24 June 2008

Update from Major David Miller, MOWG/PAD

- Air sorties continue, two a day, AM and PM sorties. KC aircrew flew in yesterday to swap out our G1000 182 for a round gauge 182 to increase availability of local 182 pilots. Flights continue to assess Mississippi river from St. Charles, Missouri, to Keokuk, Iowa. Multiple levee overtoppings and breaches identified, as well as extent of flooding and status of infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.) Aircraft remain based out of MWAC at Spirit Airport in Chesterfield. Flights will continue throughout this week.

- Main PAO accomplishment yesterday was the story by FOX 2 reporter John Auble that ran at 1730 and 2130. I had spoken with him on Friday 20 June 2008 and he indicated his desire to do a story on our flood efforts. I had originally teamed him up with last night's meeting of the St. Charles Comp. Squadron which had many cadets and senior members directly involved in flood efforts.

However, he needed a noon interview to make the evening news cycle, so we scrambled and got him out to MWAC with interviews of Capts. Brian Thompson and Mike Smith, Lt Col Randy Fuller, and shots of our 182. Nice story ran during their 1730 and 2130 broadcasts. Some discrepancies but overall a good story that ran in primetime in a major media market. See link below, that also contained our Wing and NHQ website links:

http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?contentId=6830960

- With the call for additional sandbaggers for Lincoln County at Winfield, I spoke with Dennis Garber at their EOC and informed them of the process of getting us activated again if they need help with sand bagging, traffic control, and communications. I also forwarded similar information to the St. Charles County EOC through 1st Lt Tim Mohr (see below).

- Lt Col Randy Fuller informs me this morning that we're now tasked with a new funded mission to support same. Capt. Larry Maxfield and Cuivre River Comp. Squadron is establishing local staging area in Winfeld right now. I plan on going up there after office hours to take more photos.

- Established direct liaison at the St. Charles County EOC, 1st Lt. Tim Mohr, to help coordinate their desires, communications with our aircraft, and quick dissemination of information on levees. Had also placed a similar liaison at the Lincoln County EOC last week with similar good results.

- Extensive work done by 2Lt Scott Schwab to develop a faster way to get our photos to our clients, i.e. SEMA. Schwab has established a shared private Picasa website where photos with lat/long info is quickly bulk uploaded for all agencies to review. Clients seem to be pleased with this.

- Am maintaining contact with Lincoln County EOC PIO Andy Binder.

- Lt. Mohr just informed me that today's AM sortie was scrubbed to do bad weather (it's raining now with lightning) but not before they were able to take photos of the Elm Pointe levee that breached early this morning, including the perimeter coordinates of the flooding.

The were able to quickly land at St. Charles Municipal airport where Lt. Mohr met them and he hand delivered the photos and coordinates directly to St. Charles County EOC in near real-time. The client was very pleased.


V/R,
David

David A. Miller, Maj, CAP
Asst. PAO, MOWG