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Warhawks bring aid to hurricane-devastated Tyndall

Airmen manage lodging from a temporary facility on Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.

Staff Sgt. Yolanda Jackson and Tech. Sgt. Joseph Hennessy, 55th Force Support Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, manage lodging from a temporary facility Nov. 3, 2018, on Tyndall AFB, Florida. After Hurricane Michael swept the area, multiple major commands mobilized relief assets in an effort to restore operations after the hurricane caused catastrophic damage to the base. (US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sean Carnes)

Logistics

Airman 1st Class Alexandra Roman Bonilla, 55th Logistics Readiness Squadron, works on her computer at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Nov. 12, 2018. Bonilla is at Tyndall for six months helping with recovery and rebuild efforts after Hurricane Michael devastated the base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cody Miller)

Contracting

Staff Sgt. Jason Donovan, 55th Force Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, orders commodities Nov. 3, 2018, on Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. After Hurricane Michael swept the area, multiple major commands have mobilized relief assets in an effort to restore operations after the hurricane caused catastrophic damage to the base. (US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sean Carnes)

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --

On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael, a category four storm, blew through Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and its surrounding communities leaving behind catastrophic damage.  

Fortunately, minus the ride-out team of approximately 100 personnel, everyone was evacuated before Michael hit. Despite the storms departure, many members of Team Tyndall are still unable to return.  

Thousands now have no homes. The local community, for miles and miles, is covered in utter destruction with lighted signs that say things such as “no gas for 60 miles.”

The small number of grocery stores left standing are only offering dry goods. Local families live in tents if they can find open spaces not covered by debris.

Of the base’s approximately 700 buildings, not including housing, only about 30 percent seem repairable.

Despite the multitude of obstacles standing in the way, Tyndall will rebuild, and while its team gets the help they need, Airmen from across the force have stepped in to help.

Among the personnel there are Airmen from the 55th Force Support Squadron, the 55th Contracting Squadron, 55th Logistics Readiness Squadron and the 55th Security Forces Squadron.

Force support personnelists were some of the first from Offutt to arrive.

“We were pumped to get down here,” said Staff Sgt. Yolanda Jackson, 55th FSS. “I didn’t realize it was this bad. I have never seen hurricane damage in person before, so I didn’t know what to expect.”

The team didn’t have long to take in the scenery before it was time to get to work.

“When we got here, our whole goal was getting people moved into tent city and opening up the NCO Academy dorms for the permanent party,” said Tech. Sgt. Joseph Hennessy, 55th FSS.  

The initial surge of helping hands required 60 tents. Since then, the workload and numbers have increased significantly with more than 2,000 service members on the ground.

“We have been busy - our team has put out sandbags around the tents in preparation for heavy rain,” Hennessy said, “We put foot lockers in the all the tents and started a fitness calendar in order to increase morale and give some sense of normalcy.”

The sandbags were purchased by Staff Sgt. Jason Donovan, 55th CONS, who was sent to Tyndall to run their contracting unit’s commodities section.

“I am working commodities – buying supplies, anything the team needs from wood for engineering to sand bags and gravel,” he said. “In tent city, they dug trenches for the generator lines and filled them back in with sand, but the sand was problematic for vehicles. We bought asphalt to pave over them and make it easier for foot traffic and vehicles.”

The personnel taking in the purchased supplies fall under the logistics readiness squadron – one of the largest units currently at Tyndall with more than 200 members. An Offutt Airmen from the 55th LRS is working their planning section.

We are tracking how many people are here, how many are coming in and from where and how long,” said Airman 1st Class Alexandra Roman Bonilla, 55th LRS. “This is my first temporary duty and it is a very unique circumstance. I volunteered to come.”

For Bonilla this job is personal - she is from Puerto Rico where a devastating hurricane hit not too long ago. She will be helping Tyndall for six months.

 Rounding out the team from Offutt are security forces members.

With the hurricane taking out the fence line, looters are a threat. They are also thousands of people including outside contractors coming and going daily that they must vet.

Together, alongside Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, civilians and contractors from across the country, Offutt Airmen are taking measures daily to help Tyndall rebuild and make life better for those evacuees who will eventually return.