Also Standing By For Flood Relief In Oregon
Sources within the
National Guard told Aero-News Thursday helicopter crews remain on
standby to respond to wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma, while
their counterparts in Oregon are preparing to move in, if asked, to
provide flood relief.
Wildfires continue to scorch large sections of Oklahoma and
Texas, while drenching rain from a series of winter storms threaten
to flood northern California and southern Oregon coastal
regions.
Members of the Oregon National Guard are poised to provide
medical evacuation assistance in the wake of widespread flooding,
Air Force Capt. Mike Braibish, an Oregon National Guard public
affairs officer, told the American Forces Press Service.
Three UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters and their crews are on
standby at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Salem, Ore. State
officials are assessing what National Guard equipment can be moved
into areas where it is most likely to be needed, he said.
Half of the unit involved, the 1042nd Medical Company (Air
Ambulance), is on a deployment in Afghanistan, expected to return
home this winter, Braibish said.
Meanwhile, a 1042nd
crew spent December 25 conducting a search for a missing person in
Oregon, and another crew is on standby to respond to the Texas
wildfires, if asked, he said.
The multiple missions have become an accepted part of life for
National Guard members, Braibish said. "We're always going to see
some kind of action," he said. "It's just a question of when and
where."
Meanwhile in Texas, widespread wildfires are considered to be
contained, but could flare up again if weather forecasts for windy
conditions prove accurate, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Gonda
Moncada said.
In case they are needed to help douse the flames, four Texas
National Guard helicopters remained on standby today. Two CH-47
Chinooks -- each capable of carrying 2,000 gallons of water, are on
standby in Grand Prairie, TX (west of Dallas) and two UH-60
Black Hawks, each able to carry 660 gallons of water, are at the
Austin Aviation Support Facility, prepared to respond, Moncada
said.
Three additional UH-60 helicopters and their crews arrived in
Grand Prairie from Louisiana to support the mission, she said.
In Oklahoma, two CH-47s and a UH-60 and 12 crewmembers also
remain on standby, a National Guard Bureau official said.
Pentagon officials point to the National Guard's readiness to
respond to both wildfires and flooding while also playing a major
role in the war on terror as a testament to the Guard's extensive
capabilities.
"Even with more than 80,000 Army and Air National Guard members
currently supporting the global war on terrorism, the National
Guard continues to display its skill and flexibility in supporting
civil authorities at a moment's notice," said Air Force Lt. Col.
Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokesman.