Los Alamitos JFTB shoulders heavy loads in a disaster

Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base participated in Operation Patriot Hook over last week, concluding on a wind-blown Sunday with a picture-perfect blue sky and puffy white clouds.

JFTB Los Alamitos welcomed come of the biggest birds in the American air fleet, plus members of the Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines.

The intense storm on Saturday — sometimes raining so hard it reduced visibility to under ten feet — did not stop the operation, although some members of the Coast Guard found refuge in a hangar lounge alongside hundreds of family members on base to visit their students at Sunburst Youth Academy.

Surrounding communities undoubtedly noticed the big birds — ranging from a Boeing ~~C16~~ C17 Globemaster III and a Lockheed C5B Galaxy to a Lockheed C-130J Hercules — as they landed, took off or circled the airfield.

Because big runway 22L had been closed for repairs, all the aircraft activity recently (including a larger number of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks) might seem unusual.

But all those aircraft are just the JFTB returned to normal — shouldering its responsibility, in this case, as a funnel for airlifted personnel and supplies in case of disaster or other emergency. (The southern division of the California Emergency Management Agency is located on the base, and also took part in Operation Patriot Hook.)

Welcome back, fliers!

Featured photo

A USMC C130J Hercules parked in front of the control tower at Los Alamitos Army Airfield. This photo and others taken during Operation Patriot Hook are available for purchase as posters at bleape.com — $1 will be donated to the JFTB’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Fund for each poster purchased. All photos are by C.E.H. Wiedel.

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CA National Guardsmen to fly out of JFTB Thursday morning (oc-breeze.com)
Saving private jobs by protecting JFTB Los Alamitos (oc-breeze.com)
Hero mission for Marine Cpl. Singer completed at JFTB (oc-breeze.com)
Los Alamitos leaders recognized as VIPS at JFTB deployment ceremony (oc-breeze.com)
National Charity League stages Operation Valentine at JFTB (oc-breeze.com)
Buena Park Noon Lions Club donates gas cards to JFTB’s Operation We Care (oc-breeze.com)
Public invited to retirement ceremony for JFTB soldiers (oc-breeze.com)

About the Author

shelley

Shelley Henderson is a reformed computer and networking geek turned freelance writer. Now she only fixes her own networks and computers. That leaves time for writing, and writing and more writing. And editing the Orange County Breeze. Shelley most enjoys visiting and finding out about local businesses to write business profiles that allow our communities to learn more about their local businesses and the people who own and run them. If you own or manage a business in our coverage area and would like to invite Shelley to write a business profile, let us know.