WESTHAMPTON, BEACH, New York --Twenty-one pararescuemen from the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing deployed quickly of the New York National Guard response to Hurricane Milton.
The Airman began preparing to move on October 8 and deployed from Francis. S. Gabreski Air National Guard base in Westhampton Beach on October 9.
They were tasked with deploying their boats and maritime rescue assets
to assist in dealing with flooding but were not needed and returned home on October 11.
Preparations began early on the morning of October 8, with pararescuemen and combat rescue officers assigned to the wing’s 103rd Rescue Squadron preparing and packing their gear.
This included two stake-bed trucks, inflatable boats, confined space equipment, flotation devices and medical supplies, said Lt. Col. Salvatore Sferrazza, 103rd Rescue Squadron commander.
“When something like this happens, the citizen soldier concept really gets solidified,” he said. “We are subordinate to Florida in this. We are there to help them with whatever they need, how and when they need it and just be a good teammate to them.”
Just 24 hours later, on the morning of October 9, loadmasters assigned to the wing’s 102nd Rescue Squadron, and Air Transportation Specialists worked together to load the vehicles and equipment aboard the aircraft.
“My team and I were here until late last night (Tuesday), inspecting all the cargo and making sure everything is safe for flight,” said Tech. Sgt. Jonathan McPherson, 106th Air Transportation Superintendent. “Today we’re supporting the loadmasters, doing quality control and ensuring the equipment is secured on the aircraft.”
Sferrazza explained that previous training exercises, like Agile Rage, a National Guard Bureau readiness exercise held in March, prepared the unit to effectively respond to real-world scenarios like Hurricane Milton.
“All of the things that we are executing right now is exactly the same method and ideology that went into Agile Rage,” he said. “Our ability to organically pack up, using our own aircraft, our own ground convoy, and project the force forward, that translates perfectly to hurricane response.”
“The biggest thing is our ability to be self-sufficient,” Sferrazza explained. “We’re not relying on other people to move us and then in turn, incurring a bigger ask. We are given a mission and that is all we need to be able to go and execute it.”
For Staff Sgt. Evan Van Nieuwenhuyze, a pararescueman with the 103rd Rescue Squadron, the hurricane deployment was his first real-world mission since graduating from training.
“Preparing for my first mission was actually pretty bittersweet,” he said. “You don’t wish anything bad upon people and the tragedies that come along with a hurricane. However, it was nice to know that we have a skill set that is employable and we’re able to help people in need.”
After arriving at Camp Blanding, the team linked up with the Florida National Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, where they began separating into boat teams. They also established standard operating procedures in preparation for taskings, Van Nieuwenhuyze explained.
But it turned out there was no massive flooding, so the New York Airmen were released quickly and returned home two days later, said Lt. Col. Sean Garell, the 106th Operations Group Deputy Commander.
But the short mission tested their ability to deploy quickly and coordinate with another unit, he said.
“Although there were no official taskings while deployed to Florida, our team was able to integrate with the 20th Special Forces Group, proving interoperability and capability, which will better prepare our response the next time a hurricane strikes,” Garell explained.
Date Taken: | 10.28.2024 |
Date Posted: | 10.28.2024 10:48 |
Story ID: | 484036 |
Location: | WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NEW YORK, US |
Web Views: | 56 |
Downloads: | 1 |
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