Air Force plans Irma relief

Poetrooper sends a link to the Miami Herald which reports that the Air Force is planning their relief to begin in South Florida to rescue residents from the aftermath of Hurricane Irma;

U.S. Air Force special operations pilots are testing flights with C-130 cargo planes around the massive storm from Mississippi to the Keys in anticipation of the mission, which will include Air National Guard flights of more C-130s and helicopters following the fixed-wing flights.

“The help is on its way,” [Monroe County Emergency Management Director Martin] Senterfitt said during a conference call Sunday afternoon.

“We’re going to get more aid than we’ve ever seen in our lives,” Senterfitt said.

Supplies and personnel could be coming in by air to Monroe County by early Monday morning, Senterfitt said.

The first arrival will be at Florida Keys Marathon Airport, which can handle about two C-130 planes at a time. The plan, said Senterfitt, is to have two C-130s land every two hours on the airfield there.

Just a reminder that the troops do more than fight our wars for us.