Aviation support
Lt. Darren Hinds, an instructor for the USC Naval ROTC and navy helicopter pilot, was deeply affected by the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and knew his experience in aviation, search, rescue, and logistics could be of immediate assistance to the rescue mission.

“I have evacuated coastal areas because of hurricanes several times. Sometimes, the news coverage led me to believe my town was severely damaged, but I would return to see very little damage,” Hinds said. “As the destruction in New Orleans became more apparent, I realized that this was not the case with Katrina. When the estimates of people who remained in New Orleans drastically increased, I realized that forces in the region would need additional assistance.”

After making a few phone calls, Hinds discovered that Joint Task Force Katrina, headquartered in Atlanta, could use the support of an officer with his aviation background and technical expertise. Hinds has considerable experience operating in forward-deployed areas around the world, attached to naval warships.

“There is nothing quite like flying off the back of a rocking ship, fighting high winds, wearing night vision goggles on a pitch black night. At times, I almost miss it,” Hinds said.

For Joint Task Force (JTF) Katrina, however, Hinds remained on the ground, working directly with Army and Air Force pilots. In a position manned 24 hours a day, with 13-hour overlapping shifts, Hinds and another officer helped resolve problems experienced by units with helicopter assets during a crucial week of rescue and relief operations.

“We are very proud of Darren,” said Capt. James Kruse, a professor of Naval Science at USC. “He was determined to help and was persistent in seeking a way in which his unique experience as a search and rescue pilot could make a difference to the hurricane victims. The folks at JTF Katrina really appreciated his support and hated to see him return to USC.”

Working fall break
More than 100 USC students traveled to Biloxi, Miss., where they spent their fall break working in communities recovering from Hurricane Katrina. The 107 slots for the service trip filled 50 minutes after the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership began accepting applications Sept.21.

"Students are eager to be actively involved in helping with hurricane relief efforts," said Kelley Cox, president of the Carolina Service Council. "The University and we, as students, are deeply concerned about the welfare of citizens who have been affected by this terrible disaster. I know the hard work that USC students provided will be invaluable to our neighbors in Mississippi."

The group stayed at the Salvation Army headquarters, a baseball stadium in Biloxi that has been furnished with cots and tents.

"The students met, listened, and prepared for the trip, understanding the importance of what they did," said Clay Bolton, director of USC's Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.

USC engineering professor Charles Pierce and three civil engineering students went on the trip to conduct research on the complications and logistical challenges of rebuilding. Several USC students from the Gulf Coast area returned to the region for the first time since Katrina hit.

USC Salkehatchie effort
The USC Salkehatchie Campus Student Government Association and Salkehatchie Indians Baseball team joined forces in September to raise money for the Hurricane Katrina relief fund. They raised more than $1,000 for the fund with a car wash and two campus cookouts as students, faculty, and staff made donations.

Medical assistance
Faculty, staff, and students in the School of Medicine volunteered their time locally and in the Gulf. Their efforts include:

• Eight members from the class of 2006 Masters of Nurse Anesthesia Program traveled to Biloxi, Miss., where they relieved overworked members of the nursing staff at Biloxi Regional Medical Center.
  
• Many internal medicine department faculty and residents worked locally at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport and the University’s relief center on Pickens Street. Paul Eleazer, director of the Division of Geriatrics, and Karen Barnard, Department of Internal Medicine, coordinated the efforts.
  
• Craig Stuck, a faculty member in the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, provided psychiatric services for hurricane victims in Mississippi. The department also coordinated resident and faculty participation in providing psychiatric services at the processing center for Katrina Evacuees. The resident clinics of the department took both adult and child referrals from the center for outpatient psychiatric services.
  
• First-, second-, third-, and fourth-year medical students volunteered their time to help evacuees at the Columbia airport, Family Medicine, the University Primary Care Center, at the processing center on Pickens Street. Students also sponsored a peanut butter food drive with Harvest Hope Food Bank, a clothing drive, and a cash collection for the American Red Cross. The students include Chad Bevin, Elizabeth Boggs, Katherine Campbell, Ross Goshorn, Susie Hagen, Naomi Hill, Megan Jordan, Philip Keith, Cathleen Kouvolo, Jon Macon, Garrick Messer, Brett Murphy, Beth Nielsen, Jessica Parker, Courtney Riley, Sarah Ruggerio (a New Orleans native), Ian Scharer, Daniel Smith, Krystal Southerlin, Brannon Traxler, and Patrick Ware.
  
• Staff members of the Center for Disability Resources in the School of Medicine worked at the processing center assisting persons with disabilities that were evacuated from Louisiana to Columbia. Their efforts included facilitating services through the S.C. Commission for the Blind and school placement for a 5-year-old who is blind and has developmental disabilities.
  

10/05