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Chief helps Airmen deployed to Haiti

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jennifer Lovett
  • LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  Thirty days in earthquake-devastated Haiti has left some Airmen without basic supplies as they carry on their mission of helping victims in that country.

A quick call by the top enlisted person in Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue Wing mobilized children in Texas and members of the LeMay Center here to gather supplies.

Not long before he made that call, wing command Chief Master Sgt. Gerald Delebreau was deployed to Iraq for six months. Home for several months from his deployment, the chief recognized a need to help Airmen deployed to Haiti and searched for ways to provide them the best possible resources to perform their jobs.

"Chief Gerald Delebreau worked with me in Iraq, and he contacted me needing supplies." said Col. Glen Apgar, LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education vice commander. "His group of more than 400 deployed to the Port au Prince airport is helping to restore order and ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid and disaster relief. They were told to pack enough for 30 days but they are needed longer in the area and their supplies are low."

"Supplies are extremely limited here, and I saw that there was going to be a need so I went to work for these Airmen," said Chief Delebreau, who has a security forces background and has deployed several times.

The chief called a few people to ask for care packages that include basic supplies like soap and personal hygiene items as well as wish-list items such as candy, towels, boonie hats and extra uniform items. The Airmen also ran low on bug spray, garbage bags and beef jerky.

Colonel Apgar sent an email to the LeMay Center community asking for help. After Lt. Col. Kelly Roland, a LeMay Center reservist, read the email, she made a phone call.

"The Lovett Elementary Student Council here in Houston, Texas, had raised money in support of deployed troops and didn't want to send it to a website," she said. "I told Rebecca Phillips, the council co-chair, about the troops in Haiti and that they could use the money for care packages."

The school raised more than $1,000 through recycling and private donations and presented a check to Colonel Roland with homemade cards for the Airmen deployed to Port au Prince.

That money helped Capt. Travis Herbranson's task force of 20 at LeMay send more than 20 care packages to the group in Port au Prince.

"We (bought) items on the list and packaged those with donations that others from LeMay brought in," said Captain Herbranson, Warfighting Applications executive officer.

"We set up an assembly line, and I went downstairs to find scissors to get us started but by the time I came back up, the boxes had already been assembled and packed. It was great to see so many people helping."

The unit is still collecting items and had four more boxes of items to send.

"The unit came together quickly to help deployed brothers and sisters in need," said Colonel Apgar. "They don't have a (base exchange) in Port au Prince right now ... so for us to be able to help is very important.

"The chief and his unit are trying to maintain order at the airport so doctors can help the injured and non-government organizations can bring in food and water. They need basic supplies as well and being at the airport at least helps us get it to them."

Chief Delebreau said the quick response by the LeMay Center is helping to make life easier in Haiti.

"It was impressive to see how quickly people respond to the military when asked," he said. "The Haitians are in dire straits and the longer we are here, the better we can make their quality of life." (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)