California Air National Guardsmen from Moffett Federal Airfield’s 129th Rescue Wing deployed to Galveston, Texas, to search for stranded victims of Hurricane Ike in mid-September, only days after deploying in support of Hurricane Gustav search-and-rescue operations.  While the threat of Gustav passed over Louisiana with minimal impact, Ike’s presence was more devastating, demanding swift action on the part of 129th Guardsmen. Stationed at San Antonio’s Kelly Field, four Joint Task Force 129 HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, including two from the 129th Rescue Wing, departed at 10 a.m. on Sept. 13.   One day earlier, California Air Guardsmen had helped rescue 16 people, including several stranded on a bridge nearly submerged in Ike’s waters.   The crews knew this day would be even busier.

"We were told that more than two hundred 911 calls were made in the morning," said Maj. Rhys Hunt, 129th Rescue Wing pilot and co-pilot for Jolly 91.  Hurricane Ike had passed through Galveston earlier in the day.

"When we got to Galveston, it looked like a war zone,” Hunt said. “There were four or five houses on fire, Galveston Airport was completely underwater, most of the city was flooded, and several piers were demolished.”

Instead of being tasked with picking up victims in specific locations, the helicopters trolled low and slow. The crews hoped the sound of the rotor blades would prompt survivors to come out of their homes and seek help in evacuating the area. It wasn't long before survivors did just that.

Crews from Jolly 91 spotted a woman poking her head out from her porch. Two pararescuemen, also known as PJs, rappelled down to convince the woman to evacuate. Jolly 91 then landed in a baseball field near her house and discovered two elderly women and a middle-aged man stranded in the house. The survivors asked to be evacuated because one of the women was sick and needed treatment. 

The three people loaded on the Pave Hawk and crews promptly transported them to Texas City High School, a main collection point for survivors. Jolly 91 returned to the disaster area and proceeded to troll over the Bolivar Peninsula near Galveston. The crews were stunned by the destruction witnessed overhead. "Half of the houses appeared flattened in Crystal Beach," Hunt said. The crews continued their search for survivors and came across a man, woman and their dog wading through the water. Jolly 91 landed on a dry road near the trio and picked them up. Luckily the crews spotted the group because they provided information about additional victims requiring evacuation. Based on their tip, Jolly 91 took off and found the home – as suspected, an elderly man, two of his family members and a dog were stranded. The PJs rappelled down to the house and used the hoist to pluck the family from danger.

After dropping off the group of survivors, Jolly 91’s crew searched for people in Gilchrist on the Bolivar Peninsula. They came across small groups of people sitting on porches and balconies. Surprisingly for the crews, when asked to evacuate, the people opted to stay put.

At the end of the day, searching for survivors and performing rescues was a grueling but very gratifying mission for the JTF 129 Airmen.

"All the crew members were glad to be there and help when people needed it most," Hunt said.

As of Sept. 15, JTF 129 personnel had saved 48 people and 13 dogs in response to Hurricane Ike.

"The task force members did an incredible job over the past 48 hours flying in extremely violent conditions," said Col. Mark Sheehy, 129th Rescue Wing Operations Group Commander and JTF 129 Commander. "They epitomize the Air Force Rescue motto of 'These things we do that others may live.'"

Joint Task Force 129 is a self-contained search and rescue unit comprised of more than 100 people, including highly trained pararescuemen, four HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, and two MC-130P Combat Shadow tankers. Air National Guardsmen from the 106th Rescue Wing, Gabreski Airport, N.Y., and 176th Wing, Kulis Air National Guard Base, Ala., are also part of the rescue task force.

As an Air National Guard unit, many of the 129th's past missions involved supporting state emergencies that included earthquakes, chemical spills, fires and floods. Equipped with MC-130P Combat Shadow tankers and HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, the 129th has performed a wide variety of civilian search-and-rescue missions, including distressed persons aboard ships, lost or injured hikers, and medical evacuations.