JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Firefighters from the Red River Army Depot arrived at JBSA-Seguin Auxiliary Airfield Aug. 31 to aid the support effort for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
Roy Johnson and Jeff Duncan, both with the RRAD Fire Department, volunteered to help augment the 502nd Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters at FEMA’s Incident Support Base.
“The mission of the ISB is to stage supplies such as meals, water, generators and other equipment as close as possible to the affected area without hindering disaster relief operations,” said Col. Dave Edwards, a 1st Air Force emergency preparedness liaison officer.
Both firefighters drove the 467 mile one-way trip for the opportunity to aid the Texas and Louisiana families and communities hit hard by the storm.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Johnson said. “We couldn’t wait to get here and start helping out. It’s what Texans do…we help each other.”
“It feels good to jump in and be able to help those in need,” Duncan said. “I’d hope others would do the same thing if we were in need. I’m proud to be here.”
The firefighters expect to be in Seguin for about two weeks.
Red River Army Depot, located in Texarkana, Texas, was originally established as an ammunition facility: however, due to the demands of World War II, the mission was expanded to include general supply storage and tank repair. Today, a dedicated workforce of more than 4,500 people are engaged in work ranging from producing timber to remanufacturing the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle. The depot occupies 18,703 acres and is host to ten tenant organizations. RRAD has risen to the challenge of every United States military conflict since 1941.