Fort Hood is sending 100 light medium tactical and support vehicles about 200 miles south to assist with hurricane relief efforts in southeast Texas.
All of the services now have active-duty forces committed to helping Texas residents, who have been deluged by the Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey.
Approximately 400 soldiers from eight units will be traveling with the vehicles to Houston, Fort Hood spokesman Tyler Broadway told Army Times on Tuesday.
The units include: the 1st Cavalry Division, 36th Engineer Brigade, 48th Chemical Brigade, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade, 89th Military Police Brigade, 504th Military Intelligence Brigade, 11th Signal Brigade and 1st Medical Brigade, he said.
All of the units are under the 13th Expeditionary Sustainment Command.
Fort Hood had been designated a Federal Emergency Management Agency Incident Support Base after the storm hit.
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The 106th Rescue Wing from the New York Air National Guard has flown 13 sorties from Fort Hood using three C-130s and five Pave Hawk helicopters to conduct search-and-rescue missions, Broadway said. So far, they’ve rescued 255 people and two pets from the flooding.
Hurricane Harvey, now downgraded to a tropical storm, made landfall in Texas on Friday as a category four storm. Though downgraded, continued rainfall has resulted in historic flooding in the state, prompting National Guard units from across the country to assist in relief efforts.
On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated the entire Texas National Guard to help with the disaster.
Meanwhile, active-duty troops are on the ground in Texas to help people in need of rescue.
About 56 Marine reservists from Charlie Company, 4th Amphibious Assault Vehicle Battalion, have been tasked with helping the Galveston fire department for the next 72 hours to help with search and rescue missions, said 2nd Lt. Stephanie Leguizamon, a spokeswoman for U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve.
Separately, 53 Marines from 4th Reconnaissance Battalion are helping with water rescues in Katy, Texas, Leguizamon said. Those Marines are equipped with six boats, four Humvees and three Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement trucks.
As of Tuesday, Navy helicopters had made 227 rescues in Texas, including 11 dogs, said Cmdr. Dave Hecht, a spokesman for Naval Air Forces, Atlantic. Six MH-60 Knighthawk helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadrons 7 and 28 are taking part in search and rescue efforts.
The Air Force has dispatched two HC-130J Combat King IIs and three HH-60G Pave Hawks to College Station Texas, said Air Force spokeswoman Capt. Trisha Guillebeau. The aircraft are from the 38th, 41st and 71st Rescue Squadrons under the 347 Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
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About 120 airmen from the 23rd Wing at Moody and four airmen from the 99th Air Base Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada are taking part in the hurricane relief efforts, Guillebeau said.
The rescue squadrons began flying sorties on Monday night and they were busy for most of Tuesday, said Capt. Korey Fratini, a spokesman for the 23rd Wing. The airmen expect to keep flying rescue missions night and day as long as they are needed.
Flights have been taking off and landing so often that Air Force officials have not yet tallied up how many people they have rescued, Fratini said. So far, the airmen have hoisted several children, patients on dialysis and dogs to safety.
Charlsy is a Reporter and Engagement Manager for Military Times. Email her at cpanzino@militarytimes.com.
