Top Air Force leader visit 920th Rescue Wing

On Sept. 20, 2017, the Honorable Matthew P. Donovan, the Under Secretary of the Air Force and General Stephen W. Wilson, the Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, thanked several hundred 920th Rescue Wing Airmen in an aircraft hangar at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, thanking them for their relief efforts after two major hurricanes battered Texas then Florida, back-to-back. The 920th RQW sent a contingent of 95 wing Airmen and 5 rescue aircraft to conduct rescues from Eastern Airport, College Station, Texas August 27, 2017. With little time to spare, the 920th begin responding to Texans in need within 45 minutes of their arrival. A week later they were getting ready to do the same thing at home in response to Hurricane Irma. (U.S. Air Force photo/Matthew Jurgens)

Top Air Force leader visit 920th Rescue Wing

On Sept. 20, 2017, the Honorable Matthew P. Donovan, the Under Secretary of the Air Force shakes Col. Kurt Matthews, 920th Rescue Wing commander upon arrival to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. He and General Stephen W. Wilson, the Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, thanked several hundred 920th RQW for their relief efforts after two major hurricanes battered Texas then Florida, back-to-back. The 920th RQW sent a contingent of 95 wing Airmen and 5 rescue aircraft to conduct rescues from Eastern Airport, College Station, Texas August 27, 2017. With little time to spare, the 920th begin responding to Texans in need within 45 minutes of their arrival. A week later they were getting ready to do the same thing at home in response to Hurricane Irma. (U.S. Air Force photo/Matthew Jurgens)

Top Air Force leaders visit Florida Reserve Airmen to say thanks for hurricane relief efforts

Published Sept. 27, 2017
By 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --

When the CEO sends top management to visit workers, it’s either because they did something very wrong, or they did something very right. On Sept. 20, 2017, top Air Force leadership visited the Airmen of the 920^th Rescue Wing to thank them for their Herculean efforts over the past few weeks providing hurricane relief.

On Sept. 20, 2017, the Honorable Matthew P. Donovan, the Under Secretary of the Air Force and General Stephen W. Wilson, the Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, addressed several hundred Rescue wing Airmen in an aircraft hangar thanking them for their relief efforts after two major hurricanes battered Texas then Florida, back-to-back.

“They (920^th Airmen) immediately get redeployed to support Harvey and rescued 235 in the course of a couple days and then they come back home and they get put on stand by and were ready to go to take care of any problems with Hurricane Irma, and they are all doing with a smile on their face,” said Secretary Donovan.

A contingent of 95 wing Airmen and 5 rescue aircraft set up a rescue operation at Eastern Airport, College Station, Texas August 27, 2017. With little time to spare, they begin responding to Texans in need within 45 minutes of their arrival. A week later they were getting ready to do the same thing at home in response to Hurricane Irma, according to the 920^th Operations Goup commander, Lt. Col. Mike LoForti.

“We just came here to tell them thanks. Tell their families thanks. What they do everyday to make us all so proud and how important they are to our nation,” said Wilson.

After just returning home from Afghanistan and Africa deployments, Airmen got called into action to go rescue those affected by Harvey and Irma without missing a beat, according to wing leaders.

“We got to meet them and hear their stories. It makes us incredibly proud,” said Wilson. “What you see here is fantastic leadership, a terrific mission, empowered Airmen, and they know how they connect to the mission and the difference they are making, not only to the base and community, but to the international effort.”