Kentucky Air Guard special ops troops deploy for hurricane relief

By Capt. Dale Greer
Kentucky National Guard

Members of the Kentucky Air Guard's 123rd Special Tactics Squadron prepare radio, navigagtion and rescue gear for deployment to coastal Texas on Sept. 13. About 25 of the unit's pararescuemen, combat controllers and support troops will conduct rescue and relief operations around Houston and Galveston in the wake of Hurricane Ike.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - About 25 pararescuemen, combat controllers and support troops from the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron began deploying to coastal Texas today to conduct rescue operations for victims of Hurricane Ike.

The Airmen began leaving the Air Guard Base at Louisville International Airport at 5:35 p.m. aboard multiple Kentucky Air Guard C-130s. The aircraft, bound for Ellington Field near Houston, were loaded with thousands of pounds of medical gear and rescue equipment, including Zodiac motor boats, swift-water rescue boats, all-terrain vehicles, off-road motorcycles and a special tactics operations center, said Chief Master Sgt. Pat Malone, a superintendent in the squadron.

The equipment also included long-range communications gear and navigational electronics, which the squadron’s combat controllers use to control emergency air traffic into and out of disaster areas.

“We can deploy into any environment and establish airfield operations and air traffic control very quickly,” Chief Malone explained. “That’s crucial for successful rescue operations.”

Following Hurricane Katrina, for example, members of the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron established a helicopter landing zone on an Interstate overpass and helped direct helicopter med-evac flights that airlifted more than 11,900 to safety.

“We’re taking everything we need today to establish airfield operations, begin rescue efforts and provide medical assistance as necessary,” Chief Malone said.