AFMC responds to Hurricane Dennis

  • Published
  • By Kathleen A.K. Lopez
  • Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) --  While this base in southwestern Ohio is not known for taking direct hits from sustained triple-digit winds during the Gulf Coast hurricane season, Air Force Materiel Command leaders here pay particular attention when Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is in a hurricane's path.

When it is forecasted that a hurricane, or other disaster, is to wreak havoc on one of its bases, AFMC's crisis action team stands up to assist a base through the crisis.

Such was the case when Hurricane Dennis ominously brewed in the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall July 10 on Eglin. Eglin is one of 10 AFMC bases.

"We watch the weather during hurricane season," said Col. Frank Albanese Jr., crisis team director and chief of the AFMC directorate of operations’ command and control, contingency operations and plans division. "We learned while responding to Hurricane Ivan, in September that preparation is key. Rather than anticipating what's going to happen in a situation and then reacting to it, we try to pre-position ourselves."

As Eglin Airmen prepared the base for evacuation, AFMC's crisis team began implementing lessons it learned from Hurricane Ivan. First, Colonel Albanese met with team members July 8.

"I met with them … to open the lines of communication and to instruct them to research any items that may be needed to respond to the situation," the colonel said. "(The following) morning I opened the CAT floor for 12 hours so members could have a functional common area to discuss areas of overlap."

As the events of Hurricane Dennis unfolded, the colonel said the most celebrated accomplishment throughout the storm was that neither computer nor telephone communication links between AFMC's team and Eglin were compromised.

"This was an applied lesson learned from Ivan," Colonel Albanese said. "Eglin was able to transfer its communication capabilities from Pensacola to Jacksonville (before) Dennis hit the base; we were able to remain in constant communication with Eglin's command post and the Air Armament Center's battle staff."

To communicate with Eglin people, an announcement was posted at four Web sites where they most likely would look, letting them know not to return to the base until July 13.

In the aftermath of Dennis, people with the command's financial management directorate are standing by to travel to Eglin to help process vouchers of about 1,400 returning evacuees. Colonel Albanese said that when Airmen are evacuated from a location they are in temporary duty status. The command's judge advocate is also on standby to assist Eglin’s legal office with any ensuing claims resulting from Dennis's destruction.

While AFMC's team disbanded July 11, it is still is in response mode. Once base officials assess the damage and no longer need assistance, Colonel Albanese officially will stand down the CAT.

Overall, the colonel said the crisis team’s support to Eglin for Dennis was much less than for Ivan.

"This was a quicker hurricane than Ivan so the damage wasn't nearly as bad as that in September," he said. "Eglin didn't need nearly as much help from us, but when we have another crisis, we have our structure in place to respond effectively." (Courtesy of AFMC News Service)