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Turns out that even in the face of unmitigated disaster and tragedy, good men can still step up — and with some humor in their hearts, as well.
As the American southeast continues to grapple with the debilitating aftermath of Hurricane Helene, many eyes have turned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to see how the government organization would respond to this catastrophe.
Helene’s damage was a multi-state affair, starting in Florida and moving up the east coast through Georgia and Tennessee, ending up in North Carolina.
And it’s in the Tar Heel State that this story of good men with a sense of humor originates.
Compounding matters, the scrutinized FEMA appears too overwhelmed to offer consistent, expedited assistance to the swathes of Americans who need it.
Money and other issues appear to have hamstrung the government arm — prompting everyday Americans to pick up the slack.
Which brings this story back to North Carolina, where a group described by the New York Post as a “homegrown rescue and supply operation” is doing what FEMA is apparently incapable of doing.
The operation is running out of a Harley-Davidson dealership and is being overseen by people with some impressive military backgrounds.
Take retired Green Beret Adam Smith, for instance, who had a biting two-word response when asked by the Post about FEMA.
“Who’s FEMA?” Smith responded.
A clearly unsatisfied Smith added, “This disaster has definitively proven without a shadow of a doubt FEMA’s incompetence and incapability.”
Smith and crew are reportedly using “a fleet of 35 helicopters that have flown hundreds of rescue, reconnaissance and resupply sorties.” The aircraft are privately owned.
The Post noted that FEMA arrived nearly a week after a storm that had killed at least 232 people — with nearly half of that total coming from North Carolina.
While these men are operating with deadly efficiency — as is warranted — they’re also doing so with a smile on their faces, mostly due to the nickname bestowed upon the group.
While referred to by some as the “Savage Freedoms Relief Operation,” Smith and others enjoy a different name given to the outfit: the “Redneck Air Force.”
Of course, the “Redneck Air Force” is hardly the only civilian-run operation doing charitable work.