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Whidbey Island Sailors, Marines Support Hurricane Relief Effort

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050909-17
Release Date: 9/9/2005 3:44:00 PM

From USS Whidbey Island Public Affairs

GULF OF MEXICO (NNS) -- Thirty five Sailors from Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2 and more than 200 personnel from Marine Expeditionary Unit Service Support Group (MEUSSG) 24 Joint Task Force (JTF) arrived in the Gulf of Mexico aboard USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41) to assist in Hurricane Katrina Relief Search and Rescue efforts Sept. 5.

“We are here to help anyone who needs us,” said El Paso, Texas, native Engineman 3rd Class (SW) Javier Perez. “We are here to accomplish everything we can with the equipment we have brought with us.”

ACB-2 brought more than 30 different types of equipment, including 15 water bladders which hold up to 3,000 gallons of water, 1 bulldozer, 2 Humvees, a dump truck, 3 causeways and 7-ton trucks.

“We don’t know what we will be doing, so we have come prepared for almost anything,” said Chief Engineman (SW) Billy Powell. “Much of our equipment is able to go through five-foot-deep water, which will help us clear up debris from roadways, beaches and land.

Marine 1st Sergeant Robert Pitchford of MEUSSG-24 JTF is confident his Marines will be a valuable addition to the relief efforts.

“We have trained for this type of mission; however, most of us have never experienced this type of incident in the real world,” said Pitchford. “When our Marines were told they were going to help out the victims of Katrina, it only took them 72 hours to be prepared to deploy.”

MEUSSG 24 JTF also brought equipment to help in the disaster efforts.

“We knew there would be plenty to do,” said Pitchford. “We came prepared for electrical issues, convoy operations, debris cleanup and water production with six reverse-osmosis water purification units, which produce 400 gallons of water an hour.”

Marine Corporal Jay Wallauer believes that the first step to help the victims get their lives back to normal is to try and understand their fears and sadness.

“I will try to understand where they are coming from and listen if they want to talk or cry. We are here not just to help rebuild a city, but also lives.”