An Air Force Reserve C-130H aircraft conducted an aerial spraying mission this weekend to help disperse the oil, but weather prevented a second C-130H deployed to the region from spraying, Northcom spokesman John Cornelio told American Forces Press Service.
In addition, nearly 600 Louisiana National Guard troops have been called to federal active duty to support the mission, with up to 5,400 more to mobilize as needed, based on Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ approval of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s request last week. Jindal requested as many as 6,000 National Guard troops to add security, medical support, engineers, communications capability and cleanup crews to the oil slick containment effort.
Meanwhile, the onsite incident coordinator, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry, is reviewing similar requests from the governors of neighboring Alabama, Mississippi and Florida to mobilize their Guard forces under Title 32 authority, Lapan said.
Meanwhile, as the oil slick moves landward,
the Navy has positioned equipment aimed at reducing the slick’s impact on Gulf Coast beaches and critical wetlands. The Navy dispatched 66,000 feet of inflatable oil boom with anchoring equipment, along with seven skimming systems and supporting gear to the region, along with 50 civilian contractors to operate and maintain it, reported Navy spokesman Lt. Myers Vasquez.
Workers at a staging area at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., also set out booms to help protect the shoreline and eco-system in the Pensacola area from the spill, reported Navy Lt. Michael Frost, the station’s port operations officer.
Naval Air Station Pensacola is one of seven staging areas that have been set up from Louisiana to Florida to protect sensitive shorelines, Frost said. Other staging areas are in Biloxi and Pascagoula, Miss.; Venice, Port Fourchon and Port Sulphur, La.; and Theodore, Ala. --
Military Supports Federal Oil Spill Response
