Tampa Citizen Airmen endure devastation, show resilience, teamwork, and spirit

The Tampa Bay area endured a historic period of Hurricane activity, enduring Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the span of two weeks. Amid the devastation from western Florida to the southern Appalachia mountains, members of MacDill AFB's Air Force Reserve 927th Air Refueling Wing united in both preparation and recovery ranging from the installation in South Tampa, to the homes of impacted Citizen Airmen all along the coast.

The 927 ARW works alongside the active-duty 6th Air Refueling Wing, in many cases augmenting efforts, supporting missions, and adding strategic depth. During the 2024 hurricane season, this included helping to protect MacDill's service members and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft when the 6th Operations Support Squadron's weather flight predicted the incoming threats to the installation.

"We are tied in with the 6th ARW emergency management effort, working hand-in-hand and bringing some of our own unique capabilities," said Air Force Lt. Col. Brian Griefer, 927th Mission Support Group deputy commander. "As soon as active duty declared HURCON (Hurricane Conditions), we stood up our Unit and Group Control Centers, began attending emergency operations center meetings, identifying our ride-out team for Raymond James Stadium, preparing and hardening our facilities and getting ready to ensure accountability for our members."

Helping to prepare and relocate the KC-135 aircraft, 927th Maintenance and Operations Group Citizen Airmen blended with active-duty crews on the flightline while leadership within the Wing began executing well-established and rehearsed hurricane procedures and laying down lines of communication for command and control of resources and Airmen. Messaging flowed throughout the weeks right up and into the storms, with the 927th ARW emergency management team distributing vital information about the weather, preparations, and most importantly - the welfare of Citizen Airmen.

"We are proud of our emergency management team who volunteered to leave their own homes to stay at Raymond James Stadium to help recover the base," said Griefer. "Mr. DeJesus filled the vacant position, revitalized the program and went into immediate action with these two storms - learning as he went and building strong relationships with active duty."

With base preparations made, including departure of the aircraft to safer installations, Tampa Bay braced for devastation not seen by the region in 100 years. Citizen Airmen who endured the storms awoke to a completely changed world.

Hurricane Helene made landfall on Sept. 26, in Florida's Big Bend region as a category 4 storm. Shortly afterward, Hurricane Milton reached the Sarasota/Siesta Key area on Oct. 9, striking with category 3 force. Combined impacts from the two storms left an estimated 3 million residents without power across the state, untold wind damage to the city and its structures and flooding from storm surge reaching as high as 8 feet in some areas. Helene's damage to the power grid was evident from night-time photos from the International Space Station and Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team, in St. Petersburg, Fla., stood, roof in tatters, as a visible sign of the destruction from Milton's 120 mile per hour winds.

"It was unbelievable," said Chief Master Sgt. Heather Bragdon, 927th Operations Group senior enlisted leader. "You could see the destruction, as all the water had left our home. It was just overwhelming. People began texting me to see how they could help, and I didn't have answers yet because I just didn't know what to do."

Bragdon's South Tampa home, which had in many past hurricanes never experienced surge flooding of this magnitude, was inundated with three feet of storm water. Her personal belongings on the first floor and all of her vehicles were completely lost in the storm.

Help did not take long to arrive, however. Air Force Master Sgt. Terra Stinnett, 927th ARW Resilience Integrator, First Sergeants from throughout the wing, and the 927 ARW command team worked to organize resources and response in support of impacted members - in many cases sending physical teams to help rip out storm surge damaged drywall and transport what personal items could be salvaged to storage.

"We've been very thankful for the support," said Bragdon. "I didn't always know what we needed, but people just started showing up anyway. Master Sgt. Randall, Lt. Col. Swee, and I all had teams of people at our houses helping from the Operations Group."

Help was organized through a variety of avenues and demonstrated the bonds built between Citizen Airmen and the community across many years.

"We experienced a huge sense of community assistance from our local 927th family to my Leadership Tampa Bay family, and family from Louisiana," said Chief Master Sgt. Jerry Rayborn, 927th Maintenance Squadron senior enlisted leader, who experienced two feet of storm surge in his home.

"The 927th ARW leadership all personally provided support to help demo my water damaged home including kitchen cabinets, appliances, sheetrock and outdoor kitchen. The 927th Maintenance Squadron and commander came out in support, helping remove items to storage in preparation for demo day."

"When I showed up, 6 to 7 people were already working and that slowly grew," said Brian Mays, a 927th ARW honorary commander who responded to Rayborn's home after hearing the news. "What impressed me the most about Chief Rayborn was that he said he just wants to get as close to normal as possible and then find out who else out there needs help."

Mays, himself a 10-year U.S. Army veteran, described the effort as a well-oiled military machine. "Somebody was always grabbing something, tossing it into the trailer, and somebody came behind them with a broom, sweeping to keep the mess down," said Mays. "Tampa has to be the most veteran friendly city. It truly embraces MacDill Air Force Base, and the base is also very transparent, so it doesn't feel isolated. I commend the leadership of MacDill and the Tampa community."

Recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton is still on-going in the Tampa Bay area and the 927th Air Refueling Wing remains poised to carry out its mission, able to do so through the resilience and teamwork demonstrated by selfless Citizen Airmen and members of the local community.

"Many of our members lost their homes or suffered damage to their property, but none of them lost their spirit," said Col. Kurt Matthews, 927th ARW commander. "The resilience of our members brought tears to my eyes as I listened to them tell me, 'It's just stuff' and 'We'll get back on our feet.' Thank God, no one was hurt. Their families and Squadron teammates rolled in to assist them with immediate recovery. Our Resiliency Integration team, first sergeants, base agencies, and honorary commanders are providing valuable resources to our Airmen in need. Because we were Ready, the mission still goes on!"