Tent Cities on the Way

[Lutrastorm]

C-5's from Dover to deliver tent cities

Dover troops taking housing supplies
BY HIRAN RATNAYAKE / The News Journal
09/05/2005

A crew of about 24 airmen from Dover Air Force Base is dropping off supplies today in New Orleans to build tent cities outside Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

The tents will be used to house refugees left homeless in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The crew was expected to leave Dover aboard three C-5 planes about 11:20 p.m. Sunday and was scheduled to arrive at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, N.M., this morning.

In New Mexico, the crew will pick up four sets of supplies called Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources sets. Each set contains tents, kitchen and dining supplies, shower and latrine facilities, power generators and water purification systems. The four sets combined should provide housing for more than 2,200 people.

The sets take a couple of hours to set up, said Capt. Vincent King of Holloman.

"It depends on the manpower we have," King said. "I do know we are going to unload the sets and it is going to be set up right then and there."

Master Sgt. Steve Marciniak of Dover said the base was informed of the deployment Sunday morning. After dropping off the supplies, the airmen are expected to return to Dover at about 2:30 p.m. today. Marciniak said the Dover crew will not be helping to set up the tents.

"They are strictly air cargo," he said.

Marciniak also said the base has not been contacted about use of its mortuary facilities. Officials have said the death toll from Hurricane Katrina could be in the thousands.

Contact Hiran Ratnayake at 324-2547 or hratnayake@delawareonline.com.