SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- Six Airmen with the 178th Wing Force Support Squadron, Springfield Air National Guard Base, Ohio, partnered with nine 179th Airlift Wing, Mansfield Ohio, personnel to deploy to Puerto Rico in support of the Hurricane Maria relief mission, Oct. 3.
Airmen with the 178th Wing and 179th Airlift Wing deployed with a disaster relief mobile kitchen trailer.
The mobile kitchen will be used to provide meals for service members supporting relief efforts.
In addition to cooking meals throughout the day, the services personnel will distribute ready-to-eat meals.
"As we've all seen on the news, Puerto Rico is in bad shape," said Capt. Evan Howard, 179th Force Support Squadron Officer in Charge. "The facts are they need help, and we're grateful to have the opportunity to provide that help. As long as they need us, we'll be there."
The 178th services personnel only had two days to prepare for the trip. They were notified Sept. 29 and left to meet up with their 179th counterparts in Mansfield, Ohio, Oct. 2.
“Our team has been very responsive within a moment’s notice,” said Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Crock, the 178th Wing Services Superintendent.
"Just to overturn your life and get ready for a mission you had no knowledge of in 72 hours speaks volumes of the troops that we have,” said Howard.