Currents The NAS JRB New Orleans Digital Publication

Summer in the Greater New Orleans area (GNO) in 2023 has proven to be as advertised. With temperatures approaching 100 degrees combined with high humidity, spending too much time outdoors has become potentially dangerous. Prioritizing safety during this time is imperative, as this level of heat can pose various health risks.

The combination of heat and humidity is likely to cause excessive sweating, which leads to dehydration. The Mayo Clinic advises to drink at least eight glasses of water daily. On excessively hot days, such as what July in Southern Louisiana has to offer, consuming more than eight glasses may be necessary to prevent the onset of symptoms. Consumption of sugary beverages or caffeine (yes, that means Monster Energy) can further dehydrate the body, so further supplementing oneself with water after consuming these drinks is highly recommended. Seeking shade and avoiding prolonged exposure to the sun during the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. is advisable when possible.

Taking note of the symptoms of heat-related illness and taking immediate action is crucial. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are two of the most common conditions that occur during extremely hot days. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and nausea.

To combat these symptoms, move to a cool shaded or air-conditioned area, rest, and hydrate. If symptoms worsen within a short time, seeking immediate medical attention may be necessary.

Heatstroke is more severe and can be life-threatening. Symptoms include high body temperature, rapid heartbeat, confusion, headache, and unconsciousness. If heatstroke is suspected, call emergency medical services immediately.

Service members and civilians assigned to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB) New Orleans should take note of flag conditions displayed at the MWR Fitness Center on base, or contact the Naval Branch Health Clinic (NBHC) Belle Chasse to get the current flag condition and how to be notified when conditions change. Above all else, stay hydrated!

For more information regarding heat-related conditions, visit https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/default.html

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From Captain Lena Kaman

Happy Birthday, America! On July 4th we celebrated 247 years of independence as a nation. I hope you safely enjoyed this patriotic holiday and took time to reflect on our country’s basic premises of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

What bonds Americans is our allegiance to an idea first declared in Philadelphia—that all of us are created equal. It is that undeniable declaration and deliberate commitment to equality that we take pride in as we serve our great nation.

Let us reflect on a portion of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” The Declaration of Independence sets forth the ideas and principles behind a just and fair government.

While many of us will took this time to come together, take pride in being Americans, and enjoy some well-deserved time with our families, we cannot forget the thousands of deployed service members around the world protecting our freedom. Remember our military families who stand the watch at home so our service members can focus on missions on the ground, in the air, and at sea. Our service members, families, and DoD civilians provide a tremendous amount of dedication and sacrifice in the name of protecting the ideals that America was founded on.

You are our military’s’ most valuable asset. Leaders at every level must ensure our people are aware of the major safety concerns usually associated with the Fourth of July—and summer in general. I stress the importance of not drinking and driving (including when operating watercraft), speeding, driving while fatigued, and the use of seat belts. Use preventative measures to avoid firework mishaps, sunburn, heat injury, and dehydration. With the high temperatures we have been experiencing as of late, proper hydration and regular breaks from the heat should already be a priority.

Finally, if history is any indicator of what we can expect during the coming 30 to 60 days, we are approaching that portion of hurricane season when the threat is at its peak. History shows some of the most powerful hurricanes on record are born in during this time period. Camille, Andrew, and Katrina are only a few of the iconic names many would like to forget, but never will. Our emergency management and response team remains vigilant to alert you and your family to any threats to our region. I ask each of you be watchful and ready to act as circumstances may necessitate.

I thank you for everything you do to help keep our nation safe. My family and I wish each of you the best for a very happy and meaningful Fourth of July! God bless the USA!

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Captain Kaman's Q & A

Currents will feature recent questions and concerns Captain Kaman has received to better communicate to you her efforts to make NAS JRB New Orleans the best it can be.

Q: What happened to the base library?

A: The base library program relocated to Bldg. 123, across from the Airfield Tower and Fire Station. Bldg. 123 now has three functions: The Resource Center which has the library program, The Studio, which is the new craft and design center, and The Liberty Center, which has many games, video and other activities for single service members. The Resource Center has adult, young adult, and some children’s books. It also has an area and resources designed for homeschooling families. There is a computer room too. Every Tuesday there are free grab-to-go crafts for adults and children. The Bookmobile will be making its way to the Backyard Food park on Tuesday, July 11th. The Resource Center hours are are Monday-Friday 1000-1700. Their email address is nas.jrb.nola.library@gmail.com Additionally, please visit https://dodmwrlibraries.org/ to learn about all of the book and eBook offerings at the DoD’s virtual library.

Q: Does the base let those who live, work, train and visit know when Black Flag conditions are occurring?

A: Yes. The NAS JRB New Orleans Fitness Center displays the appropriate colored flag outside, in front of the center, to denote current heat conditions, green, yellow, red and black. Additionally, we send reminders on the base app when hazardous weather conditions are present.

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United States Coast Guard Air Station (USCG AS) New Orleans held a change of command ceremony onboard Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB) New Orleans, in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, June 13.

Cmdr. Armell V. Balmaceda, from St. Mary's County, Maryland, relieved Cmdr. Keith W. Blair, from Kintersville, Pennsylvania, as commanding officer of USCG AS New Orleans during the ceremony.

Balmaceda, who earned his designation as a Coast Guard aviator in 2006 and has since accumulated over 3,000 flight hours, has spent time serving around the countries in locations such as USCG Air Station Savannah, Georgia, and USCG Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.

Most recently, Balmaceda served as the engineering officer at USCG Air Station Clearwater, Florida, where he led a group 329 personnel; the largest department in USCG aviation.

Immediately following the change of command ceremony, USCG Air Station New Orleans held a retirement ceremony for Blair, honoring his 22 years of service in the United States Coast Guard.

During the ceremony, Blair was presented with a Meritorious Service Medal, as well as a medley of gifts from various groups of Coastguardsmen.

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While many will recognize the iconic photo of desperate refugees reaching out for the last helicopter out of Saigon in 1975, few can conceptualize the full scale and horror of those final days of the Vietnam War. Hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese people faced a deadly choice: run, hope to get safe transportation out of the country, and then hope another nation would take them in; or square off against the North Vietnamese ready to descend and kill any opposition to their Communist regime.

“It was widely feared that a bloodbath of reprisals against Vietnamese who had worked with Americans would accompany a Communist victory,” Don North wrote for HistoryNet.

“It embodies an audacity of hope..."

South Vietnamese Air Force pilot Lt. Col. Ba Van Nguyen knew he had to get his family—his wife and three small children—to safety, no matter the cost. As a seasoned CH-47 Chinook pilot, Nguyen was uniquely positioned to do this. Operation Frequent Wind kicked off on April 29, 1975, as the final helicopter evacuation from Saigon and Nguyen was on deck to fly, whether he had orders to or not.

According to Miki Nguyen, son of Ba Van Nguyen and author of My Father, The Badass, Nguyen realized on April 28th after returning from one final, official mission, that his entire command had abandoned their posts and no one remained to issue orders.

“My father had to rely on his experience, instincts, and intuition to move away from danger,” Miki wrote.

Nguyen gathered his crew and together they flew to rescue their families, then anyone else their helicopter could carry. He picked up his family from a soccer field in front of his mother’s house, angling the Chinook so his gunner could frighten away military vehicles approaching to stop him.

They eventually linked up with two other badly battered Chinooks and picked up radio chatter that suggested a large U.S. aircraft carrier was not far from the coast. This choice was risky for two very important reasons: 1) without a confirmed place to land, there aren’t exactly refueling options over the Pacific Ocean and 2) although highly skilled and experienced pilots, the U.S. never trained the South Vietnamese Air Force pilots to land on a carrier.

For those reasons, the other two pilots peeled off and Nguyen flew east alone. The further he got from shore, the more dire the situation became.

Unbeknownst to Nguyen, the U.S. 7th Fleet was steaming away from Vietnam. Only one ship was circling back, and it wasn’t a carrier.

According to the Times of San Diego, Capt. Paul Jacobs, skipper of the USS Kirk, a Knox-class destroyer, had received a message from Adm. Donald Whitmire, commander of the 7th Fleet: “We’re going to send you back to rescue the Vietnamese Navy. We forgot ‘em.”

“We figured humans were much more important than the hardware."

This little oversight left about 30,000 South Vietnamese soldiers, sailors, airmen, and civilians totally unprotected as they fled Vietnam via a flotilla of the surviving South Vietnamese Navy and civilian vessels and helicopters.

While many helicopters and vessels passed the Kirk in search of rescue from much larger (and better equipped) aircraft carriers, many lacked the fuel or ability to go any further than the Kirk. Civilian vessels were already sinking and panic spread among the over-packed boats as refugees attempted to flee sinking boats.

When a man pushed a woman overboard, a South Vietnamese officer shot him in the head, quelling further violent chaos.

Despite having only a small landing pad, Jacobs recognized the emerging catastrophe and ordered his Sailors to guide helicopters in.

By the time the third UH-1 Huey landed—a miracle on its own, as, again, the South Vietnamese pilots were never trained to land on a ship at sea—the Kirk’s meager flight deck was so crowded, the helicopters had damaged each other.

The Kirk’s quick thinking Sailors established a protocol: once a helicopter landed and the refugees disembarked, one or two Sailors would quickly strip the aircraft of whatever hardware they could in just a few seconds, then they’d all work together, including Jacobs himself, to shove the entire helicopter overboard to make room for more.

“We figured humans were much more important than the hardware," Don Cox, an anti-submarine-equipment officer on the Kirk, said, according to NPR.

While similar scenes played out on other ships in the departing 7th Fleet, the Kirk is where one Lt. Col. Nguyen found himself circling. He didn’t have enough fuel to risk flying toward a larger vessel, but his mammoth Chinook was simply too big to safely land on the Kirk’s deck.

What Nguyen did next may go down in history as one the bravest, most selfless, and downright wildest things a helicopter pilot has ever done, which is saying something for helicopter pilots.

Not about to let his friends and family die, he maneuvered his aircraft into a hover over the deck, which was moving up and down with the motion of the waves and sailing forward at 5 knots, and one by one the passengers leapt or were thrown to the waiting Kirk Sailors, including a then-six-year-old Miki Nguyen.

Hugh Doyle, the Kirk’s chief engineer, was in the habit of recording his daily activities on cassettes for his family and the rescue operation was no different. On his tape for this day, he said, "Picture this, we're steaming along at about 5 knots. And this huge airplane comes in and hovers over, over the fantail, opened up its rear door, and starts dropping people out of it. It's about 15 feet off the fantail! There's American Sailors back on the fantail, catching babies like basketballs!"

The baby they caught like a basketball was Nguyen’s 10-month-old daughter. The only injury suffered in this maneuver was a woman who injured her ankle.

“The wind downdraft and intense motor noise would have been enough to shock any sane person, but not these guys from the USS Kirk!” Miki wrote. “They were unshakable in their fierce determination to save these unknown people from above.”

Once everyone, including his copilot, were safely aboard the Kirk, Nguyen had nowhere to go and no fuel left to get there. One thing was clear: he wasn’t ready to give up.

Nguyen flew about 60 yards away from the Kirk, stripped down to his boxers and shirt, dropped the Chinook as close to the water as he could, then tilted the aircraft hard onto its right side. At the last possible moment, he jumped out of the left door into the ocean as his Chinook crashed mere feet behind him.

He didn’t even have a life jacket.

"Soon as the blades hit the water, they exploded—there were small pieces, but there were also pieces, probably 10, 15 feet long, big pieces go flying out. It sounded like a giant train wreck, you know, in slow motion and it's loud, you know, wind is blowing everywhere," said Kent Chipman, a machinist’s mate aboard the Kirk, in an interview with NPR.

Everyone on deck ducked to avoid the shrapnel, then watched the crash in horror, and waited to see if the pilot would emerge from the sea.

Somehow, Nguyen survived. In their elation to see his head pop out over the waves, Sailors began jumping overboard and swimming out to help him back to their ship, despite the fact that a small rescue boat was already in the water and motoring his way.

According to Miki, the first thing his father asked for upon being brought aboard the Kirk was a cigarette.

Over the course of 36 hours, the Kirk rescued approximately 200 refugees off of 16 helicopters, and escorted the haphazard South Vietnamese fleet to safety.

“The ship's crew found themselves changing diapers, treating wounds and giving comfort,” according to NPR.

The Kirk ultimately played a pivotal role in the rescue of nearly 30,000 people, one of the greatest humanitarian efforts in U.S. history.

“It embodies an audacity of hope, living fearlessly, and the human spirit combined to survive and overcome challenges head-on no matter the risk involved,” Miki wrote.

Until 2010, the USS Kirk’s involvement in the evacuation of refugees during the fall of Saigon remained a well kept secret. Not only were the Kirk’s records misfiled, but by 1975, the American public had no interest in heroic tales from the Vietnam War. Moreover, the USS Kirk ultimately helped steal the remnants of the South Vietnamese Navy, something diplomats weren’t keen on bragging about to the newly formed Vietnamese government.

In an effort to reconnect with Nguyen and other survivors, Jacobs and the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine went on Vietnamese television in 2009 to describe the events. Nguyen’s family who remained in Vietnam recognized the description, and ultimately they were able to confirm Ba Van’s identity. He and his family were living in Seattle, where he worked for Boeing.

In 2010, Kirk veterans hosted a reunion with their 1975 crew, as well as the Nguyen family and other Vietnamese refugees who found themselves aboard the Kirk in those harrowing hours.

Concurrently, NPR’s “Forgotten Ship, Daring Rescue” four-part series, as well as the U.S. Navy Medicine and Support Command’s film, The Lucky Few, were all released, bringing this story to life for the first time in 35 years.

At long last, the secret history of the USS Kirk and Nguyen’s heroism were restored.

“This is our story,” Miki said to NPR. “This is how we started in America.”

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The Louisiana National Guard’s 1083rd Transportation Company, 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 139th Regional Support Group, bid farewell to family and friends during an official departure ceremony at Airline High School in Bossier City, Louisiana, on June 24.

The Minden, Louisiana based unit is mobilizing more than 160 Soldiers to Kuwait to conduct line-haul operations in support of Operation Spartan Shield. Line-haul operations can support full-spectrum operations, from major combat operations to stability operations and civil support.

The official party for the ceremony included Maj. Gen. Keith Waddell, the LANG adjutant general, Capt. Bryan Bailey, company commander of the 1083rd, Command Sgt. Maj. Clifford Ockman, the LANG command senior enlisted leader, and 1st Sgt. Christopher Davis, first sergeant of the 1083rd.

“You took an oath to support and defend our country against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and your service enables the preservation of our freedoms and other constitutional rights,” said Waddell. “I ask each of you to look out for one another, be safe, be excellent every day and listen and respect your teammates.”

Waddell went on to commend the Soldiers on their performance during premobilization training at Louisiana National Guard Training Center – Pineville.

“When I came out and visited, I saw nothing but great things, great leadership and great performance,” said Waddell.

The deploying unit consists of Soldiers who are organic to the unit, as well as several volunteers from across the state.

“I have never seen a more highly motivated group of individuals, and I hear it in their voices every time they sound off with our motto: Drive-on, Never Quit,” said Bailey. “We have quality Soldiers who want to be here and want to make a difference.”

According to Davis, premobilization training prepared the Soldiers for the types of missions the unit will conduct overseas. This training included battle drills such as reacting to contact, establishing a company headquarters and combatives. In addition to battle drill training, premobilization also allowed Soldiers to train and learn about the equipment they will use while deployed.

“It’s never easy saying goodbye to a loved one for nine months; however, I want you to know that these Soldiers are properly trained, well informed and experts in their field,” said Bailey. “My goal for the 1083rd is to be the best unit in Kuwait by being safe, adaptive, disciplined and professional in everything we do.”

The 1083rd will conduct mobilization training at Fort Cavazos, Texas, before deploying to Kuwait. The 1083rd comes from a historic lineage of transporters, engineers and infantrymen dating back to the 18th Century with the Royal French and Spanish Troop Colony. They were last mobilized to support emergency response operations during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

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