KODIAK, Alaska – Coast Guard Petty Officer Jason Levy conducts his pre-flight checks in the cabin of a C-130 aircraft. Levy is a flight mechanic and loadmaster on the C-130. He is part of a group of 16 Coast Guardsmen who are heading to pre-stage for rescue and recovery efforts if Hurricane Rita makes landfall. The C-130 air crew will make stops to pick up additional volunteers before stopping in Sacramento, Calif. At Sacramento the group will be split up before heading to their pre-stage areas. The C-130 aircrew will be pre-staged in Little Rock, Ark., while crewmen who fly in the HH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter will be pre-staged in El Paso, Texas. The Kodiak C-130 aircrew is prepared to provide communications support and deliver fresh crews, supplies and equipment that may be needed to support rescue and response operations. This is the second time this month that Air Station Kodiak has sent a C-130 air crew to assist with hurricane operations. A C-130 air crew recently returned to Kodiak after assisting with rescue and recovery operations after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast Region. Coast Guard crews from around the nation have been put on alert to be prepared to provide additional people and resources if required. (Official Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Paul Roszkowski)
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