Yokota hosts displaced passengers

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Ashley Wright
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  More than 100 passengers unexpectedly took up residence at the Samurai Fitness Center here on Aug. 1 after a flight to Kadena Air Base, Japan was delayed by a monsoonal trough passing through Okinawa.

In what was, at first, a few hours delay for the 237 passengers of the 767 Patriot Express, eventually became an overnight stay due to the worsening weather conditions. Members of the 730th Air Mobility Squadron led the effort to assist the stranded passengers.

"We gave passengers updates every 20 minutes and answered any questions they had," said Tech. Sgt. Rhommel Gabrintina, 730 AMS non-commissioned OIC of Passenger Services.
 
The 730 AMS worked closely with the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron to ensure that passengers received appropriate transportation and lodging support.

"About half of the passengers were families," said 2nd Lt. Melody Beidler, 730 AMS Assistant OIC of Passenger Services. "We wanted to make sure that the families with small children were not sleeping on cots."

The 374 LRS provided special transportation support for the 98 family members with young children to off-base hotels--in addition to moving passengers without children to and from the fitness center. Members of the 374 LRS worked into the early hours of the morning, driving as far as Tachikawa to transport displaced families to and from off-base lodging.

"Ultimately, it was definitely a success, especially considering what an unusual situation it was," said 1st Lt. Luke Ranieri, OIC of Passenger Services.

Meanwhile, members of the 374th Force Support Squadron worked in conjunction with the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron to provide cots and essential resources for the passengers without young children.

"Mother Nature had a vote on this one and made flight conditions unsafe," said Mission Support Group Commander Col. Scott Maskery. "When on-base lodging and the off-base contract hotels were at max capacity, we decided to prepare an alternate location."

Volunteers set up cots, fans and water coolers inside the Samurai Fitness Center in order to accommodate the passengers. Army and Air Force Exchange Service locations also stayed open an hour late and opened one hour early.

"Our primary focus was on the health and welfare of the stranded passengers, especially the families," Maskery said. "I'm very proud of how well our team used a tried and true 'plan on the shelf,' quickly modified it for the situation, and then executed that plan in less than two hours from the word 'go.'"