From: bergman@AFPAN.PA.AF.MIL (CMSgt Mike Bergman)
Newsgroups: soc.veterans
Subject: AF Reserve News Release (fwd)
Date: 2 Sep 92 14:42:08 GMT
Organization: Hq Air Force News Agency/SCC

NEWS RELEASE FROM HEADQUARTERS, AIR FORCE RESERVE
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, GA


RESCUE TOTALS CONTINUE TO MOUNT

Air Force Reservists fly round-the-clock rescue missions to save 
lives of hurricane victims

By 1Lt Richard Curry


	Tamiami Airport, Dade County, Florida -- At 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, 
President George Bush announced that Homestead AFB will be rebuilt. 
The base had received the brunt of Hurricane Andrew's 165-mile-an-hour 
winds during the storm.
      In the meantime, a 27-year-old burn victim, a heart attack 
patient and a food and water drop to a marooned elderly couple were 
some of the relief missions flown yesterday by Air Force Reserve air 
rescue crews into hurricane-torn Dade County.
      According to Dade County officials, the Air Force Reserve 
helicopters and rescue teams have been "a real God-send to us."
      As of midnight Monday, more than 98 lives had been saved by Air 
Force Reserve HH-60 helicopters since Tuesday, August 24.
      "We would have been absolutely helpless to save anyone without 
the Air Force Reserve," said Chief Jim Wilson of the Dade County Fire 
Department's Air Rescue Division. Both of the county's rescue 
helicopters were destroyed when the hangar housing them collapsed 
during the storm.
      Rescue teams set up an 24-hour operations center August 24 at 
Tamiami Airport in the Rescue Division's building, which receive only 
minor damage in the storm. The Air Force Reservists, a majority of 
whom are from the 301st Air Rescue Squadron, saw their facilities 
destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. Since then, Air Force Reservists have 
poured in from across the country from as far away as Portland, Oregon 
to support the air rescue operation.
      "Our parent wing the 939th Air Rescue Wing and 304th Air Rescue 
Squadron from Portland International Airport (Oregon) flew in here 
immediately after the storm," said Col. Oral Carper, 301st RQS 
commander. 
      A close working relationship has developed since the beginning 
of rescue operations between the civilian and military rescue teams. 
Many of the 301st RQS and Dade County air rescuers lost everything 
they had in the storm. 
      "My house is gone," said one 301st reservist, "I might as well 
be out here working where I can make a difference."
      Flying together on joint missions with the Air Force reservists, 
civilian and military pararescue specialists have one shared goal -- 
to save lives.
      "The Air Force Reserve has really supported this operation," 
Colonel Carper said. "Anything we asked our Headquarters for, they 
haven't hesitated in sending."
      The 301st RQS, the first Air Force Reserve rescue unit was 
activated in Florida in 1956. Prior to Hurricane Andrew, the unit was 
credited for saving 171 lives. In the eight days they have been 
operating since Hurricane Andrew, the Reserve unit has more than 
halved their previous 32-year total.
      Normally, the peacetime mission of the 301st is to perform 
rescue missions to locate and recover Air Force and other military 
personnel. The unit has also been heavily involved providing rescue 
support for NASA space missions, and humanitarian and disaster relief 
both in the United States and at the request of foreign governments. 
      In addition to flying the HH-60 "Pave Hawk" helicopters, the 
unit also operates the HC-130 refueler. The HC-130 provides air rescue 
operations with aerial refueling, delivers needed medical o73 supplies 
and act as a radio relay for communications that support the Dade 
County Emergency Operations Center.
      Yesterday, the Dade County Fire Rescue Division received a 
donated helicopter and resumed flying rescue missions alongside the 
301st RQS.
      "My pilots are anxious to get back into flying again," said 
Chief Williams, adding that the support Dade County received from the 
Air Force Reserve really "saved the day."
      "This unit will probably continue to operate out of Tamiami 
Airport for a least two months," said Colonel Carper. 
--
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    |            Air Force News Agency (AFNEWS)                        | 
    |           Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, USA                       | 
    |               bergman@afpan.pa.af.mil                            |  
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