Will Drop Hay For Starving Animals, Supplies For People In Need

Aero-News learned Wednesday the Wyoming National Guard has deployed an air crew to airlift hay to livestock stranded by last week's blizzard in Colorado.

A C-130H3 took off for Colorado to assist in the recovery efforts, said Deidre Forster, public affairs officer for the Wyoming military department. The plane will give more capability to the Colorado National Guard, which has been using helicopters to airlift supplies, she said.

"We can drop a lot more hay with a C-130 than they can drop with a helicopter," Forster said.

The latest storm, which hit December 28, dumped up to 28 inches of snow in some parts of Colorado. It was preceded by a storm eight days earlier that blanketed the state with more than two feet of snow, and closed Denver International Airport for two and a half days.

Eight National Guard helicopters were deployed to deliver food to livestock stranded by the deep snow. The helicopters also dropped military rations outside remote houses, where residents are stranded, and used Humvees and snowmobiles to deliver food, water and medicine to people in need.

The Oklahoma National Guard is also providing an air crew and a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to transport supplies to people and livestock stranded in Colorado.

FMI: www.defenselink.mil