15 Airmen and one Delaware Air Guard C-130 aircraft expected home this afternoon, Tuesday Sept. 16, from Texas after Hurricane Ike missions Published Feb. 17, 2009 By 060908 NEW CASTLE, Delaware -- Delaware Air National Guard Hedquarters, 166th Airlift Wing 2600 Spruance Drive New Castle, DE 19720-1615 Contact: Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Matwey Public Affairs Specialist, 166th Airlift Wing, Delaware Air National Guard Office 302-323-3369, or cell 302-593-2126 E-mail: Benjamin.Matwey@denewc.ang.af.mil Release No. 2008-9-006, September 16, 2008 [corrected Release No.] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW CASTLE - This afternoon, Sept. 16, 2008, we expect 15 Airmen from the Delaware Air National Guard, to include medical specialists who moved and cared for patients, along with six C-130 aircrew, to arrive home aboard a unit C-130 transport aircraft after assisting with Hurricane Ike relief efforts in Texas. The C-130 aircraft is presently near Schenectady, N.Y., dropping off a group of New York National Guard troops who were also in Texas to help in the hurricane relief effort. The aircraft will then takeoff and fly south to Delaware. Landing will occur at the New Castle Airport about 3:15 p.m. today. After a 30-60 minute in-processing, news media will be able to speak with a number of the returning Airmen. All 15 Airmen played an integral part in the assistance rendered by the Delaware National Guard to the people of Texas. Six Airmen from the 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and three Airmen from the 166th Medical Group cared for patients moved by airlift from Galveston, Texas and operated a Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facility to prepare patients for aerial transport. Six returning aircrew include a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster from the 142nd Airlift Squadron, and a crew chief from the 166th Maintenance Group. Thirty Airmen from the Delaware Air National Guard remain on the Gulf Coast, part of a group of 42 Airmen who arrived in Texas Sept. 9. These 30 Airmen are still assisting relief efforts, and are expected to return home on or about Sept. 20. The aeromedical evacuation specialists performed precautionary evacuations of about 350 people from the Galveston area before Hurricane Ike made landfall early Saturday morning, Sept. 13. Previously members of the same Delaware unit had evacuated between 250 and 300 people before Hurricane Gustav made landfall. Two (2) Delaware Army Guard Soldiers remain in Austin, Texas, supporting specialized communications equipment needed in relief operations. Eight (8) Airmen from the Delaware Air National Guard remain in the Capital Region (greater Washington D.C. area) performing duties to coordinate the ongoing National Guard response to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Delaware National Guard also has several dozen troops supporting our Joint Operations Center in Wilmington and our Joint Communication, Command, Control and Computer Coordination Center in Smyrna. Damage assessments from Hurricane Ike continue, and 20,000 local National Guard troops already on the ground plus thousands of civilian authorities are assisting the people of Texas. At the air base in New Castle, two Delaware Air Guard C-130 aircraft are available for hurricane relief missions if needed. Also, the Delaware National Guard can send 189 troops to respond to the Gulf Coast if requested. These troops are a combination of 54 Airmen and 135 Soldiers from security forces, aviation, engineering, transportation, maintenance, and communication units. Hometowns of 15 returning Airmen by Unit, City/St/Zip: 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron members (6): Newark DE 19711, Dover DE 19904, Springfield PA 19064, Austin PA 19014, Norristown PA 19403, Mitchellville MD 20721 166th Medical Group members (3): Magnolia DE 19962, Middletown DE 19709, Elkton MD 21921 142nd Airlift Squadron members (5): Bethlehem PA 18018, Newark DE 19711, Landenberg PA 19350, Newark DE 19713, Clayton DE 19938 166th Maintenance Squadron member (1): Townsend DE 10734 This release is in the public domain, and any part may be used as written. - 30 -