AFNORTH mobility planners surpass 1,500 flights supporting FEMA’s hurricane relief efforts

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. –  Air Forces Northern air mobility planners surpassed 1,500 flights Sept. 30 when 32 relief flights were completed to St. Croix, Virgin Islands, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

“Our priority is ensuring we coordinate the strategic airlift to meet FEMA requirements for relief personnel, equipment and other commodities needed to bring some comfort to the people impacted by the storms,” said Brig. Gen. TJ Kennett, ANFORTH’s Director of Mobility Forces.

A team of about 50 air mobility planners assigned to the Director of Mobility Forces team and the 601^st Air Operations Center’s Air Mobility Division have been working around the clock since Hurricane Harvey first approached the coast of Texas in late August to coordinate and synchronize Air Force and commercial strategic airlift to support FEMA’s disaster relief efforts.

 “We’ve been very busy supporting FEMA and the Air National Guard since Hurricane Harvey Impacted Texas in August, and we’ve maintained that pace ensuring the Air Force is able to deliver personnel, equipment and relief supplies where they are needed most,” said Kennett.

Ten flights to St. Croix and 22 flights to San Juan carried water, meals-ready-to-eat, disaster relief supplies and support personnel on Sept 30.  As of the completion of missions Oct. 1, the team has coordinated more than 1,600 missions.

Of the 1,509 air mobility flights conducted as of the end of Saturday’s airlift, 893 were tallied in support of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.  Thus far in support of FEMA’s Hurricane Maria relief efforts for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, AFNORTH has coordinated 722 flights.

 “We are all motivated knowing that lives can be saves by our ability to get needed relief supplies to the region. So we’ll keep working around the clock until we’re told mission is complete,” said Kennett.