An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Last Lackland reservists return from New Orleans

  • Published
Four members of the 433rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron returned here Sept. 28 after helping hurricane victims in New Orleans.

The reservists were the last members of a 35-person initial response team from the 433rd AES to serve in the city after Hurricane Katrina pummeled it Aug. 29.
While at the Louis Armstrong International Airport, the men and women of the Air Force Reserve Command unit operated a mobile aeromedical staging facility. The MASF team received and treated injured and ill patients, coordinated evacuation flights to other cities, served as a liaison to civilian organizations, and operated a command cell for aeromedical evacuation operations out of New Orleans.

The Lackland reservists played a key role in saving 1,234 lives within the first 96 hours of supporting Joint Task Force Katrina. The patients were elderly nursing home residents, diabetics or people with other medical conditions such as awaiting organ transplants and needing dialysis.

The 433rd Airlift Wing was the hub for coordinating aeromedical evacuation operations to remove sick and injured people from the Gulf Coast area affected by Hurricane Katrina.