According to a military press release, airmen from the Horsham-based 111th Attack Wing of the Pennsylvania National Guard left Fort Indiantown Gap today for McEntire Joint National Guard Base, near Columbia, South Carolina, where they will assist in Florence rescue and recovery efforts.
Did you know? Even though men and women serve in the National Guard, if they are working with planes they are called “airmen”, just like infantry are “soldier”.
The 111th Attack Wing is a multi-functional unit based in Horsham that serves as a control center for the MQ-9 remotely-piloted aircraft, cyber operations and provides engineering and electronics capabilities through specialized units.
The group’s activities will include rescue operations, delivering items like food and water to stranded citizens, as well as infrastructure support like lifting large sandbags into position.
Two UH-60 Black Hawks and two CH-47 Chinook left from Central PA this morning, with some craft taking off from Johnstown.
This deployment mirrors earlier efforts for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Marian in 2017.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Anthony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s Adjutant General was quoted in the press release as saying, “We are proud of our Guard members answering the call to assist others, this is our National Guard at its best.”