Air Force recruiters prepare as Hurricane Ike heads west

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  As Hurricane Ike heads westward toward Corpus Christi and San Antonio, Texas, Air Force Recruiting Service Airmen prepare for its predicted landfall as early as Saturday.

South Texas recruiting offices, including AFRS headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base, and the 369th Recruiting Group and the 341st Recruiting Squadron at Lackland AFB are bracing to withstand high winds and inordinate amounts of rain, said Lt. Col. Anthony Young. Squadrons located further north, the 343rd at Offutt AFB, Neb.; 344th in Arlington, Texas, and 345th at Scott AFB, Ill., are also making storm plans.

"We are advising the squadrons on actions to take to ensure the safety of recruiters and their families, and the safety and security of recruiting facilities and vehicles," Colonel Young said.

Common precautions include evacuation, protecting offices to weather the storm and moving vehicles to secure locations or higher ground.

Recent preparations take place in the wake of June floods in Iowa and Wisconsin, and the late-August hurricanes in Louisiana and Florida. For some recruiters, the healing continues, said AFRS Command Chief Master Sgt. Vance Clarke.

"We have had mothers deliver babies and one family who suffered the loss of a child in the midst of evacuating," he said. "We have some recruiters still out of their offices and homes due to lack of electricity in their area where they work -- still affected by the last round of storms."

Those who have been hit less by nature in the past months are pitching in, helping to ensure the effects are as minimal as possible to the recruiting family and the community. A few offices may be temporarily closed more days than usual; however, people interested in speaking with a recruiter are encouraged to visit www.AIRFORCE.com or call 1-800-423-USAF for the phone number of the nearest recruiting office to leave a message. Calls will be returned as soon as possible.

"We have 27 squadron commanders working with approximately 100 people per squadron, spread over very large areas and multiple states, working to ensure recruiters and their families are able to evacuate and care for themselves and their offices as a wing commander would his base and base team," Chief Clarke said. "They do a great job in ensuring they keep contact, get their people cared for, and ensure our mission continues."