OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- At 11 a.m. on Friday, March 15, 2019, the 55th Wing leadership team met to discuss what needed to be accomplished to protect assets and facilities from possible flood waters that were creeping towards the installation.
Using lessons learned from a flood here in 2011, they knew that if the levy was breached, significant flooding would occur to the southeastern side of the base.
From the moment the water level started to rise, volunteers worked to relocate supplies, memorabilia and mission essential equipment. The effort was directed in a strategic manner to relocate as much as possible while keeping volunteers safe.
During a trip to retrieve important heraldry items from the 55th Wing Historian’s office, the base fire department was called to break down the locked door.
Mike Hoskins, assigned to the 55th Wing Plans and Programs office, was instrumental in recovering numerous historical items. He and other volunteers loaded the items into their personal vehicles until Tech. Sgt. Matt Sabo, assigned to the 55th Wing Inspector General, had his truck engine flooded by the waters while loading it. The group ended up towing Sabo’s truck out of the area when they finished loading it.
"I felt fortunate that I knew enough about wing history to be able to appreciate and take the time to preserve it for future generations," said Hoskins.
In the end, the 55th Wing headquarters building was flooded with nearly six feet of water. Thick layers of mud covered much of the building’s interior and even seeped inside desk drawers.
About a week after the water began to recede from the building, a few 55th Wing staff members were allowed to go into the headquarters with a list of personal items that people left behind during evacuation.
“Upon walking into the building, I could not believe the amount of destruction that the flood caused.” said Tech. Sgt. Kaitlyn Schulze, 55th Wing administrator. “All the furniture was moved from its locations. Some were tipped over on top of other objects, the fridges were on their sides, and desk drawers were swollen shut. It was very heartbreaking to see the building what once was great be turned into such a wreck.”
All the recovered items are now in the possession of their owners or in the Dougherty Conference Center, where displaced 55th Wing personnel are working.
“There were a lot of efforts from multiple units all over the base to save history and a lot of them were very successful,” said Hoskins.