Two twin nuns and their pet parrot walk off a plane. What has the beginnings of a humorous tale is really a story that ends with a glimpse of hope. 

The nuns and their feathered pet were victims of Hurricane Katrina. Like thousands of other survivors, they were rescued after the storm and evacuated to nearby states offering refuge. They were part of a group of more than 400 survivors who arrived at Biggs Army Airfield at Ft. Bliss, Texas, where victims were registered with the American Red Cross, given food and water, and transported to a local shelter. 

Most of the people stepping off the plane were only able to salvage a few personal items and their beloved pets. 

“It was like Noah’s ark. It was all these people had,” said Rafael Dejesus, a Raytheon Technical Services Company (RTSC) program manager who was on hand with a large number of military, medical, fire, rescue and volunteer crews working together to help the victims of Katrina.

RTSC, which provides logistics support to Ft. Bliss, aided Katrina relief efforts by keeping operations at Biggs Field running 24 hours a day. Employees worked extra shifts receiving planes, transporting victims and supporting ground crews. 

Chuck Dillard, RTSC’s unit movements branch manager, had a team of more than 30 people on hand, doing everything from stocking planes with supplies for relief missions to escorting victims through triage.  

RTSC also supported the activation and deployment of 380 New Mexico National Guard soldiers who were sent to New Orleans to focus on security and force protection. 

“It was a stressful weekend, but it was nothing like what these people were going through,” Dillard says. “We were just glad that we could do our part to help.”  

Employees also organized the distribution of hundreds of cots to local shelters, ensuring that victims were as comfortable as possible despite their displacement. 

Overall, the rescue operations were flawless. “It was truly a joint effort between local responders, volunteers and personnel on base,” says Vic Elsinger, director of logistics at Ft. Bliss. “We had it down to a science.” 

The organization of the base operations seemed to be the exact opposite of the chaos that the Katrina victims had endured. 

As the Katrina survivors deplaned, the nuns’ pet parrot sang the first few verses of God Bless America. Katrina may have flooded their city, but it did not dampen their spirits.

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