Published: 09-11-08
CAMP MABRY Austin Texas (September 11 2008) – Since Governor Rick Perry authorized state active duty deployment for up to 7500 Guardsmen in response to Hurricane IKE the Texas Military Forces have been busy.
The storm contingency time-line initiated on Sunday is now in its third day of preparations. Thousands of Soldiers Airmen and State Guardsmen are on the move or on location to assist local state and federal agencies during the pre- and post-landfall phase.
Ground transportation hubs have been established at Westbrook High School in Beaumont Port Arthur Civic Center in Port Arthur the Senior Citizens Center in Port Neches Lamar State College in Orange Vidor Elementary School in Vidor Silsbee Middle School in Silsbee Texas City High School in Texas City Tully Stadium in Houston Pasadena Evacuation Hub in Pasadena and Stallworth Stadium in Baytown.
Refueling points for evacuation busses have been established in Madisonville Lufkin Carthage Columbus and Corsicana.
Kelly USA in San Antonio is the rallying point for 500 high-profile vehicles and 900 personnel trained and ready for major search and rescue missions. At Reliant Stadium in Houston our Soldiers and Airmen are co-located with Texas Task Force 1 to conduct search and rescue operations.
The 136th Airlift Wing and Mobile Air Station Facility (MASF) personnel started evacuating special needs patients from Corpus Christi International Airport to Bryan/College Station. The unit is currently transporting patients from Corpus Christi to Beaumont today and will continue these flights for the next 24 hours. Liaison officers are standing by at McAllen-Miller International and Harlingen-Valley International Airports.
Fifteen UH 60 Helicopters and members of Texas Task Force1 are standing by to initiate search and rescue missions as soon as weather conditions improve after landfall.
The Texas State Guard is working with Red Cross officials to manage shelters in Lufkin Nacadoches Huntsville Palestine Tyler New Boston and Matagorda Bay.
The ChalleNGe Seaborne leadership implemented its evacuation plan and is evacuating its students; a process that is expected to be complete by Thursday. Parent call-in numbers have been established at Camp Mabry to ensure communications in case Galveston loses power.
When asked how the troops were holding up during this very busy hurricane season Lieutenant General (TX) Charles G. Rodriguez said: “This hurricane season has demonstrated that we have to be prepared at all times because hurricanes do not occur at convenient times or with sufficiently timed intervals. Members of the Texas Military Forces understand that their lives maybe interrupted to come to the aid of those whose lives are infinitely more interrupted by these storms”. He went on to thank those who had been deployed during Hurricanes Dolly Edouard Gustav and now IKE.
