Military Personnel Helping with Irma Relief; National Guard to Reopen Airport.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These are storms of catastrophic severity. And we're marshalling the full resources of the federal government to help our fellow Americans in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and all of those wonderful places and states in harm's way.</s>KING: That was President Trump this morning pledging resources to help those impacted by hurricane now Tropical Storm Irma. That includes the United States military. More than 10,000 military personnel now already engaged in the response to the storm. Barbara Starr joins us now live from the Pentagon. Barbara, walk us through what the military is doing to help deal with the impact of Irma.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Sure, John. You know, most of these are National Guard activated by the governor at this point. But what is taking shape behind the scenes is the possibility of a very significant military operation, in fact, involving the Pentagon. The Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln and several other ships have now arrived and are arriving shortly off the coast of Florida and getting ready to hopefully start operations to help in southern Florida and in the Florida Keys. Let me pause and remind everyone. The U.S. military, of course, never would just march into some community in the United States. It has to all be worked through the governor, state, and local authorities to offer that military assistance and to have it approved by state and local authorities. It's expected that that will come, final signature on the dotted line not just yet. But everyone's looking towards that. And what we are looking at is dozens of helicopters off of these ships beginning to start aid flights into these areas, bringing in whatever is needed, food, water, supplies. There are hundreds of military medical personnel on stand-by. That can bring them into these areas, especially down in The Keys, to help with hospitals and medical care, perhaps not being available there for some time until power is restored and things can get back moving. Now, these ships themselves are already running into heavy seas and high winds, but they are expected to be on station off southern Florida ready to begin operations as soon as later today. In the Caribbean island, the U.S. military is wrapping up an effort, we're told, to evacuate Americans out of the Virgin Islands. They've already evacuated about 2,000 American citizens out of there. They expect to finish up that part of the operation as soon as today. All attention now on southern Florida and the Florida Keys to see where the military can work with the state and local authorities and step in. They are even looking at the prospect of opening up some small air fields in southern Florida so they can get closer to where people need the help and get it to them even faster. John.</s>KING: Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon. A reminder of the diversity of the missions faced by the men and women of the armed services. Barbara, appreciate it very much. And as members of the National Guard jump in to help those in need, listen here, listen to this guardsman describe conditions while trying to rescue Florida residents whose homes were flooding.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had our trucks. They were -- they were overflowing and we couldn't even get further back there.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How were you able to get the families out? You use the boats?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got out on foot.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On foot?</s>KING: Joining us on the phone now, Senior Master Sergeant Nick Seibel. He's with Oregon's Air National Guard. He's at Hurlburt Air Base in Florida. Arrived shortly before Irma hit. Senior Master Sergeant, just start -- tell me, what's mission number one today?</s>SR. MASTER SGT. NICK SEIBEL, OREGON AIR NATIONAL GUARD (via telephone): Well, first off, John, thanks for having me talk today. And our thoughts and prayers are with the people in the path of Hurricane Irma. Right now we -- this -- early this morning, about 6:00 Central Time, we sent out two California helicopters with a C1-30 (ph) in trail, giving it gas while in flight to get an airfield team and a rescue team on the ground at Marathon Airport to do an assessment and make communications with the county emergency manager and start reaching back via satellite communications due to all of these cell networks and landlines currently being down back there. So they are routing all of that information of the critical needs of all of these medical supplies, food, water, shelter, gas, all of that stuff is being routed through us at this operations center here in Hurlburt Field. And we are working diligently to get all of this stuff ready to help those people out. Our airfield team down there is currently doing an assessment of Marathon and helping the -- what we have right now, the report is roughly 150 firefighters and our guys down there are clearing the airfield of debris and getting it ready to receive, whether it be military aircraft or civilian aircraft, to bring in all these much needed supplies for the people that are affected.</s>KING: And do you have any sense, both Marathon and Key West Airports on your mission list, any sense of when they will be ready?</s>SEIBEL: Well, we've got the initial reports that they should be ready to receive aircraft in the next couple of minutes, whether it be 15 or 30 minutes. We are still waiting to make communications with the Federal Aviation Administration to make sure they are ready to start receiving aircraft at those locations.</s>KING: That's quick progress. We applaud the work. And when you -- you mentioned getting in, maybe it's medical supplies, maybe it's food and water. From the radio traffic this morning, what's the greatest need and where?</s>SEIBEL: Well, it's -- just to be from the reporters that we got, to the north of the southernmost key, from mile marker pretty much 10 to mile marker 50, they are in serious need of -- we've gotten a request for some antibiotics, IV fluids and starter kits, gas and diesel, some highly trained paramedics and some palettes of food, water, and other humanitarian supplies.</s>KING: Senior master sergeant, you're from the Oregon Air National Guard. Do you have any hurricane experience in the past or is this a first?</s>SEIBEL: Well, to be honest with you, about a week ago I was in Houston for Harvey.</s>KING: What's the biggest difference?</s>SEIBEL: Well, I think, you know, the biggest difference in this one is there's a lot more debris and damage that we are helping take care of. And last week it was obviously just the volume of water that was coming on the mainland.</s>KING: And you mentioned the two helicopters up this morning. They're available for search and rescue? Is that the idea? Or just from whatever you get incoming for request for need?</s>SEIBEL: So right now they are working with the county emergency manager and they are providing search and rescue operations from about that mile marker 10 to mile marker 50. So they have para rescue men on board their aircraft that have the ability to be hoisted down to any person that is in need and access their situation and either hoist the affected personnel to safety or help coordinate whatever they need at that location.</s>KING: Senior Master Sergeant Nick Seibel of the Oregon Air National Guard. Sir, thank you for your service and thank you for everything you're doing. It's a tough story when you see these pictures of all the destruction and the like, but it's also heartwarming to hear people volunteering and you're doing military service down there and helping people out. Please thank everybody involved with your operation down there and keep in touch as we go through. And before we go to break, millions of Floridians without power. But one of the companies responsible for restoring it says they're going to unprecedented lengths to get the lights back on.</s>ROBERT GOULD, VICE PRESIDENT, FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY: We've got an army of 17,000 restoration workers, the largest we believe in U.S. history. On the west coast, with all what we've seen, we're literally talking about a rebuild that could take weeks.