO --  As Hurricane Rita churns through the Gulf of Mexico, the Air Force is mobilizing forces in anticipation of the storm hitting the Texas Gulf Coast.

The Category 5 hurricane -- some are already calling it a “monster storm” -- could make landfall near Galveston by late Sept. 23 or early Sept. 24, National Hurricane Center officials said. The storm’s winds have already reached 165 mph.

Galveston, which is about 50 miles south of Houston, is on a 2-mile wide barrier island. City officials there have already ordered the city evacuated. Others along the coast are also packing up and leaving.

In the meantime, U.S. Northern Command is ready to respond to requests for help by the Federal Emergency Management Agency before, or in the wake of the hurricane, command officials said. Forces will deploy where needed, officials said.

Thousands of troops are still helping FEMA with relief and recovery efforts along the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast ravaged by Hurricane Katrina three weeks ago. Northern Command is working to develop plans to reposition some of those troops to other areas, officials said.

As the hurricane nears Texas, military members and their families at bases along the Gulf Coast face evacuation to Lackland Air Force Base here. That could happen at any time, said Wayne Bryant, a Lackland spokesman. Those people will evacuate to Lackland.

“This is the reception point for military personnel and their families from installations along the Gulf Coast,” Mr. Bryant said. “Lackland has set up an evacuee reception center to process those families who arrive. We’ll provide housing, food and medical assistance, if required.”

He said from 3,000 to 3,500 people could arrive in the next few days. This is not a new mission at the base. It was the reception point for thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Airmen there received 89 flights in 55 hours carrying more than 9,700 people during the Labor Day holiday weekend. San Antonio provided refuge for the displaced people from New Orleans.

With this latest hurricane just days away, the military has a defense coordinating officer and a defense coordinating element on the ground in Austin, Texas. Their job is to liaison between Northern Command and FEMA and with other federal and state agencies.

The command also announced it is ready to use Fort Sam Houston here as a staging base. Officials are now identifying helicopters for use in damage assessment and medical support.

As events continue unfolding, thousands of Airmen around the nation are getting ready to provide search and rescue, airlift, logistics, communications and medical support as needed. However, others are getting out of the path of the storm. Many responded to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

At Lackland, the Air Force Reserve’s 433rd Airlift Wing is evacuating its fleet of C-5 Galaxy aircraft to Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso, Texas. The Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing, also at the base, is sending its F-16 Fighting Falcons elsewhere, but wing officials said the site was not yet determined.

About 10 miles southeast of Houston -- at Ellington Field -- the Guard’s 147th Fighter Wing is also sending its F-16s to another location.

“Everyone around us is evacuating,” said Master Sgt. Marcus Falleaf, a wing spokesman. “The traffic getting out of the city is terrible” as people evacuating Galveston transit the city.

“But we’re still airlifting evacuees from Hurricane Katrina from here,” he said. “We’ll keep doing that until we have to leave,” Sergeant Falleaf said.

The sergeant said a 75-member team will remain on the base and “ride out the storm.” Another team of about 30 people will leave their homes Sept. 25 and return to the base to help the other Airmen “start any cleanup that might be needed,” he said.

Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Forth Worth is also ready. The 136th Airlift Wing there will have four C-130 Hercules ready for around-the-clock operations by Sept. 25, according to Texas National Guard officials.

Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is ready to continue supporting hurricane relief operations, said Maj. Mike Coleman, a command spokesman. AMC had a major role in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, providing airlift, command and control and other assistance.

“We’ve told our people to get ready to go,” Major Coleman said.

Across the Gulf of Mexico, Airmen are also gearing up.

FEMA has already asked Northern Command to make Homestead Air Reserve Base, near Miami, an operational staging base to pre-position food, water and ice.

And at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., Airmen are ready to bed down any evacuated aircraft and to support any operational missions, like search and rescue and airlift, a base spokesperson said.

Northern Command also asked the Joint Staff to allow four heavy-lift and four medium-lift helicopters to deploy to Patrick to provide potential damage assessments.

(Contributing to this report: U.S. Northern Command, American Forces Press Service and Tech. Sgt. Greg Ripps)