Turns out that even in the face of unmitigated disaster and tragedy, good men can still step up — and with some humor in their hearts, as well.
As the American southeast continues to grapple with the debilitating aftermath of Hurricane Helene, many eyes have turned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to see how the government organization would respond to this catastrophe.
Helene’s damage was a multi-state affair, starting in Florida and moving up the east coast through Georgia and Tennessee, ending up in North Carolina.
And it’s in the Tar Heel State that this story of good men with a sense of humor originates.
Asheville, North Carolina, continues to grapple with the cataclysmic fallout from Helene, with much of the city still looking like a ravaged war zone, weeks after the devastating storm hit.
“I’ve never seen devastation like this.” Cars and trucks were tossed around like toys in Asheville, North Carolina, after catastrophic flooding from Helene. pic.twitter.com/4wA33g7VLB
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) September 30, 2024
Compounding matters, the scrutinized FEMA appears too overwhelmed to offer consistent, expedited assistance to the swathes of Americans who need it.
Money and other issues appear to have hamstrung the government arm — prompting everyday Americans to pick up the slack.
Is FEMA incompetent?
Which brings this story back to North Carolina, where a group described by the New York Post as a “homegrown rescue and supply operation” is doing what FEMA is apparently incapable of doing.
The operation is running out of a Harley-Davidson dealership and is being overseen by people with some impressive military backgrounds.
Take retired Green Beret Adam Smith, for instance, who had a biting two-word response when asked by the Post about FEMA.
“Who’s FEMA?” Smith responded.
A clearly unsatisfied Smith added, “This disaster has definitively proven without a shadow of a doubt FEMA’s incompetence and incapability.”
Smith and crew are reportedly using “a fleet of 35 helicopters that have flown hundreds of rescue, reconnaissance and resupply sorties.” The aircraft are privately owned.
The Post noted that FEMA arrived nearly a week after a storm that had killed at least 232 people — with nearly half of that total coming from North Carolina.
Special ops vets form homegrown ‘Redneck Air Force’ to ferry aid into NC mountains after feds come up short: ‘Who’s FEMA?’ https://t.co/O7L2NncY2y pic.twitter.com/g2NbBp0w9s
— New York Post (@nypost) October 7, 2024
While these men are operating with deadly efficiency — as is warranted — they’re also doing so with a smile on their faces, mostly due to the nickname bestowed upon the group.
While referred to by some as the “Savage Freedoms Relief Operation,” Smith and others enjoy a different name given to the outfit: the “Redneck Air Force.”
Of course, the “Redneck Air Force” is hardly the only civilian-run operation doing charitable work.
Retired NASCAR star Greg Biffle was lauded for piloting aid to people in need with his own “ceaseless heroic efforts.”
FEMA or no, the American spirit of camaraderie is alive and well, if men like Biffle and Smith are anything to go by.
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