Out of an abundance of caution and due to the potential arrival of strong winds from Hurricane Michael, Hurlburt Field leadership called for the evacuation of aircraft only, Oct. 8, 2018, here.
The aircraft will be evacuated to Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, until the potential for bad weather is over. The aircraft being evacuated are AC-130J Ghostriders, AC-130U “Spooky” Gunships, MC-130H Combat Talon IIs and PC-12s. Hurlburt Weather professionals and base leadership have been extensively analyzing the storm forecast. Based on the current forecast, leadership has determined a personnel evacuation is not warranted. Leadership and weather professionals will continue to watch the storm closely, and if conditions are analyzed to threaten the safety of personnel and warrant a personnel evacuation or mission-essential reporting, those instructions will be provided through all available communication sources, including chain of command, media, and social media.
The status of Hurricane Michael is being actively monitored. If called upon, we stand ready to support relief operations in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state and local authorities, and international partners. Airmen are prepared to assist those in need by providing capabilities such as search and rescue and personnel recovery, airlift of humanitarian supplies, medical care and aeromedical evacuation.
Follow the Hurlburt Field Official and 1st SOW Commander Facebook pages for the latest updates at www.facebook.com/hurlburtfieldofficial and www.facebook.com/1.sow.commander. Additionally, hurricane preparedness-related information can be found at https://www.hurlburt.af.mil/About-Us/Hurricane/.
More updates will be released as Hurricane Michael progresses.
