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Special ops vets form ‘Redneck Air Force’ to ferry aid into NC mountains after feds come up short: ‘Who’s FEMA?’
NY Post ^ | 10/07/24 | Jack Morphet, Chris Nesi

Posted on 10/07/2024 5:47:49 PM PDT by Libloather

SWANNANOA, North Carolina — Hundreds of special operations personnel in North Carolina have formed their own homegrown rescue and supply operation in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene after they grew tired of waiting for the federal government to get its act together.

The Post found an all-volunteer operation being run out of a Harley-Davidson dealership with ruthless efficiency and military precision.

“Who’s FEMA?” ex-Green Beret Adam Smith derisively responded when asked about the agency’s presence on the ground since the deadly storm ravaged the rural western part of the state.

“This disaster has definitively proven without a shadow of a doubt FEMA’s incompetence and incapability,” he said, noting that the agency didn’t even show up until Thursday — almost a week after the storm that has killed at least 232, nearly half of them in the mountainous west of the Tar Heel State.

Unwilling to stand idly by after feeling his community was languishing with inadequate support from the government, Smith enlisted the help of a few good men and women to take matters into their own hands.

This Harley-Davidson dealership has become a forward operating base, complete with a fleet of 35 helicopters that have flown hundreds of rescue, reconnaissance and resupply sorties.

Organizers are calling the effort the “Savage Freedoms Relief Operation,” but Smith says they’ve proudly adopted the alternate moniker — “the Redneck Air Force.”

The dealership teems with current and former soldiers decked out in camo pants and army boots with handguns strapped to their chests and hips. Crop duster pilots, helicopter tour guides and special operations pilots — most of them off-duty or retired military — have answered the call from Smith and others in North Carolina’s extensive military community.

They’re using their own aircraft to fly doctors, medicine, generators, fuel and food to isolated...

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: disaster; fema; hurricane; nc; northcarolina; redneck; redneckairforce; relief; vets
My guess - FEMA was not at all prepared for that level of devistation. Git 'er done.
1 posted on 10/07/2024 5:47:49 PM PDT by Libloather
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To: Libloather

Probably because its a politically infected, taxpayer funded circle jerk.


2 posted on 10/07/2024 5:49:27 PM PDT by xoxox
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To: Libloather

I really love how Americans get together to solve problems. Now what they need is for relatives who have family up in those mountains to tell them where the homes can be located. Who is up there and how to find them. A lot of those places may not be seen from the air without directions.


3 posted on 10/07/2024 5:53:10 PM PDT by McGavin999 ( A sense of humor is a sign of intelligence, leftists have no sense of humor, therefobest thing we c)
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To: Libloather

An entire Federal agency dedicated to responding to natural disasters has been reduced to being an immigrants entitlement program.


4 posted on 10/07/2024 5:53:16 PM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: Libloather

Biden and FEMA will have the military block them. Want to bet? This may be the powder keg. I hope these guys call their bluff.


5 posted on 10/07/2024 5:54:42 PM PDT by Openurmind
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I could be wrong.

Federal relief workers say FEMA is moving away from helping greatest number of people - to LGBTQ ‘disaster equity’ in woke webinar

https://nypost.com/2024/10/07/us-news/unearthed-woke-fema-webinar-touts-shift-toward-disaster-equity-in-emergency-management-priorities/


6 posted on 10/07/2024 5:56:10 PM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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Watchdog found $7B in untapped FEMA funds — even though DHS Secretary Mayorkas said none available for future disasters

https://nypost.com/2024/10/07/us-news/watchdog-found-7b-in-untapped-fema-funds-even-though-dhs-secretary-mayorkas-said-none-available-for-future-disasters/


7 posted on 10/07/2024 5:57:29 PM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: Libloather

To anyone has been thinking the feral government is going to be there for you in your time of need, let this be a lesson.


8 posted on 10/07/2024 6:05:49 PM PDT by SharpRightTurn (“Giving money & power to government is like giving whiskey & car keys to teenage boys” P.J. O’Rourke)
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To: Libloather

A couple of days ago there a sequence of memes; one of which featured a blond woman wearing a ‘Packers’ hat whose letters ran backwards (photo was reversed, apparently)...can anyone dig that up???


9 posted on 10/07/2024 6:05:59 PM PDT by who knows what evil? (Hospitals are the most dangerous place on Earth! Dr. David Williams)
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To: Libloather

Nice! The people helping the people. God bless the Redneck Air Force. ♥️ 🇺🇸

We had the Cajun Navy come in from Louisiana with their pickups and their boats during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. They were stellar and performed countless rescues. We are forever grateful.


10 posted on 10/07/2024 6:13:21 PM PDT by Allegra (“As I was saying…”)
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To: Allegra

...We had the Cajun Navy come in from Louisiana with their pickups and their boats...
__________________________

Your Cajun Navy was one of the greatest representation of the American Spirit I had ever seen. Even when we have a blizzard up here in Minnesota, I say to myself: I wish the Cajun Navy could be despatched!!!


11 posted on 10/07/2024 6:23:27 PM PDT by BarbM (Men who look at porn are impotent for God.)
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To: Libloather
They’re using their own aircraft to fly doctors, medicine, generators, fuel and food to isolated...

Checking Skyvector.com I am amazed to not see the entire coast covered by a TFR.

Lead, follow or get out of the way - and amazingly the FAA is getting out of the way.

12 posted on 10/07/2024 6:36:09 PM PDT by grobdriver (The CDC can KMA!)
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To: BradyLS

FEMA isn’t dedicated to natural disasters....its primary purpose is Continuity of Government.


13 posted on 10/07/2024 7:00:54 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: Allegra

They have grown. Prepping for CAT 5 Milton.

https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/nation-world/new-orleans-united-cajun-navy-stages-big-storm-response-for-hurricane-milton/289-b700a69f-03d6-485c-86e7-69ebdf50dda7


14 posted on 10/07/2024 7:39:01 PM PDT by huldah1776
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To: huldah1776; BarbM

Thank you for the article! Yes, they have grown. Those are the true heroes, not Hollywood and sports celebrities.

Hurricane Harvey in 2017 did huge damage in Houston and the surrounding area. The Cajun Navy came before it hit and saved so many lives while the devastating flooding escalated. They worked tirelessly for days. We from that area will never forget and will always be grateful.

I think I’ll go have a look at their Amazon wish list.


15 posted on 10/07/2024 8:19:21 PM PDT by Allegra (“As I was saying…”)
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To: Libloather

Be warned - small towns are “taxing” good Samaritans going up there to help with bs tickets. Tail lights out, blinkers …. They figure you won’t comeand fight it. Or debris caused damage but you need to pay your fair share. So be ready for small towns cashing revenue collections. Know personally from a work friend that the locals around the area are stepping up any and all enforcement to get 100-200 dollar tickets. Just trying to go help. Yes you in eastern Tennessee. Screw you. Spend thousands of your personal $ to get supplies in to be taxed coming out. Not a joke or even a bad scam. It’s what is happening. The government is way out of control.


16 posted on 10/07/2024 8:24:27 PM PDT by wgmalabama (Screw Ukraine, screw Russia, screw the west. The only thing that matters is money at this point. )
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To: Libloather
My guess - FEMA was not at all prepared for that level of devistation. Git 'er done.

That doesn't explain their orchestrated non-response. They are DELIBERATELY slow walking it.

Thankfully, there's plenty of former military here to keep off self-important egotists trying to shut down civilian rescue efforts. I would suspect that any individual who threatened to arrest someone flying in their own helicopter and helping others would regret it for a very long time when the vets were done with him.

17 posted on 10/07/2024 8:44:33 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”)
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To: Libloather

God bless these good men.


18 posted on 10/07/2024 9:07:03 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Trump will be sworn in under a shower of confetti made from the tattered remains of the Rat Party.)
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To: McGavin999

Asking for a friend...he would like to see and join a Redneck PDJT Security Team to survey the radius around any airport Trumps plane is scheduled to land at to look for those POS Iranians with those 9 SAM’S.

If so, he would like to see varmit permits issued to take them out or just SSS.


19 posted on 10/08/2024 5:04:55 AM PDT by IAGeezer912 (One out of every 20 people on the face of the earth are Americans. We have won life's lottery.)
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