CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Six members of the 130th Airlift Wing’s 167th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron mobilized today to support Hurricane Dorian relief efforts over the next two weeks.
The aeromedical evacuation team and ground crew support personnel will be staged out of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, alongside crews from the Wyoming, Minnesota and North Carolina Air National Guards, to deploy wherever assets are needed in the storm-affected areas to include the eastern seaboard of the United States and the Bahamas.
This mobilization will increase the number of West Virginia National Guard personnel mobilized in support of hurricane response and recovery efforts to 14. A team of eight Soldiers are currently providing aeromedical evacuation and search and rescue support in South Carolina with two UH-60L Blackhawks and two crews.
"The West Virginia National Guard has a proven track record of being ready and responsive when disasters strike, no matter whether it’s here in West Virginia or elsewhere in the United States," said Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, the Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard.
"In times of need, the National Guard synchronizes with local first responders, governments and civilian agencies to provide a comprehensive approach to disaster response and recovery. This mobilization of our Army and Air National Guard personnel for hurricane response is another great example of the importance and relevance the West Virginia National Guard."
The 167th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron is one of nine Air National Guard aeromedical evacuation squadrons in the Air Force’s inventory. Their primary mission is to provide lifesaving in-flight patient care worldwide in response to contingencies and humanitarian emergencies. These specialized teams, consisting of flight nurses and aeromedical evacuation technicians, can operate on a number of U.S. Air Force aircraft including the C-130H/J, C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135R, KC-10 Extender and the C-5 Galaxy.