Photo By Tech. Sgt. Alexis Wade | Approximately 40 members of the 200th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational...... read more read more
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In the wake of both hurricane Helene and Milton, communities were left devastated, with homes, infrastructure, and lives upturned. Amid the destruction there were many that stepped up, bringing strength, skill, and compassion to the relief efforts. One entity that answered the call for help was the 200th RED HORSE Squadron, joining forces with local responders to provide aid, clear debris, and restore vital services to those in need.
Approximately 40 members of the 200th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer (RED HORSE) Squadron from the 179th Cyberspace Wing, Mansfield, Ohio, traveled to Florida to help with the cleanup efforts of both Hurricane Helene and Milton from October 9th-26th, 2024.
One of those members being Staff Sgt. Sean Ballentine, Air Fields Operator assigned to the 200th RED HORSE Squadron, Mansfield, Ohio.
Ballentine held a meaningful connection to the hurricane relief efforts. While he maintains his role in the RED HORSE Squadron by traveling to Ohio from Florida for monthly military training, he remains a dedicated community member to his hometown of Tampa, and was eager to support those in need.
“When I heard the hurricanes were projected to hit Tampa, a small part of me wondered if my RED HORSE Squadron would be activated,” said Ballentine. “Once I learned the squadron volunteered for this mission, I knew I had to help, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to support my hometown here in Tampa alongside my guard family from Ohio.”
Captain Jonathan Rodriguez-Lucas, Officer in Charge of the hurricane relief efforts for the 200th RED HORSE Squadron, noted that one of the things that comes with hurricanes is debris and down trees. With Florida being hit by both hurricanes within weeks of each other, their city and county services were inundated with requests for help. Florida sent a request for help and the 200th RHS responded.
Rodriguez-Lucas credited the Squadron’s unique capabilities to the success of the mission.
“One thing that makes us the best choice is our equipment and skills,” said Rodriguez-Lucas. “The difference for us is that we can deploy at the drop of the hat, and that’s what we did here.”
While in Florida, the squadron was able to successfully clear 42 trees, opened up 39 roadways, and opened up access to over 12 homes.
The impact the squadron had did not go unnoticed, Ballentine stated. On the last day, a homeowner they had removed a tree for called them in tears, expressing their appreciation.
“The homeowners told us they had previously been told it would cost them thousands of dollars, but no company was willing to touch the tree as it was in a dangerous position,” said Ballentine. “For us to be able to help this family out was an incredible feeling, this job is pretty thankless so once you see how much you can truly impact a family, it means a lot.”
Ballentine credited the success of the trip to the squadron’s resilience and training.
“We stayed resilient and fell back on our unit training, because we knew there were so many people needing help,” said Ballentine. “When you first hear of a natural disaster, your mind immediately goes to the people. Who is in danger, who can we help, who needs help the most. There were a lot of people who didn’t have the resources we have, so to be able to help those individuals was extremely rewarding.”
Events like this allow our members to apply their skills in a live fire situation, said Rodriguez-Lucas. This drives home to our troops that this is real, and this is why training is so important. The national guard has the additional duty of disaster response, and it's important to remember that capability and it reinforces why we do what we do.
Ballentine credited RED HORSE leadership for their readiness and training for events like this.
“A lot of times you come out during drill weekend and it can feel mundane, but we have amazing leadership that reminds us that these drill weekends prepare us for when real world situations occur, and this experience was a perfect example of that.” said Balentine.
For Ballentine, this mission will not be one the Squadron members will forget.
“This activation puts everything into perspective,” said Ballentine. “You get families calling you in tears of joy. For us to be able to go out there and do what we did, it makes you look back on a trip and leave with a sense of purpose and service to the community.”
| Date Taken: | 11.03.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.21.2024 14:44 |
| Story ID: | 484556 |
| Location: | OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 220 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, RED HORSE Squadron Rallies to Aid Florida Communities in Hurricane Relief, by TSgt Alexis Wade, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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