Oct. 28 (UPI) — The U.S. military has evacuated about 1,000 nonessential residents from the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay in anticipation of the powerful Hurricane Melissa advancing through the Caribbean Tuesday.
More than 1,000 non-essential military personnel, along with their families and pets flew to the Naval Air Station Pensacola in the days leading up to the hurricane’s arrival, USNI News reported.
To prepare for the influx of military personnel, Pensacola’s Fleet and Family Support Center opened its Emergency Family Assistance Center on Saturday to connect them with lodging, essential supplies and other resources, according to a Navy press statement. Moving the non-essential personnel to Pensacola will minimize operations during the hurricane and make recovery easier after it passes, according to the statement. .
“The sailors and civilian employees here are dedicated and adaptable, making sure they accomplish our Navy mission -and right now that’s taking care of our Navy family from Guantanamo Bay,” NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Chandra Newman said in the statement…