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502nd ABW provides support to FEMA emergency response for Hurricane Beryl

  • Published
  • By Logan Steele
  • 502nd Air Base Wing
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-SEGUIN AUXILIARY AIRFIELD, Texas --  

Joint Base San Antonio and the 502nd Air Base Wing worked in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pre-stage supplies at the JBSA-Seguin Auxiliary Airfield, Texas, on July 6, as part of FEMA’s emergency response effort to provide relief to people impacted by Hurricane Beryl.

FEMA transported emergency supplies onto the airfield, which is operated by the 502nd ABW, through the weekend. These supplies included 525,000 meals, 418,000 units of water and 20 loads of generators to provide power to critical sites, such as hospitals. The commodities were pre-staged and prepared for transport to areas throughout Texas that are affected by the natural disaster.

“I really appreciate the relationship that we have and continue to build with our military,” said Trina Parks, FEMA Federal Staging Area Unit Leader. “We share a common goal which is to support Americans who are impacted by Beryl.”

The location of the airfield is one of its main strengths as a pre-staging area. Located about 25 miles east of JBSA-Randolph near Seguin, Texas, the JBSA Seguin Auxiliary Airfield is primarily used by the 12th Flying Training Wing’s 560th Flying Training Squadron. The installation has not been severely impacted by the hurricane but is close enough to affected areas that supplies can be delivered within hours.

Agreements between FEMA and the 502nd ABW ensure that the installation can quickly support FEMA’s mission in the event of a natural disaster.

This is not the first time that the 502nd ABW has worked with FEMA in support of emergency and disaster relief. In the past, FEMA has utilized the JBSA-Seguin Auxiliary Airfield in their response to Hurricane Harvey, winter storm Uri and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal entities, including the U.S. military and FEMA, are only permitted to provide relief support when a state’s governor requests and obtains a federal emergency disaster declaration from the president. These federal entities will often pre-stage supplies to enable a quick response once their support is requested.

 “502 ABW Airmen who have been helping support FEMA staging are enabling the nation to demonstrate how America is ready to help take care of citizens during times of disaster,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Michele Boyko, an Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer who works closely with both FEMA and military leadership. “Whether or not federal assistance is requested from Texas, FEMA was ready to support the state, in part, because of what JBSA did.”