PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) — The Department of Defense
assets currently involved in search, security and transportation
operations related to the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia include:

  • * Air Force: C-141 aircraft from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., will be used to transport NASA’s rapid response team from Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

  • * Air Force Reserve: Six F-16 Fighting Falcons from Naval AirStation Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas, will be part of search operations and security.

  • * Coast Guard: 110-foot cutter from Naval Air Station New Orleans; buoy tender and station boat from District 7, based in St. Petersburg, Fla.; patrols in the Gulf of Mexico to check out reports of fallen debris.

  • * Army: Four UH-60 helicopters from Fort Hood, Texas, to assist in search operations.

  • * Navy: Dauphine helicopter from Naval Air Station New Orleans to assist in search operations.

  • * Texas Air National Guard: A C-130 Hercules from NASJRB, Fort Worth, to assist with search operations.

An Air Force Reserve Command HC-130 is on alert here, ready
to respond if needed. The Coast Guard also has two UH-1
helicopters standing by in Corpus Christi, Texas, and a C-130
standing by in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The DOD Manned Space Flight Support Office here is the single
point of contact for coordinating initial DOD contingency
support for the United States’ manned space flight programs.

he Department of Defense
assets currently involved in search, security and transportation
operations related to the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia include: