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Departure efforts through Incirlik continue

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Patrice Clarke
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  More than 1,600 American citizens displaced from Lebanon continued to process through Incirlik Air Base today.
The group boarded the USS Trenton in Beirut Sunday at 5:10 p.m. headed for the port city of Mersin in Turkey. After arriving in Turkey, they traveled by bus to Incirlik.
“Many of the people processing have gone through an ordeal just to get here,” said Lt. Col. Michael Platt, 39th Mission Support Group deputy commander. “We just want to get them through here and where they need to go with as little commotion as possible.”
After arriving at Incirlik, the Americans were taken to the processing center to inprocess the base and then to Patriot Village where they will stay until flights out can be scheduled.
According to Maj. Susan Airola-Skully, 39th Mission Support Squadron commander, the process is much more streamlined then when the first 29 evacuees came through the base Friday night.
“We have streamlined our practices to make this process as stress-free as possible,” said Major Airola-Skully. “We have learned so much in the past few days that we are able to quickly get everyone in and out of the processing center.”
With 53 bus loads of people going through the processing line, streamlined and stress-free are words that are welcomed.
“The buses came in waves starting around 2:45 p.m. and have been coming steadily every hour,” said Colonel Platt as the time at Incirlik approached 10 p.m.
Processing into the base takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour and then they are taken to Patriot Village.
“Patriot Village is a very unique area,” said Colonel Platt. “The area was used for troops to stay and has a capacity for more than 1,800.”
Along with telephones, Internet and a library area where the evacuees can check out games, books, and toys, there is also a dining facility.
“When they arrive here we give them MREs to hold them over until they can make it to Patriot Village,” said Colonel Platt. “There they are given a hot meal if they so choose it. As long as there are people processing through and heading to Patriot Village the cooks will be ensuring they receive a hot meal.”
With all of these people processing through the base, security is always an issue. According to Maj. Bryan Gillespie, 39th Security Forces Squadron commander, security hasn’t been an issue here.
“It has been going better than expected,” said Major Gillespie. “Our security forces team has been working close to 15 hours a day and many times we (SFS leadership) have to tell them to go home. Everyone is really motivated to be out here and to be working on helping these people get to where they need to go.”
Lending a hand is all many members of Team Incirlik want to do.
“What is really amazing is how the base has come together,” said Janet Morrison, 39th Mission Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness coordinator. “I have volunteers out here right now who have been out here helping out since 2 a.m., more than 16 hours. I had one young lady who was separating from the Air Force in one day yet she was here (at the processing center) today lending a helping hand, passing out water and just trying to make this process as smooth as possible.”
The base’s effort has not gone unnoticed by the people they are helping and is being done with in cooperation with the U.S. mission in Turkey.
Two young American citizens displaced from Lebanon were going around getting the autographs of the Airmen and volunteers in the processing center.
“I just wanted everyone’s autograph that helped us today,” said Sharon Lody an American citizen who left Lebanon. “I plan on framing it and showing my classmates in the States.”