U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE FORT WORTH, Texas -- Reserve Citizen Airmen, along with the communities embedded in North and South Texas, experienced severe weather conditions resulting in heavy destruction and loss of clean water during the week of February 14, 2021.
As disaster recovery and relief efforts ensued across Texas, warriors assigned to the 301st Fighter Wing and the 73rd Aerial Port Squadron immediately joined a relief task force comprised of Active Duty, Reserve, Texas Air National Guard and non-Department of Defense civilians to provide aid to the local and southern Texas communities that were deprived of basic human needs.
“On the 18th, Northern American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)/Northern Command (NORTHCOM) recognized a need for flexible logistical support to relieve the 4 million in south Texas without clean water,” said Chief Master Sgt. Landon Bonds, 73d APS aerial port manager. “In less than 12 hours, operations were established and airlift operations commenced delivering 2.5+ million lbs. of humanitarian aid over five days to those communities hit hardest.”
Through the direct relief and coordination efforts of Reserve Citizen Airmen, aid was delivered to millions of Texans that were without power, heat and drinking water for several days and initiated the pathway to disaster recovery.
“The seamless integration of 821st Contingency Response Group, 301st Fighter Wing Logistics Readiness Squadron, 73d APS and 26th Aerial Port Squadron, 136th Texas Air National Guard and Texas Task Force 2 is a tribute to our citizen Airmen’s ability to execute the mission anytime, anywhere and with minimal time and resources,” said Bonds. “I am glad to serve among warriors who will put others ahead of themselves in a disaster situation.”