Tinker Reserve Airmen Deploy To Aid Florida Recovery

Crews continue working around the clock in Florida to clean up damage and restore power following Hurricane Irma.

As many residents run shorts on supplies, Tinker Reserve airmen travel to South Florida in an effort to help.

A C-17 aircraft carrying members of the 35^th Combat Communications Squadron, along with 33,000 pounds of communications supplies left Wednesday afternoon.

By Wednesday night, they were setting up camp at Homestead Reserve Base near Miami. 

“We’ll be working out of tents, and just doing what we need to do to make things better down there,” said Lt. Colonel Monte Buchanan. “We don’t know how long we’ll be down there, but we’ll be there as long as we’re needed.” 

The 35^th is one of only three Reserve squadrons of its kind in the entire Air Force.

Shannon Reaves is an Airman First Class. “I honestly don’t have no idea what I’m going to see. I just tell myself over and over, I’m here to help people,” he said.