Lackland supports Hurricane Katrina evacuation

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LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Airmen here played a critical role in San Antonio’s hurricane evacuation operation.

Over a 55-hour period, Lackland received 9,788 evacuees aboard 89 aircraft. Working in partnership with San Antonio first responders, Airmen helped unload passengers, provide medical assistance and prepare evacuees for transport to shelters and hospitals around the city.

Additionally, Lackland provided more than 250 recent graduates from basic military training to help set up two shelters. Normally, these graduates are entitled to a town pass for their first opportunity to go off base since entering basic training. But they turned down the pass to support the evacuation effort.

Hundreds of volunteers from various career fields including civil engineers, transportation, security forces and communications are working in area shelters or assisting operations in San Antonio.

Missions and teams also are departing Lackland to provide support and services in the Gulf Coast region.

Wilford Hall Medical Center currently has seven critical-care air transport teams rotating in and out of New Orleans to help move critical patients.

A 60-person contingency aeromedical staging facility team, also from WHMC, departed Sept. 2 to provide medical care and support for patients being evacuated from the area. The team is expected to be in New Orleans for at least 30 days.

The 433rd Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command unit here, which operates the C-5 Galaxy, has flown more than 20 aeromedical evacuation missions to the region, moving more than 1,200 patients back to San Antonio for treatment.

“We did an incredible job, sometimes (unloading) and processing hundreds of evacuees from eight to 10 aircraft at the same time,” said Col. Mary Kay Hertog, 37th Training Wing commander. “The support we provided was unprecedented, and I couldn’t be prouder of all the support being provided by the Lackland community.

“For the last several days our military and civilian communities pulled together to help the citizens of New Orleans who are coming to us literally with just the clothes on their backs,” she said. “I’d like to personally thank the military members -- active duty, Reserve, National Guard and our civilians -- who have worked around the clock to give these Americans a temporary home and a new start.”