BURNET, Texas - Thursday's rescue by two Black Hawk helicopters unfolded with their preparations at the Austin Army Aviation Support Facility (AAASF).
The crew loaded rescue hoists and conducted pre-flight checks and flew to the airport in Burnet. Then, as aviators-on-call often do, they sat, talked and sipped sodas until it was time to spring into action.
On orders from Gov. Rick Perry, units from the Texas Army National Guard positioned themselves on the perimeter of the weather system.
"We have about 13,000-14,000 square miles of the state that are affected by the rain," said the governor's Division of Emergency Management chief of staff, Jack Colley, in a telephone interview. It was decided to bring in the Texas Army National Guard aviators and Task Force One, Urban Search and Rescue Teams.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for our personnel and the Guardsmen to work together to provide search and rescue assistance to the general populous," said the team's Kenneth Larson.
This would not be the first time this week that the teams conducted search and rescue missions. On Wednesday, Guardsmen and Texas Task Force One members assisted the Texas Department of Public Safety in evacuating 14 people and three dogs from Smithwick, a small community about eight miles east of Marble Falls. Constant rainfall and rising water washed out the roads and prohibited ground evacuation.
"There was a group of people in an isolated area just below the dam near Marble Falls," said Black Hawk aviator Chief Warrant Officer Robert Gale. "We received a call and were able to pick everybody up and drop them off at the Marble Falls Middle School."
Thursday, during the flight to Burnet, crew members and aviators were able to spot flooded areas and washed-out roads that weren't apparent the day before. As they landed and disembarked, the Guardsmen were greeted by members of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Both agencies have helicopters as well, but having the Guard nearby increased their evacuation response time.
"The Guard helps us tremendously in these isolated communities that are cut off by water," said Capt. Malcolm Welch of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "Many times the Guard is the only way we can get a lot of people out."
Toward the end of the day, the Guardsmen were dispatched to a secluded area in Burnet County where cars were stranded near a flooded road. As they landed, the crew chief exited the helicopter and directed a family of six adults, two children and a family pet into the confines of the Black Hawk. A crew member buckled the family in for safety and within a matter of minutes, everyone was high and dry above Burnet airport.
After the evacuation, the helicopters made their way back to Austin for daily maintenance. More than likely, these same birds will be called to assist in the same county before long, but for now the crew could rest.
"The National Guard, since day one, has been able to bring many resources to help with fires, hurricanes or floods," said Chief Warrant Officer Michael Phillips of the AAASF. "It's our job; it's what we do."
Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada contributed to this story.