NAS Jacksonville crew part of relief effort in quake-stricken Haiti

US Customs and Border Protection planes ‘eyes and ears’ successful the entity for Haiti alleviation efforts

As Haiti reels from a deadly earthquake implicit the weekend, the U.S. authorities and subject person stepped up to assistance with alleviation efforts successful the aftermath of the devastation.

Crews retired of Naval Air Station Jacksonville person been portion of that effort, flying a P8 Poseidon craft implicit the Caribbean state to survey the harm from supra and assistance those connected the crushed supply aesculapian assistance to the wounded and injured.

News4Jax traveled with a patrol squadron unit during 1 of its missions Thursday, seeing immoderate of the harm near down from astir 10,000 feet successful the aerial during the 10-hour flight.

Crew members said their ngo is to assistance prevention lives and it’s rewarding to assistance a state successful need.

“Missions similar this, it brings unit large pride,” said Lt. Cmdr. Darryl Abriam, the ngo commandant and tactical coordinator.

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Challenges & extended harm stay successful deadly Haiti earthquake

Kevin Pahalek, the superior acoustic operator, echoed that sentiment, saying missions similar the formation implicit Haiti are the crushed helium joined the Navy successful the archetypal place.

“I wanted to beryllium portion of thing bigger than I was backmost home,” Pahalek told News4Jax. “I graduated precocious school, I didn’t person immoderate plans, I was conscionable Free Willy. Then I joined the Navy, truthful I could beryllium portion of thing large similar this.”

Once the craft arrived, Pahalek operated the camera to supply a birds-eye presumption of the harm successful Haiti, wherever 2,100 radical died, and thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed by the quake.

The unit was tasked with surveying harm successful 70 antithetic areas.

“I’ll get eyes connected an area,” Pahalek said. I’ll enactment thing of worthiness – if buildings are broken, if there’s immoderate radical displaced from the area, if they’re congregating and immoderate benignant of wellness oregon aesculapian providers arsenic well.”

The craft ne'er touched the ground, but cameras allowed the unit to scope retired makeshift homes made from tents successful shot stadiums. The unit besides communicated with antithetic agencies to fto them cognize wherever to nonstop injured patients.

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“We got to enactment again with the helicopters connected station, we got to relay the communications for them, to fto them cognize wherever to spell with the med evacs and to get them backmost to the infirmary safely,” Cpt. Matt Pottenburgh told News4Jax.

Crew members said their ngo volition proceed arsenic agelong arsenic they’re needed. And portion it’s hard to spot the benignant of harm and devastation they recovered successful Haiti, they’re grateful to beryllium capable to help.

“Any benignant of assistance that we tin supply to them is outstanding,” Pahalek said.

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