Flight Captain's Corner

Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010

The 20 May Dinner Meeting Program was presented by Captain William White, a member of the 23 Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field.  Capt White's presentation, given to over 60 Flight members, focused on the activities of members of the 23 STS in response to the Haiti earthquake.

At team of Combat Controllers arrived in Haiti twenty-six hours after the major shock had occurred.  Prior to their arrival, air traffic in and out of the airfield at Port au Prince had been, for the want of a better term, chaotic.  Traffic flow was restricted to about ten flights per day.  The team was up and running within twenty-eight minutes and, in short order, had increased flights to fifty-seven per day.  They surveyed other locations for both landing aircraft and airdrop of badly needed supplies.  By the time the critical time period had ended, the Control Team had handled 1,678 fixed wing and 830 rotary wing operations.

The Paramedics (PJ) were also part of the response team sent to Haiti and for six days were the only medics working with the injured.  They were given credit for saving thirteen citizens before any doctors appeared on the scene.  With total disregard for shifting debris resulting from the usual after shocks, the PJ's repeatedly entered damaged structures to extract the injured.

Captain White's presentation was well received by all in attendance and once again provided a testament as to the outstanding people serving in today's military.

Prior to Captain White's program, Captain Richard Mock was inducted into the Order of Daedalians by the Flight's Induction Master, LtCol(R) Frank Roberts.  Welcome Captain Mock!!

Several members of your Staff have received comments concerning our meeting plans for the rest of the year.  There have been a sufficient number of comments to warrant revisiting our plan at the upcoming 17 June 2010 meeting.  Please be prepared to express any comments that you may wish to make.