910th launches mission against mosquitos in Harvey's wake

Air Force Reserve Maj. Steve Stroney (center), a pilot assigned to the 910th Airlift Wing’s 757th Airlift Squadron (AS) based at Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, reviews a flight chart with 757th AS navigator Lt. Col. Jeff Shaffer (left) and 757th AS pilot Lt. Col. Frank Galati (right) during pre-flight preparations at the Operations Building at Kelly Field Annex here, Sept. 9, 2017. Stroney, the 910th’s Chief of Aerial Spray, Shaffer and Galati, both Aerial Spray-qualified air crew members, are among nearly 80 Reserve Citizen Airmen supporting the 910th’s mosquito control aerial spray operations over areas of eastern Texas devastated by Hurricane Harvey. The 910th Airlift Wing operates the Department of Defense’s only aerial spray capability to control pest insect populations, eliminate undesired and invasive vegetation and disperse oil spills in large bodies of water. Due to large amounts of standing, polluted water, the numbers of pest insects that can transmit diseases are increasing significantly. This situation poses a potential health risk to residents of eastern Texas and is impacting first responders and recovery workers as clean-up and repair efforts continue. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) have requested the support of the 910th to treat potentially millions of affected acres. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Bob Barko Jr.)