PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE. N.H. -- The New Hampshire National Guard is deploying seven Airmen from the 157th Civil Engineering Squadron and one from the 260th Air Traffic Control Squadron along with a Disaster Relief Bed Down Set (DRBS) to the Virgin Islands in support of the Hurricane Irma relief effort.
The Virgin Island National Guard has requested support from the National Guard Bureau to assist in its relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
The NH guardsmen will join other Air National Guard engineering units equipped with additional DRBS on their way to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Two other NH Air National Guardsmen are currently deployed in support of Irma relief efforts. Lt. Col. Phillip Plourde is in Tallahassee, Florida working as a medical plans officer and Master Sgt. Brian Roberge is stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, in support of a crisis action team.
A DRBS can house up to 150 people. The DRBS kits are pre-positioned throughout the United States for disaster response. Two of the kits are stationed at Pease Air National Guard Base. Each kit provides billeting, power production, laundry services, and water distribution and purification services for responding personnel.