Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...

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11 years 6 months ago #25422 by faawrenchbndr
Replied by faawrenchbndr on topic Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...
Darn good to hear from ya.......

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11 years 6 months ago - 11 years 6 months ago #25423 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...

LebbenB wrote: First, appreciate all the concerned posts in this thread even the attempts at humor. If you can't laugh in the face of adversity then you don't have a sense of humor.

All the tornadoes hit way north of my location so Casa Lebben is just fine, though my grass could use cutting.

I just couldn't seem to slow down. When things were winding down for the Moore OK push, Yukon gets hit and the relief push starts all over again. The hardest thing about Moore was finding a place to unload all the supplies. The locality was slow to form one. Once I had a yard established there, everything went much faster.

Yukon was much easier in several respects. One of my friends in Yukon owns a quarter section near there and let us use it as a yard to establish a log base so folks affected by the tornado could come by and get supplies - water, canned goods, tarps and tentage. For the first few days after Moore and then Yukon, we set up a couple of big grills so folks could get a hot A. Many of the locals not affected by the storm were bringing over hot chow once they heard what we were doing. I was really surprised at all help and aid folks were willing to give in such short order. As donations were trailing off for Moore, it surged again when Yukon got hit.

Things began to wind down last Saturday. Most folks had found a place to stay and the state and fed have started the clean up. Job done, right? NOT! I've got a LONG schedule of appointments to brief everybody from the City of Lawton to FEMA on why our private relief effort was so successful. Today the owner and I have to go to OKC and brief OK Department of Public Safety (OK Highway Patrol), tomorrow is Ft Sill. And the list goes on.

I really appreciate all the words of support and friendship from y'all. I'm honored to call y'all my friends - though I don't think I could pick any of you out of a line-up, LOL.

I'm tired...But it's time to get on the road to OKC.

I faced a lot of adversity in my life and were it not the ability to smile, laugh and keep on pushing I would have never had made it thru...glad you have a sense of humor and glad you made it thru :twothumbs:

Private efforts will outperform most govt efforts most of the time. The govt solution is to hire more staff, more chiefs, less indians, punch in at 0800, punch out at 5. Private efforts succeed because of people like you who are focused on the results being successful, whereas the govt is only focused on the process. Good results = job finished and there goes the expense acct pay, overtime pay and back to the office.

Keep up the fight... :twothumbs:

Do you know where Custer Ok is? Is it close to you? If so shoot me a PM you may be able to help me out or provide some advice...
Last edit: 11 years 6 months ago by OleCowboy.

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11 years 6 months ago #25425 by LebbenB
Replied by LebbenB on topic Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...
Eating breakfast in OKC.

In the FEMA and local Emergency plans there is no branch in the tree that takes into account a response like yours,


I agree. But I caught a couple of breaks - I knew folks in the OHP and one of the local FEMA guys was in my company at Sill prior to both of us retiring, so I had an "in" there as well.

I had the assets on hand to move a lot of shiite quickly. I also leveraged the large Veteran community here in and around Ft Sill and they had contacts that let us get support forward to where it was needed.

I had former 92-series guys and gals running my lot, organizing donations and getting them "packaged" for shipment. Many of the volunteer drivers were veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, so they understood convoy ops. Getting stuff there was easy.

Interfacing with OHP was pretty easy too. When I brought a list of convoy serials and their loads, I thought the local OHP/DPS manager was going to have an orgasm. They helped a lot when it came to route planning into Moore. Because the devastation was more spread out getting into Yukon was MUCH easier.

So I had a lot of help from some unexpected corners. I was surprised at the help from the Veteran community. As one wounded Warrior said, "This is like Tampa (MSR Tampa extended from Mosul to Basra in Iraq), only without all the IEDs and TICs."

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11 years 6 months ago #25430 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...
:usa: Great to hear from you Leb! I hope you can make all the government types understand what it takes to deliver in these situations, they are lucky to have you!
That Airborne modesty shows through loud and clear as you explain how everyone else made it happen, YOU sir are a patriot and a true American hero! Thank You :usa:

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11 years 6 months ago #25455 by Sharkey
Replied by Sharkey on topic Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...
Not much to say Lebben. Just GREAT job and great hearing from you. Do us all a favor and try to at LEAST say your are ok once in a while in case, God forbid, you are mobilized again.

Our prayers, as always, are with you, your family and those affected by these storms and tragedies.

Sharkey

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11 years 6 months ago #25469 by LebbenB
Replied by LebbenB on topic Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...

God forbid, you are mobilized again.

It sure felt like I'd gotten mobilized, LOL. But I'd do it again, if I had to.

The briefing this morning went well (Plenty of coffee and donuts. Cops being cops, after all.) A lot of discussion about convoy ops and route planning, they liked how I had a loop set up so that as soon as a truck was unloaded it didn't waste time turning around, it simply drove out to the access road and back onto the highway rolling south for another run (A former MP provided that idea). Also talked at length about site build-up: organizing supplies once they're on the ground, manning requirements, security requirements, and recovery of assets when they're no longer needed.
The following user(s) said Thank You: jtallen83

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11 years 6 months ago #25514 by Sharkey
Replied by Sharkey on topic Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...
I'm guessing the the man upstairs knew JUST who to have available when the time came... :)

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11 years 6 months ago #25526 by LebbenB
Replied by LebbenB on topic Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...
I don't know about all that...I was given the mission by the owner of my dealership and I executed to the best of my meager ability.

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11 years 6 months ago #25539 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...

LebbenB wrote: I don't know about all that...I was given the mission by the owner of my dealership and I executed to the best of my meager ability.

"Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid, one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory."
Douglas MacArthur
Lebben, you are the man! Your abilities are far from meager, your humility is that of a true hero. You're the son that MacArthur was asking for! Airborne! :usa:

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11 years 6 months ago #25540 by LebbenB
Replied by LebbenB on topic Updates from Lebben and other disaster zones...
I ain't a hero. I know a few though...

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