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Many thanks owed for cleanup

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Almost all physical evidence of the Christmas Eve blizzard has melted. But, heroic stories of those who worked during the snow storm continue to materialize.

On Dec. 24, a snow storm of epic proportions pounded the Oklahoma City metro area. Accumulation at Tinker totaled 6 inches, but racing winds caused a white-out and left snow drifts that were several feet deep. As the storm raged, personnel from several 72nd Mission Support Group units worked around-the-clock to ensure the base remained operational.

"It was a total effort," said Lt. Col. Teresa Forest, 72nd MSG deputy commander. "No one complained about the extra work. It was a pretty heroic effort on their part."

The 72nd Security Forces Squadron personnel may have caught the worst of the storm. Situated at the gates and patrolling the base, they were in the elements, braving the wind, snow and ice.

Senior Airman James Tullis II, 72nd SFS Response Team leader, arrived on base at 5:15 a.m. on Christmas Eve to begin his shift. Because of the holiday agenda, he was scheduled to patrol his assigned area until 6 p.m.

Airman Tullis said he performed patrol duties until he received a call from the control desk that ordered him to stop because of the dangerous conditions. But that didn't stop other drivers from trying to maneuver their way through the elements.

"It was a fairly regular day until the blizzard hit and then it seemed to get a lot worse," he said. "Cars were still trying to drive around, which caused some wrecks and some of them just got stuck in ditches and snow banks."

As the weather worsened several security forces members stopped their everyday operations and dug cars out of snow drifts.

After Airman Tullis' shift ended and he de-armed, he said didn't leave the installation immediately. He finally left at 9:30 p.m., when someone drove him home. Other security forces personnel stayed the night on base. On Christmas day, Airman Tullis returned to work, but didn't make it in until 8:30 a.m.

"One of my cars was stuck on base and the other was barricaded in my garage off-base by snow," Airman Tullis said. "So, I had to walk from Sunnylane Road and Interstate 240."

Cars were eventually moved from Tinker's streets Christmas day.

Lt. Col. Richard Ward, 72nd Contracting Squadron commander, facilitated several telephone calls to have a towing truck, using the vehicle operations contract, on base to clear the emergency routes for snow plows.

"Crews couldn't plow many of the areas because of the abandoned vehicles, so we improvised and had a tow company move the cars to nearby parking lots," said Gene Gallogly, 72nd Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Directorate director. "We didn't impound them and charge folks as they did downtown, but we had to get them out of the way."

Before the snow stopped and cars were cleared, other 72nd MSG units were doing their best to provide for personnel stranded on base during the blizzard.

Debi Tilley, 72nd Force Support Squadron Guest Services manager at the Indian Hills Inn, said she remembered making ketchup and maple-syrup flavored snow cones to entertain the children stuck at the inn, noting the ketchup snow cones didn't taste as good as they looked.

"People obviously were upset because they were stuck; but everybody was stuck," Ms. Tilley said. "We were all kind of in the same boat."

But, they did try to make the best of a bad situation.

"At one point during the evening on Christmas Eve we raided the maintenance department and found all kinds of things you can use to dig because we had limited shovels," Ms. Tilley said. "People were helping each other."

On Christmas Eve night, Ms. Tilley said the inn was at 97 percent capacity. Only five of their 178 available rooms were unoccupied. In addition to guests, TRACE contractors, 72nd SFS and 72nd CE staffers, plus essential personnel used the rooms.

Ms. Tilley said she arrived for her Christmas Eve shift at 4:30 a.m. and worked until about 9 a.m. Christmas day. She was supposed to have left at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 24.

Just west of the inn at Vanwey Dining Facility were personnel who refused to let the weather dampen their Christmas spirit. Approximately 14 employees were stranded at the dining facility and stayed overnight to prepare the traditional feast. Others came in on Christmas Eve, despite the weather, to work their shifts.

"We've never missed a meal," said Barry Henderson, Dale Rogers Training Center Food Service manager. "And, we served more than 600 people on Christmas day."

Mr. Henderson arrived for work at 7:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve and left at 11:30 a.m. Christmas day. Had the storm not struck, he said he would have left at 4 p.m. on Dec. 24.