AUGUST 27, 2024 — An Arizona Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew evacuated 104 Havasupai tribal community members and tourists from Supai village in a flood-response mission Aug. 23-24, 2024.
“State missions are what we are here for,” said Staff Sgt. Louis Mirabelli, a flight medic and civilian firefighter. “They give us [Guardsmen] the opportunity to serve our communities and, for me and many of my medic buddies, the opportunity to utilize our civilian-trained skill set in bigger ways.”
Mirabelli joined in 2017 after learning from his firefighter coworkers that his training could be put to greater use. Since joining, Mirabelli has done just that — serving on the state COVID response mission, fire response effort, and overseas, deploying to Kosovo.
On Aug. 23, Coconino County and the Havasupai tribe asked the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to begin evacuating those stuck in Grand Canyon National Park and Havasupai Falls.
“I got the call that we needed a crew to support,” said Sgt. 1st Class Gabe Bofman, crew chief. “I was supposed to be on leave, but when there is a call for help, I couldn’t turn that down.”
Bofman was on paternity leave. “My wife is supportive and understands,” he said. “I couldn’t help my community without her support.”
Aircrew staffing and flight plans were complete Aug. 23 when the mission came to an unexpected halt.
“That’s the frustrating part of our job and for those expecting support,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Symmes, pilot in command. “There are so many moving pieces to an operation. There are times when we have to stop and make sure we are taking the right steps. The last thing we need is to put evacuees and our crew at risk.”
After coordination with partners and the official go to begin, the aircrew arrived in Supai village for their first pick-up at about 7:30 p.m. They evacuated 44 people by the UH-60 in four aircraft lifts that night. Over 60 people remained in Supai village overnight.
“Crew rest had to be considered. We are trained and proficient in our night tasks, but rest is necessary to keep our skills sharp and everyone safe,” said Maj. Neal Jelsma, copilot. “While we wish we could have continued, we couldn’t risk our passengers’ safety.”
The next morning, evacuees stood eagerly awaiting their turn to depart. They cheered after Mirabelli’s safety brief and throughout the morning as people were secured in their seats and again as they departed the aircraft.
By Saturday afternoon, the 60 additional people were evacuated from Supai village.
DEMA was just one of many players in the multi-agency rescue and evacuation effort. The teamwork and coordination reflect how local, tribal, state and federal resources strengthen crisis response.
By Maj. Erin Hannigan, Arizona National Guard Public Affairs