Base to send water filtration to Haiti

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (KRQE) - Preparations are underway at Holloman Air Force Base outside Alamogordo, N.M., as crews work to prepare equipment headed to help in Haiti.

Two remote-piloted aircraft have already been shipped from Holloman to the earthquake-devastated country to help provide surveillance.

Holloman crews have been making final preparations to four enormous water filtration systems, and plan to ship four more soon.

"We process anywhere from 20 to 28 gallons per minute," said Staff Sgt. Jay Wright, a utility systems craftsman at Holloman. "At its minimum it should be pushing 30,000 gallons a day."

The filtration systems can purify nearly any kind of water, as long as it's not filled with oil, chlorine or radioactive material.

A handful of airmen will deploy with the equipment, including Tech. Sgt. Emmanuel Lopez.

"It's kind of difficult to explain what's going through my mind, just trying to stay calm and focused on the mission, so when we get out there, we can make it happen," he said.

Holloman will also ship out a mobile base, complete with everything needed to house over 150 troops.

Officials at the base expect the cargo and airmen to deploy within the next few days.

One commander said it's expected the teams leaving Holloman will be in Haiti for four to six months.