March 13, 2008
Valdosta - When the levies broke after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the troops at Moody Air Force base were flying search and rescue missions within 24 hours.
"We always have to be prepared to go at a moments notice, when the President calls or the Air Force calls us in need," says Colonel Kenn Todorov, 23rd Wing Commander.
"Having the A-10 Fighter Group here as well as search and rescue group with C-SAR assets it's very likely on a periodic basis that we will get called up," adds Major David McCoy, Chief of Wing Inspections.
But if they were called again, would these airmen be ready? To assure the answer is yes, they are conducting a base wide readiness exercise.
"This is exercising a contingency in the even we needed to get somewhere in the world in a very short period of time without a lot of advanced warning," Col Todorov says.
From duffle bags to search and rescue helicopters, the airmen must pack it all.
And exercise or not, this task in no easy job.
"They are having to move a very large majority of the wing assets or simulate moving those assets which includes all of the equipments, all of the personnel needed to do our operations," says Major McCoy. "But we have to move it so we can do those same operations anywhere else in the world."
But they say all the hard work will pay off because when these airmen are called to duty, they'll be ready.
The readiness exercises will carry on at least through Friday.
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