posted 08-11-2002 09:54 AM            

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





La. West Nile Death Toll Rises to 7
Sat Aug 10,12:13 PM ET
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY, Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The worst outbreak of West Nile virus ( news - web sites) in U.S. history has killed seven people in Louisiana, and Mississippi officials fear a death there may be the eighth linked to the virus this year.

AP Photo

Reuters Photo
Slideshow: West Nile Virus

Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove on Friday declared a state of emergency, clearing the way to seek federal funding to fight the outbreak.

Louisiana, which reported its sixth and seventh West Nile virus deaths on Friday, had already taken that step. The latest victims were identified as a 76-year-old woman who died Aug. 2 and a 94-year-old woman who died on Sunday. Both lived north of New Orleans, across Lake Pontchartrain.

"It looks like a lot of the people who died were elderly people and people with other health problems," said Dr. Raoult Ratard, Louisiana's state epidemiologist.

West Nile virus was first detected in the United States in 1999, when seven people died and 55 others were hospitalized in New York.

With weeks of hot, sticky weather ahead, Louisiana has already equaled the death toll from that outbreak, and there have been 85 confirmed human cases in the state, 59 of them involving encephalitis, a potentially deadly inflammation of the brain.

Officials are still waiting for test results on 90 other blood samples, Ratard said. To get faster results for the most seriously ill, Louisiana plans to test only people who appear to have nervous system infections — meningitis or encephalitis.

In an attempt to stem the spread, Sen. Mary Landrieu ( news, bio, voting record), D-La., said she planned to ask the Air Force next week to send in a special operations squadron to spray insecticide in hard-hit regions. The operations group of the 910th Flight Wing, based in Ohio, specializes in insect control.

Since it appeared in the United States, the virus has been detected in 35 states and Washington.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( news - web sites) report released Thursday said there had been at least 112 human cases of the mosquito-borne virus this year — more than half of them in the past week. After the report was written, human cases were reported in Indiana, Alabama and Washington, D.C. Mississippi has reported 41 human cases, and there have been cases in Texas and Illinois.

Animal cases have spread all the way to western Nebraska.

South Dakota officials said the virus showed up in four pelicans that apparently died of something else. State epidemiologist Lon Kightlinger said it was the first time the disease was found in the big birds in the United States.

The CDC has already given $17 million to states to fight against mosquitoes, but said an additional $10 million will be handed out. About $3.7 million will be earmarked for Louisiana and Mississippi.

Most people bitten by an infected mosquito will suffer no more than flu-like symptoms, but the weak and the elderly can get encephalitis. Officials in a number of states have boosted mosquito-spraying and urged people to protect themselves by using bug repellent and wearing long sleeves.

Encephalitis is usually seen in August and September, but Louisiana's first patients became ill in June. The West Nile virus is showing up earlier as it spreads to warmer climates, according to the CDC.

___

On the Net:

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

Louisiana arbovirus database: http://arbonet.caeph.tulane.edu

Air Force wing: http://www.afrc.af.mil/910AW

< Previous Story Email Story Formatted Story Next Story >

Message Boards: Post/Read Msgs (178 msg Aug 11, 2:40 AM ET)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Top Stories Index Stories
· Report: Saddam Offers to 'Admit Weapons Inspectors'
Sun Aug 11, 7:37 AM ET - (Reuters)
· Homes Lost and Found on Hill Where an Israeli Project Rises
Sun Aug 11, 9:31 AM ET - (The New York Times)
· Osprey just won't fly, critics say
Fri Aug 9, 6:15 AM ET - (USA TODAY)
· Left high and dry.
Sat Aug 10,12:36 PM ET - (U.S. News & World Report)
· Afghans Raid Buildings After Blast
Sun Aug 11, 9:53 AM ET - (AP)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright © 2002 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions or Comments
Privacy Policy -Terms of Service

posted 08-11-2002 11:57 AM            

910th Airlift Wing [910th AW]
Units
757th AS (C-130H2)
773rd AS (C-130H2)
Equipment
16 C-130H2
Base
Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport ARS, OH
Official Homepage
910th Airlift Wing

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The 910th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) unit located at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Vienna, Ohio. It is under the command of 22nd Air Force, Dobbins ARB, GA, and Headquarters AFRC, Robins AFB, GA. In the event of mobilization, the unit would be assigned to the Air Mobility Command, headquartered at Scott AFB, IL.

The 910th Airlift Wing is comprised of three Groups and 1 Medical Unit. The 910th Operations Group is comprised of two flying squadrons, one aerial port unit: and one support unit. The 757th Airlift Squadron, including the only full-time, fixed wing aerial spray mission in the Department of Defense, the 773rd Airlift Squadron, 76th Aerial Port Squadron and the 910th Operations Support Flight. The 910th Logistics Group is assigned two squadrons: the 910th Maintenance Squadron is the largest unit existing on the base and the 910th Logistics Support Squadron. The 910th Support Group is assigned five units: the 910th Mission Support Squadron, 910th Civil Engineer Squadron, 910th Security Forces Squadron, 910th Services Squadron, and 910th Communications Flight. The 910th Medical Squadron falls directly under the direction of the Wing.

The overall mission of the 910th Airlift wing is to ensure the organization and individual members can perform command authority directed taskings in support of national objectives by providing mission ready forces, airlift and aerial spray operations and base operating support.

Additionally, the 910th AW has an Oil Dispersant MOU with the Coast Guard, using the 757th AS's C-130H (four of which are modified to accept the Modular Aerial Spray System(MASS)). The Department of Defense (DoD) tasks the 910th Airlift Wing of the U.S. Air Force Reserve to maintain an aerial spray capability. The Wing is home to the DoD’s only fixed-wing aerial spray unit.

In wartime, the 910th Airlift Wing is to employ the Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft in combat operations of tactical airlift. These operations include low-level infiltration into a combat environment, where aircrews can deliver personnel and materials by airdrop and air-land techniques.

The 910th is authorized 16 Lockheed C-130H2 Hercules transport and cargo aircraft. The 910th Airlift Wing converted from the C-130 Hercules “B” model to the “H” model between August 1990 and April 1991.

Help Support Our Work :: Home :: Sitemap | || WMD :: Military :: Intelligence :: Space

http://198.65.138.161/military/agency/usaf/910aw.htm
Maintained by John Pike
Last Modified: March 03, 2002 - 18:21
Copyright © 2000-2002 GlobalSecurity.org All Rights Reserved

posted 08-11-2002 01:18 PM            

Some of the titles:

CALL FOR AIR FORCE TO HELP FIGHT WEST NILE
I just read where Louisiana Governor has asked the Air Force to spray the citizenry here with insect killing chemical specific for the West Nile Virus emergency we are having down here. In light of the fact that we, here, have been being constantly sprayed from above with the chemtrail solutions/chemicals/contents...I am not at all comfortable with the idea that we may be having "something else" adding to our air "quality" here...

HUMAN GENES KNOCKED OFF DNA MOLECULE BY MALATHION
This 1996 study found that in experiments of human white blood cells
(white blood cells are the back-bone of our immune system) that
malathion was causing "deletions" in one section of the chromosome.
In conclusion the scientists stated,

"This work provides the first evidence of an association between
malathion exposure and specific mutations in human T lymphocytes."

PESTICIDE EXPOSURE Can INCREASE INFECTIONS IN HUMANS
There is now enough solid evidence to state that, in fact, pesticide exposure increases the likelihood of developing bacteria and viral infections.

IF SPRAYINGS OCCURS
then it will continue. The spraying only will kill those mosquitoes alive,
but others are still in different stages ready to hatch.

DUKE UNIVERSITY
... DEET should be used with caution due to its possible damaging effects on brain cells.

IF YOUR SPRAYED
What You Can Do If Aerial or Truck Spraying Occurs Near Your House

Developing.

posted 08-11-2002 10:22 PM            

Pacer I tend to suspect the C-130 more than any other particular plane, as far as the whole chemtrail operations go.

So Pacer you're going to be flying a C-130 Herk?? Interesting. Do you have any Idea why some of the C-130s were outfitted with OH/H2SO4 instruments? How common are C-130? There are some based in almost every state aren't there?

posted 08-12-2002 07:56 AM            

The C-17 can do both missions, although it typically does not operate from unimproved fields because they are still having issues with the landing gear, which can break on unpaved rough fields.

"Pacer I tend to suspect the C-130 more than any other particular plane, as far as the whole chemtrail operations go."

Interesting, considering that not a single photo has ever shown a C-130 spraying anything at altitude, and the unit in PA certainly doesn't have the resources to be creating multiple contrails throughout the country at the same time.

Most C-130s can't get very high. The modified versions like the AC-130 have so much extra weight that they realistically can only reach the lower 20's before maxing out. The newer C-130H3 and C-130J models can reach the high 20s and lower 30s, but in practice they generally don't fly that high. The older C-130E models typically cruise at 18,000-20,000 feet, and the E model is one of the more common types out there.

The primary versions of the C-130 are the C-130E, C-130H and C-130J. Those are called "slick" Herks by the crews because all they do is haul cargo. The C-130 is a very adaptable aircraft. Other versions include the AC-130H and AC-130U gunships, MC-130E Combat Talon I special ops, MC-130H Combat Talon II special ops, MC-130P Combat Shadow helicopter air refueler, LC-130H Antarctic research aircraft, HC-130N and HC-130P rescue Herks (which are all being converted to MC-130P standard since they all do the same mission essentially...refuel rescue helicopters), and the WC-130H and WC-130J weather recon aircraft better known as the "Hurricane Hunters".

I've been aboard several Herks, a C-130H3 from the Kentucky Air Guard, a C-130H2 from the Air Force Reserve, and a WC-130J. I've walked through several other models, including the AC-130U, C-130E and the MC-130H.

posted 08-13-2002 12:12 AM            

If anything, the spraying has a tendency of making the situation worse by decreasing the fish population more than the mosquito population especially if they use "Scourge" that contains Resmethrin which is extremely toxic to fish.

There was such an outrage over the spraying 2 years ago that the City of Stamford bought hundreds of cases of "Deep Woods OFF" mosquito repellant and distributed it to all the emergency medical services including the Fire Departments to hand out to the public.

posted 08-13-2002 10:33 AM            

Apparently insects take many forms. During the Seattle demonstrations against the World Trade Organization in November 1999, CNN reported that a military air unit with pathogen capacity to induce sickness in humans was deployed against the demonstrators.
http://www.columbusalive.com/2002/20020124/012402/01240206.html

The net is a funny thing. I was reminded of this article after these guys...
http://www.ktbs.com/

showed up on my site

looking for this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=AGENT+ORANGE+910TH+AIRLIFT

It looks like Wisequakker and I have pretty much cornered the market on Agent Orange and the 910th Aerial Spray Wing...

C'mon KTBS... get crackin!

posted 08-13-2002 02:26 PM            

La. to Put Up $3.4M to Fight Virus

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BATON ROUGE, La.- Louisiana will match the federal money it is receiving to fight West Nile virus, putting up $3.4 million to combat mosquitoes that spread the infection,
state health officials said Monday.

Eighty-five people have contracted West Nile in Louisiana this year, and seven have died. A total of 135 people have been infected around the country this year, including residents of Mississippi, Texas, Illinois, Alabama and Washington, D.C.

posted 08-13-2002 07:51 PM            

First, they cut-and-paste the articles they were using as source material, but provided no way for you to read either article in their entirety, thus losing the context of those articles.

I did a search for them and couldn't come up with either. However, it does appear that the Columbus Alive writer did take the first article way out of context. This is essentially what the article said, sans the Columbus Alive wording. Words in parantheses are mine:

“Fifteen service members from military installations in Germany and England were at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 8-12 May, learning how to use chemicals to destroy the enemy (NOTICE THEY LEFT OUT WHAT THE ARTICLE MEANS BY "ENEMY")… The seven airmen and eight soldiers learned how to plan, execute and oversee the entire process of applying pesticides by air"

Then they include the snippet “insects with their deadly diseases.”

No where in the quotations does it refer to the enemy as being human. The article could very well (and most likely) have been referring to the "insects with their deadly diseases" as the enemy.

Yet the writer very carefully insinuated that the goal of the training was sinister by adding the pretext "Skeptics who continue to insist the government would never be involved in secret aerial spraying, particularly in Ohio, may want to address their questions to the C-130 aircrews from the 910th Airlift Wing stationed at Youngstown’s Air Reserve Station". Then the writer adds his own words "The press release said the Youngstown air unit will only be used against 'insects with their deadly diseases'". The article very likely never said anything like "we're only going to spray insects, we promise". That quotation was designed to make to government look like it was hiding something.

Next, doing a long search through CNN's archives, and reading every article on the WTO Seattle protests, I could not find the report of an air unit that can deliver pathogens to infect humans. There was ONE article that mentioned the involvement of a few military personnel, but curiously it did not mention this aerial spray unit. It only mentioned the involvement of 27 Air Force special operations personnel, among other branches. The 910th is not a special operations unit, and 27 personnel is hardly enough to support and operate even one C-130 2,000 miles from its home base. The Air Force does have special operations personnel involved in ground combat operations, including special tactics teams that work with SEALs, Rangers and Delta Force.

Typical of the propagandists are the tactics of using small snippets of information, no real link to the source document so people can read it in proper context and its entirety, and the insertion of phrases designed to spin the story into a particular direction.

posted 08-13-2002 08:49 PM            

But of course, you knew that.

Pacer.. I'm not here to dialogue with you. I did not address you nor do I make a point of reading your posts.

It's like walking down the street, talking to a pretty girl, when some deranged crackehead jumps in your face and starts spraying you with diseased mucous and demands for hard currency because his car ran out of gas... only he parked it a mile away... which is why he can't show it to you.

A debate between who has more credibility, Dr. Robert Fitrakis or lying-ass Pacer, is no debate at all. So kindly step back into the gutter and out of the way, son.

People that actually give a damn about the health and welfare of themselves and their community are attempting to have a meaningful discussion. So take a fiver, go get some 'gas' and drive back to the wrong side of the tracks.

If and when I ever feel the need to dialogue with the Flat Earth Society, I'll march myself over to the hoaxers' board and befuddle Uncle Jay until he's reduced to making idle threats of physical violence again.

posted 08-13-2002 10:37 PM            

You seem to have no problem discrediting people who are doctors, yet disagree with your opinions. So don't sit there and tell me that because Fitrakis has the term "Doctor" in front of his name that somehow magically makes him the expert on what the 910th does.

And again, you revert to making me out to be a liar (even though I admitted to using a sketchy source with no documentation, and I apologized for it). It's getting boring, Chem. Everyone knows by now.

I have yet to sum you up as someone spraying "diseased mucous", and it's not because you're a stellar person. It's because slinging mud doesn't get anyone anywhere, except into an internet flaming contest, which I refuse to engage in with you.

The point of my post is that the author of the article took certain snips of info, and pasted them into his own words. He didn't provide any details where we could read these source documents. It's essentially a propaganda piece aimed at causing mistrust towards the military. It's obvious Fitrakis believes chemtrails are a reality. He may even have a deep hatred of the military, I don't know. But the article was hardly fair, and hardly a true representation of the truth.

Just because it's a major news media in a certain city doesn't mean it isn't biased or wrong. Why do you go to "alternative media"? Presumably because you feel the mainstream media is biased. And I've found that most "alternative" news sources were founded by people with strong opinions, and those opinions find their way into the paper, usually to support the political, idealogical or other stance the staff or writer has.

The 910th is not part of a "secret" spray program. It is used to control bugs, primarily in areas hit by disaster, or during emergencies like the West Nile outbreak. There is no evidence to suggest that they spray people, and one unit of C-130s could hardly produce the amount of "chemtrails" being sighted by chemtrail believers...that, and there hasn't been a single photo of a C-130 in the photo archives.

posted 08-14-2002 01:10 AM            

There's nothing 'shady' about Dr. Fitrakis or Columbus Alive. It's your tactics that are getting stale, Cyrano.

Case in point; I never said a damned thing about the 910th being part of a 'secret' spray program. At this point, the idea of aerosol operations being somehow 'secret' is ludicrous. And there is a wealth of documentation supporting the fact that the chemicals the 901st is going to be dispensing over civilian population centers are a health hazard and ultimately ineffective at mosquito control.

This is called precedent. How many times have we heard that the USAF would NEVER spray harmful susbtances on US citizens from the debunkers-of-the-week that have been rotating through this forum since day one? Lay a moutain of evidence on their doorstep to the contrary and they will tell you; "oh, that was during the cold war, things are dIfFeRrEnT now!"

Well, I doubt that the people who may or may not wind up flying these C-130's over Louisiana are espescially interested (one-way or another) in the long-term health effects asscoiated with what is coming out of their nozzles anymore than they are of the aerosol operations (you're proof enough of that, Pacer).

This is simpy what happens when a few stupid politicians decide to have a meeting of the minds with a few ignorant military commanders: cancer-causing chemicals being dumped on american citizens.

I'll be very surprised if this doesn't happen. It's going to provide the Air Force with a very accurate estimate of public reaction to an officialy acknowledged and controversial aerial spray program.

posted 08-14-2002 09:21 AM            

Again, you make it seem I'm just too stupid to realize that pesticides are harmful. Of course they are. Anything that can kill insects probably isn't the best thing to be breathing. But it's a risk evaluation...do we put up with West Nile? Or do we take a chance with small amounts of pesticides? And I say small because the people of Louisiana (my home state) won't be drenched in pesticides. In any event, effective or not, many people support the spraying. Perception is everything out there. I've seen some of the worst environmental blunders made because of public perception.

In any case, the military isn't the worlds only aerial bug sprayer....many communities across the country, especially in places like Florida, hire or own their own pesticide spray aircraft. I know for a fact that New Orleans has an aircraft dedicated to spraying for bugs...it was parked in a hangar a short distance from our Army National Guard hangar.

posted 08-14-2002 06:53 PM            

Another point I wanted to address with Chem11...the pilots certainly do care about the effects of the pesticides...they go through a bunch of certification training on how to handle it and apply it in a consistent manner with minimal impact on the people below and their own health. In fact, the 910th is the only unit that provides federal certification of aerial pesticide spraying. Any federal, state or local agencies that wish to receive federally-approved pesticide application and storage training would have to go to the 910th to receive such training.