COLUMBUS, Ohio — Over the last three days, the Ohio National Guard has sent communications and medical equipment to Puerto Rico to help with recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria.
On Thursday, about 40 Soldiers were to departt from Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus. Those Soldiers, from the 137th Signal Company, based in Newark, Ohio, will provide communications support to hurricane relief efforts.
The signal company can deliver communications capabilities with mobile satellite, electricity, telephone, internet and video conferencing, and information technology services.
More than 200 Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are supporting hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Ohio National Guard has more than 16,000 personnel and is the nation's fourth-largest National Guard.
On Monday, the Ohio National Guard sent much-needed medical equipment to Puerto Rico.
The equipment, including generators, emergency medical equipment, ventilators, and X-ray machines, left Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base on board two C-130 Hercules aircraft. The equipment is part of the Ohio National Guard's support to Puerto Rico that includes more than 40 Soldiers from the 285th Medical Company (Area Support), based out of Columbus. The 285th deployed Oct. 5, establishing initial communications with other units and organizations already working in Puerto Rico, as well as conducting site surveys and operational assessments necessary for a base camp. "The last several days, we have been making connections and laying down the foundation needed for the mission to be accomplished," said Maj. Bryanna Singleton, 285th ASMC commander. "With our medical equipment now arriving, we are fully capable and functional to start our mission toward helping the people of Puerto Rico." The unit will provide trauma health care, preventative medicine consultation, optometry support, mental health consultation and evacuation of patients in Puerto Rico.
The Ohio Soldiers join more than 2,650 National Guard personnel who have been assisting the hard-hit U.S. territory in the aftermath of the destructive hurricane.