Fort Bliss soldiers on standby for Florence relief missions

The Combat Aviation Brigade helped rescue people in Houston and Puerto Rico last year; now some of those Fort Bliss soldiers are on standby for Hurricane Florence relief.

Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina Friday. Following torrential rains and gale force winds, recovery will take time.

The Department of Defence announced this week seven thousand service members are being prepared to lend aid.

“DoD is already working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pre-position helicopters, vehicles and supplies. The department is prepared to assist FEMA and our other federal partners in supporting the affected regions,” said Kenneth P. Rapuano, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security in a press conference Thursday.

Seen in DoD footage, the Combat Aviation Brigade out of Fort Bliss have now received their standby orders. This same unit deployed to Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Maria last year, using helicopters to deliver food and water to isolated areas and transporting patients to medical centers.

Storm relief is complex, and takes a lot of work between agencies military branches to help those in need.

The Combat Aviation Brigade have not yet been told when rescue orders may come down.

We’ll keep you updated on air and online.