ALEXANDRIA, La. (AFPN) - American military forces are prepositioned and ready to provide any relief necessary if called upon Sept. 1 at England Air Park in Alexandria as Hurricane Gustav batters the Gulf Coast.
A joint force team of approximately 100 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Defense Department civilians has set up camp at the Army North Operational Command Post at the closed England Air Force Base, La., and will direct any federal aid requested by state officials following the hurricane.
"We are positioned to provide federal forces and assistance in response to the this domestic emergency in the case we are called upon by the states," said Army Brig. Gen. Jeff Jacobs, the Army North Operational Command Post 2 commander out of Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. "It is very prudent to posture us to provide the necessary command and control for the federal and Department of Defense response to Hurricane Gustav, and we are well situated to do that here."
Hundreds of Guardsmen have been recalled by the states in advance to assist with hurricane preparations and to warn residents of the pending storm. The Operational Command Post here is a joint venture as military members work side-by-side coordinating any possible recovery efforts.
"We are here if we are called upon to help save lives, to mitigate suffering and to prevent a substantial loss of property," said Brig. Gen. John Del Toro, the Air National Guard assistant to the 1st Air Force commander at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The general is also the assistant adjutant general for air of the Montana National Guard.
General Del Toro leads an 11-man Air Force team that is on hand and ready to support the region with an Air Component Coordination Element. The staff includes aeromedical planners, air mobility experts and Civil Air Patrol expertise - all with reach back capability to the 601st Air Operations Center at Tyndall AFB. The 601st AOC staff further expands the capability base to identify and monitor transport requirements, search and rescue operations through the Joint Personnel Rescue Center at Tyndall AFB, and multiple other interagency capabilities to tailor any rescue operation to what is needed during a disaster or consequence management operations.
"According to (Federal Emergency Management Agency) open source estimates, 75 percent of people in the hurricane's path already evacuated and approximately 95 percent of special-needs individuals are out of harm's way," General Del Toro said. Texas Air National Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft and aircrews transported approximately 500 special needs individuals Aug. 30 from Beaumont, Texas, to San Antonio.
"We are here to help," General Del Toro said. "The state officials of Louisiana and their National Guardsmen have the initial responsibility during this hurricane response, but if and/or when they need assistance, we are positioned and ready to aid them in accomplishing disaster relief efforts."