News

Robins unit lends support to areas hit by hurricanes

  • Published
  • By Holly Birchfield
  • 78 ABW/PA
Robins Air Force Base, GA --  As hundreds of people fled Hurricane Gustav's powerful winds, Airmen from the 5th Combat Communications Group were heading toward areas where the storm raged.

About 58 Airmen from the 5th Combat Communications Group began rolling out of Robins as early as Aug. 30 to answer a call to help units in Alexandria, La., Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and Jackson, Miss., whose communications capabilities were damaged by the powerful force of Hurricane Gustav. 

Col. Jose Rivera, 5th CCG commander, said his group was quick to respond on a moment's notice.

"We were contacted by Air Combat Command with a heads up to posture ourselves to have several units ready for deployment," he said. "On Sunday, at about 3 o'clock in the morning, we provided an initial team of about eight Airmen to provide communication capabilities. They moved out and went to England Air Force Base in Alexandria to provide communication capabilities to Brig. Gen. John Del Toro who is the 1st Air Force's air component liaison officer to the Northern Command effort over there."

Maj. John Boudreaux, 53rd Combat Communications Squadron commander who served as the A6 Forward for Air Force North, providing Airmen with what they needed to establish communication capabilities in the midst of the storm, said his team's mission was multi-layered.

"The first team the 5th CCG sent out was an initial communication package," he said. "Once they got there, they were to support the ACC element stationed at Keesler Air Force Base."

Initially, one communications and information technology support technician from the 5th CCG deployed to help the team in its efforts. Major Boudreaux said a 36-person team left Robins at 9 a.m. Labor Day and moved into Jackson to provide further communication assistance.

The team established a communications flyaway kit for emergency situations and three very large packages to provide classified and non-classified voice and data communications for upwards of 1,500 people.

Major Boudreaux said teams also provided additional communications packages to disbursed units that were on standby to respond to other problems.

A third 13-person team headed to Jackson, Miss., around midnight Sept. 2 to bring an additional communications package for Jackson and provide more possibilities for the Joint Taskforce commander and joint Air Force assets that may require communications capabilities.

Major Boudreaux said 5th CCG teams have been doing a great job working with senior leaders in the 172nd Airlift Wing who is the host unit for the 331st Air Expeditionary Group that do search and recovery efforts in the storm stricken area, a group which is headquartered out of Jackson.

Master Sgt. Mack McCullough, superintendent of plans and engineering in the 53rd CBCS who served as superintendent for one of the teams responding to the hurricane situation in Jackson, said his team has been assisting a Guard unit in Mississippi tasked with rescuing those who need help.

Sergeant McCullough said his team remained on standby to provide e-mail, voice and satellite capabilities when necessary.

Second Lt. Brian Justus, an electrical engineer in the 53rd CBCS who was the Deployed Initial Communications Element commander for the eight-person team who responded to Alexandria and Keesler, said fierce winds during the team's arrival made the team's job harder.

"Once we got in and bedded down, that's when it really started picking up," he said. "The storm was a Category 2 storm with 105 to 110 mph winds. As you can imagine, standing up equipment in that kind of environment is tough."

Sergeant McCullough said his team is on standby in Jackson and keeping their eyes on the ongoing hurricane situation.

"I think the guys are excited about the mission because this is a humanitarian mission at home," he said. "While we see the need to go abroad, we are also happy to be on our home soil helping those in the United States who may need our help. It's an exciting opportunity for all of us."

Colonel Rivera said his group wouldn't have been able to respond to the hurricane situation without the assistance of the 78th Logistics Readiness Squadron and Team Robins as a whole.

"They were our strategic partners in helping us get the equipment out the door and supporting us with vehicle operations," he said.

While the majority of the groups that helped with the Hurricane Gustav mission have returned to Robins in a mission complete status, one team is remaining in deployed status under AF North waiting at Robins to respond to whatever Hurricane Hanna could bring.