Air Force provides support to hurricane relief effort

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. C. Todd Lopez
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  The Air Force is part of the national support network that is providing aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina in disaster stricken regions of Mississippi and Louisiana.

The 1st Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is the lead for planning, orchestrating and overseeing Air Force support to Joint Task Force Katrina.

Units from Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command and Air Force Special Operations Command are aiding 1st Air Force and supporting disaster relief efforts.

Assets from AMC include aeromedical evacuation teams that flew between Keesler AFB, Miss., and Lackland AFB, Texas. The command, responsible for orchestrating airlift and refueling support for the Air Force, has also provided support to the effort with C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy aircraft.

Support from AFSOC comes mostly in the form of helicopters and pararescue teams. The command, which performs combat search and rescue operations and agile combat support for the Air Force, has provided six HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency and four MH-53 Pave Low helicopters to conduct airlift operations and support to national leaders.

“The Air Force continues to develop missions and find ways to provide assistance to relief operations,” said Col. Steven Pennington, team chief of the Air Force crisis action team tasked with planning the Air Force effort. “We’re helping our fellow citizens with the same tenacity that we defend them.”