Two CH-47 Chinook helicopters from Savannah’s 169th Aviation Regiment leave out on a mission to bring food, water and other badly needed supplies to survivors of Hurricane Ike in Texas. (Contributed photo)

Guard aiding recovery in wake of 'Ike'

By Sgt. 1st Class Roy Henry
Georgia National Guard
Public Affairs Office

 DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE – Georgia National Guard aviation personnel and aircraft are aiding recovery efforts in Texas and Louisiana as cities and towns in those states continue their recovery from devastation left behind by Hurricane Ike.

 They’re expected to remain on station until Sept. 27 when they'll return to Georgia.

 “Everyone here is working hard, staying safe and staying focused on the mission,” said Maj. Brent Henson, operations officer for 171st Aviation.

He’s also handling operations for Georgia’s Task Force 171. “It’s missions such as this that give us the opportunity to really showcase who we are, what we do and why we do it.”

 Members of Marietta’s 78th Aviation Troop Command, 171st Aviation and Detachment 9; and Savannah’s 169th Aviation Regiment and 935th Maintenance Detachment are among the more than 2,400 Guardsmen from seven states working along side the Texas and Louisiana National Guard.

 More than 70 Georgia Soldiers, two UH-60 Black Hawk and three CH-47 Chinook helicopters have been in Texas since Saturday, Sept. 13, where they waited for Ike to make land fall and then pass on. At least one CH-47, its crew and support personnel, was sent to Louisiana and continues carrying levee sandbagging and humanitarian missions there.

 Crews flying the C-23 Sherpa and C-26 Metro Liner continue to ferry personnel and equipment to and from the storm-torn region.  

 Two C-130 Hercules transports of Savannah’s 165th Airlift Wing, placed on alert before Ike hit the Texas coast have stood down, but not before one of those aircraft assisted Texas with evacuating citizens out of the storm’s path.

 Information provided by the Guard’s Joint Operations Center here also shows that a 15-person command and control section belonging to the 78th remains active in Little Rock, Ark.

 According Henson, Task Force 171 has flown more than 175 hours, and has, to date, moved more than 65,000 pounds of cargo in support of the relief effort. It also evacuated or rescued about 306 people.

 “Can’t forget the seven dogs and one cat in that number,” Henson said.

 Back at homestation, members of the 78th, along with 10 Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF) volunteers man the tactical operations center. What was a 24-hour operation during the first days of Ike, has slowed to 13 hours. From there, Task Force 171 and those personnel deployed to Louisiana and Little Rock receive constant support.

 “While everyone here has done a great job, we greatly appreciate the GSDF folks,” said Sgt. 1st Class Mark Kerkoski, 78th Aviation’s operations NCO. “They continue to do a tremendous job in taking the place of Soldiers who are ‘down range’ right now.”

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