Air Force support of Hurricane Katrina continues

  • Published
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  A week after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the Air Force continues its fever-pitch support effort to aid the people it has affected.

Airmen, aircraft and equipment from bases nationwide are playing a vital role in the Federal Emergency Management Agency-directed Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

The total force is involved in search and rescue, recovery, airlift and aeromedical evacuation. Airmen opened up the New Orleans airport and have a 25-bed emergency medical squadron on the ground there -- with 75 beds still to come.

Airmen with two contingency response wings deployed to New Orleans, Lafayette, La., Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and Gulfport, Miss., to run airlift operations.

Air Force actions for Sept. 4 include:

-- Rescues: 494.

-- Sorties: 369.

-- Passengers flown: 4,249.

-- Cargo tons delivered: 2,213.

-- Aeromedical evacuation patients flown: 1,072.

-- Civil Air Patrol sorties: three.

Air Force actions to-date include:

-- Rescues: 1,364.

-- Sorties: 789.

-- Passengers flown: 13,472.

-- Cargo tons delivered: 4,005.

-- Aeromedical evacuation patients flown: 1,883.

-- Civil Air Patrol sorties: 13.

Air Force aircraft taking part in the massive operation include:

-- C-130 Hercules (airlift).

-- C-17 Globemaster III (airlift).

-- C-5 Galaxy heavy (airlift).

-- C-141 Starlifter (airlift).

-- KC-135 Stratotanker (airlift and aerial refueling).

-- OC-135 Open Skies (aerial photography).

-- E-3 Sentry (air traffic control).

-- HC-130 P/N (helicopter aerial refueling).

-- HH-60G Pave Hawk (search and rescue).

-- MC-130E/H Combat Talon I/II (search and rescue).

-- MH-53J/M Pave Low (search and rescue).

-- C-9 Nightingale (aeromedical evacuation).