Airmen assist in community cleanup after storm

Aircrew members from the 335th Fighter Squadron assist Willie Sparks in the removal of a tree that damaged the roof of his house in the community of Goldsboro, N.C., Aug. 30, 2011. Twenty-one members from the 335th FS from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base worked much of their morning cleaning yards of four families affected by the storm. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rae Perry /Released)

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Airmen assist in community cleanup after storm

Capt Mark Prusinowski uses a chainsaw to trim a downed tree in the community of Goldsboro, N.C., Aug. 30, 2011. The storm left many residents without power and fallen trees were the cause of most structural damage. Prusinowski, 335th Fighter Squadron pilot from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, is a native of Phoenix. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rae Perry /Released)

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Airmen assist in community cleanup after storm

Aircrew members from the 335th Fighter Squadron work to remove debris from a tree that struck the house of Willie and Darlene Sparks after Hurricane Irene roared through Goldsboro, N.C., Aug. 30, 2011. The Sparks family worked alongside the members of the 335th FS from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base to clean up their storm ravaged yard. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rae Perry /Released)

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Airmen assist in community cleanup after storm

Capt. Taylor Francis trims a tree limb down to a manageable size for removal in the community of Goldsboro, N.C., Aug. 30, 2011. Airmen from various units on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base banded together to help their community recover from Hurricane Irene. Francis, 335th FS weapons system officer, is a native of Manteo, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rae Perry /Released)

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Airmen assist in community cleanup after storm

Capt. Crystal Kirkley places debris in a wheelbarrow for removal in the Goldsboro area Aug. 30, 2011. The 335th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., volunteered to aid the community after Hurricane Irene toppled trees and caused power outages across eastern N.C. Kirkley, 335th FS weapons system officer, hails from Riverside, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rae Perry /Released)

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Airmen assist in community cleanup after storm

Capt. Matt Bar tosses a branch after cutting it from a larger limb at a resident?s yard in the community of Goldsboro, N.C., Aug. 30, 2011. When Hurricane Irene?s outer bands hit the community near Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., it was a category one storm dumping close to 10 inches of rain with sustained winds of 34 mph and gusts up to 48 mph. Bar, 335th FS pilot, is a native of Brunswick, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rae Perry /Released)

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Airmen assist in community cleanup after storm

Capt. Taylor Francis removes a tree branch from a yard of a Goldsboro, N.C., resident Aug. 30, 2011. A group of 21 officers from the 335th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., aided the community after Lt. Col. David Moeller, 335th FS commander, first contacted a church group offering assistance to anyone in the local area. Francis, 335th FS weapons system officer, is a native of Manteo, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rae Perry /Released)

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Airmen assist in community cleanup after storm

Published Sept. 1, 2011
By Senior Airman Rae Perry
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Airmen traded in their flight suits, aircraft and weapons for rakes, limb trimmers and chainsaws to help Goldsboro residents clean up after the recent hurricane.

Twenty-one aircrew members from the 335th Fighter Squadron volunteered help the local community recover from Hurricane Irene, Aug. 30, 2011.

"We all came out here today and realized how everyone has their own story of their needs," said Capt. Melissa Smith, 335th Fighter Squadron flight commander. "It's a great opportunity to find people who need help and be able to provide them with that support."

While removing tree limbs and debris from the yard of a stroke victim, Airmen took a look around the community and saw the need for assistance.

"We talked to Mrs. Frazier, the stroke victim, and had a plan to be out here to help her out and that was as far as it went," said Capt. Taylor Francis, coordinator for the event. "Cleaning her yard went quicker than expected so we started moving throughout the community offering to help anyone that needed it."

During the morning the 21 aircrew members assisted in cleaning up the yards of three other families, including two retired military households.

"I was on Facebook asking for folks to come help," said Darlene Sparks, a Goldsboro resident and spouse of a retired military member. "I don't normally do that, and then I heard a knock on the door offering assistance and my heart just dropped."

The Sparks family recently lost a family member and had to wait out the storm before laying her to rest. When Hurricane Irene hit, it toppled a few trees in their yard, one of which hit and damaged the roof of their house. Airmen were able to remove the tree to make room for repairs.

"It feels great to help out the community before our deployment," Francis explained. "Seymour Johnson is an intricate part of Goldsboro and the two have a very symbiotic relationship. They both benefit from one another and so to be able to give back to the community, who supports us and has given us so much as the 335th Fighter Squadron and the 4th Fighter Wing, it's a great feeling."

Airmen from the 335th will be deploying to Afghanistan in a few weeks to provide air support for the troops on the ground.

"I just want to thank the service members, not just for what they did today, but what they do every day," Sparks said. "I'm the daughter and spouse of military members; I know what sacrifices you make."