CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Air National Guard has wrapped up hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
Members of the West Virginia Air National Guard’s 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg and 130th Airlift Wing in Charleston responded to Hurricane Maria last month by providing airlift, airfield management and air cargo support.
According to a news release, the Guard helped evacuate several families in Puerto Rico. They also provided 16 air cargo specialists to help Guard members at the 165th Airlift Wing in Savannah, Georgia.
The specialists helped manage the flow of resources including water and other necessary supplies into and out of the domestic operations hub.
Nearly 50 passengers, including two family pets, were rescued by the West Virginia Guard as part of relief efforts.
State Adjutant General James Hoyer of the WVNG said in a news release:
“Because of the strategic assets in the West Virginia National Guard, Joint Base West Virginia is a crucial hub for domestic response operations for our Nation,” Hoyer said. “We answer the call when needed and there’s no one better to provide assistance to those in a time of need than highly trained West Virginians.”
The WVNG has also helped with relief efforts for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, both in Texas and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In total, the Guard in Martinsburg has flown 59 missions carrying more than 539 short tons of cargo since Harvey. The Guard in Charleston flew four missions carrying 6.59 short tons of cargo and 16 passengers for Maria relief.