910 AW launches aerial spray mission against pesky mosquitoes in east Texas

A roadside area between Angleton and Lake Jackson here, Sept, 13, 2017, still shows the after effects of Hurricane Harvey. The devastating storm came ashore in eastern Texas and pounded the area with unrelenting rainfall with caused widespread flooding. Due to large amounts of standing, polluted water, the numbers of pest insects are increasing significantly. This situation 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 Air Force Reserve’s 910th Airlift Wing, based at Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, to use its unique aerial spray capability to treat potentially millions of affected acres for mosquito control purposes. 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. More than 90 Reserve Citizen Airmen are working from a base of operations at the Kelly Field Annex, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas to support the ongoing mosquito control operations. Since Sept. 8, 2017, modified 910th C-130H Hercules aircraft have treated more than 1.4 million acres of affected area in eastern Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Bob Barko Jr.)