PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AIR FORCE Hawaii troops from the 15th Air Base Wing, Civil Engineering Squadron boarded a KC-135 yesterday at Hickam Air Force Base. The troops are deploying to Guam in response to requests for Typhoon Chata'an relief.

Soldiers from Hawaii
aid Guam relief

The island suffered heavy
damage from a typhoon last Friday

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By Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com

Three military organizations have joined the effort to provide relief supplies and emergency workers to Guam, which suffered major damage caused by Typhoon Chata'an's 100 mph winds and heavy rains.

Thirty civilian engineers, emergency workers and soldiers from the 249th Engineer Battalion Army Corps of Engineers are already on the ground in Guam, while others will be departing soon for the Marianas.

Yesterday, another 20-member team from the 15th Civil Engineer Squadron left Hickam Air Force Base on a Hawaii Air National Guard KC-135 jet tanker for Andersen Air Force Base on Guam to assist in cleanup and recovery efforts.

The Army Corps of Engineers also is preparing to send emergency workers to Chuuk, one of the four majors states of the Federated States of Micronesia, once an emergency declaration is issued. Mudslides destroyed 1,000 homes and killed 30 people on Chuuk. Rota, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, also reported damage.

Three C-5 Galaxy aircraft loaded with nearly 400 pallets of relief supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will follow the Air Force engineers.

The typhoon, which hit Guam last Friday, knocked out power across the island and damaged various buildings. The U.S. territory was declared a disaster area on Saturday. A second typhoon, Halong, with winds churning up to 110 miles per hour, barely missed Guam on Wednesday.

"We're anxious to do what we can to help," said Tech. Sgt. Moses Pauole, who will help set up generators across the island. "This is a real-world mission."

Prior to the team's arrival, the 15th Logistics Support Division, the 735th Air Mobility Squadron and the Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing, in a joint effort, processed more than 263,000 pounds of supplies throughout the week. Equipment in the shipments included compact stoves, chain saws, meals ready to eat, camping kits, generators, air conditioners and bottled water.

Hickam troops deployed to Guam are expected to return within 30 days.