Nellis airmen join effort

Mary Manning and David Kihara

Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005 | 10:57 a.m.

Twenty-one Air Force servicemen, armed with sidearms, boarded three HH-60 search and rescue helicopters at Nellis Air Force Base this morning and deployed to the disaster-stricken Southeast to assist in what is being described as the largest relief effort in U.S. history.

Many of the servicemen, from the 66th Rescue Squadron and the 763rd Maintenance Squadron, had previous rescue experience in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This has a good purpose -- to go and help people," said Air Force Staff Sgt. John McIntosh, 27, a gunner with the 66th Rescue Squadron.

McIntosh, who recently spent four months in Afghanistan with the rescue squadron, said he was looking forward to a humanitarian mission in America as opposed to the "hot and dusty" missions in Afghanistan.

Thousands are feared drowned in the area, and New Orlean's mayor, C. Ray Nagin, called for a complete evacuation of the city, according to news reports. Looting in the area is rampant and flood waters have filled much of the city, according to news reports.

The three HH-60 G Pave Hawk helicopters are expected to reach Jackson, Miss., later today, said Air Force Master Sgt. Ernie Garcia, 35, a flight engineer with the 66th Rescue Squadron who was helping with the logistics today but was not being deployed.

He said the teams being sent to the disaster areas are well prepared for the operations because of their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We've seen chaos, death and destruction -- it's not new for us," he said, adding that he spent five tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq for total of about two years abroad in recent conflicts.

All the servicemen were issued a sidearm for security purposes, he said.

"You watched the news -- it's crazy down there," he said.

He said the exact mission of the rescue squadron was not clear, but the teams will "do what we're assigned to do."

Lt. Justin McVay, a Nellis spokesman, said the contribution to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was "a last-minute thing."

Each helicopter can carry a seven-member crew, including two pilots, a flight engineer and a gunner, McVay said.

Two other airmen are trained to drop out of the aircraft to assist in rescues, McVay said.

Several trained medical airmen are also onboard the mission, McVay said.

The three helicopters will be based at Jackson, Miss., he said. From there, they will be sent to wherever they are needed.

These helicopters are unique in that they can be fueled in mid-air from C-130 aircraft, McVay said.

"The helicopters can actually get gas while they're going," he said.

Nellis responded to fellow Air Force colleagues devastated by the hurricane at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., McVay said.

"They took a pretty hard blow," McVay said. "We're kind of feeling their pain from afar."

Air Force Staff Sgt. Westley Sage, 27, with the 763rd Maintenance Squadron, was preparing for deployment this morning.

As he was loading gear onto the helicopter about an hour before deployment, he described how he spent about three months total in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan and how he was looking forward to helping Americans devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

"I want to help our own people," he said. "It looks bad."

Another serviceman preparing for deployment at Nellis this morning, Staff Sgt. Seth Nehiley, 21, of the 763 Maintenance Squadron, said he was looking forward to mission for the activity as much as anything else.

"It's better than sitting around in Las Vegas," said Nehily, who is originally from Boston. "We get to actually do something, real world stuff."

Nehily, who recently spent two and a half months in Afghanistan, said he had never been deployed on a domestic humanitarian mission.

Since it is a domestic mission, Nehily said many of the servicemen would likely be more familiar with the situations that would occur.

"Out here we know what happens," he said.

Like all the servicemen deployed today, Nehily said he had only received word that they were being sent to the disaster areas one day ago, but he said they were told to expect it.

"We actually have a purpose now," he said.

A Nevada Air National Guard C-130 filled with about two dozen National Guard medical soldiers and airmen departed from its Reno air base about noon on Tuesday, said April Conway, spokeswoman for the Nevada Office of the Military.

The C-130 headed for Baton Rouge, La., in support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, Conway said.

The type of rescue missions those participating in the disaster relief is still uncertain, she said.

"They don't know if they'll be at hospitals, or at shelters, giving inoculations. They don't know any of that. They'll find out when they get there," Conway said.

The unit also doesn't know when it may return, she said.

They are being called to active duty under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact in place between 49 states. The compact allows the National Guard to render assistance to other states if a need arises.

The Nevada National Guard has one medical group of about 60 airmen stationed in Reno and a medical detachment of about 55 soldiers based in Las Vegas and Reno, Conway said.

Commenting on the Nevada National Guard being sent to help, Gov. Kenny Guinn said, "As a nation we must pull together in times like these and come to the aid of our fellow citizens."

He said those Nevadans willing to help should contact the state Division of Emergency Management (775 687 4240). Donations should made to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.