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Show LIFETIMES 23 H.!!top Times Aug. 2, 1991 Many kinds of evacuees flee Philippines by MSfit. David G. Jones Air Force News Service ANDERSEN AFB, Guam-Wh- en she left Clark Air Base in the Philippines recently, she had no idea when she'd see her family again. And as she journeyed back home to the United States, with stops at Subic Bay Naval Station and Cebu, she saw things that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Lots of things were on young Maggie's mind as she passed the hours. If only she could tell someone. The reason she couldn't is because Maggie is a Doberman mix. Sixty-fivpounds of love with warm brown eyes, a cold black nose and a tail that slaps loudly on the sides of her temporary home for anyone with a kind word. She is one of more than 1,100 special evacuees who escaped the devastation wrought by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo during the early morning hours of June 10. A hastily assembled team of veterinary experts and scores of .Guam-basemilitary people service have pressed to representing every military ensure every pet is reunited with its family. To do this, the animals are housed in a temporary quarantine facility erected over what once was a baseball field on this sprawling base turned evacuation center for thousands of military members, their families and family pets. Dozens of caring people are at the core of the operation's success. "The support we've received has been great," said Lt. CoL Daniel DeGracia, 633rd Air Base Wing Medical Group commander. "We have Marine guards and Navy people from the Naval Air Station Agana, a number of Army specialists and large numbers of people from the 633rd ABW who have organized the logistics and planning. We also have more than 20 volunteers who have come here on their own who just love animals or who want to help out." Key to the operation, according to the colonel, are three veterinary physicians helping out during the e d crisis. One of these is Army Capt. Crystal Briscoe, commander of the veterinary detachment on Guam. The veterinarian operates a small medical clinic at the Agana Naval Base and another at Andersen AFB. "We only had about eight hours notice before the first animals arrived from the Philippines," Briscoe said. "In the beginning of the operation, we had 700 animals here at the same time, but now, we're down to about 200." Matching up the people heading out with their animals has been the biggest challenge we've faced," she said. When an aircraft arrives at Andersen with animals, a member of the quarantine team boards the aircraft with the customs inspector. The owners stay on the aircraft to identify the animals. When the pets arrive in the quarantine facility, they're given a medical check and then put into one of the holding areas, under tents, to protect the animals from tropical heat. Once the departing flight manifests are produced, pets are matched to their owners and transported to the aircraft to accompany their families on the departing flight. Since Guam is a rabies-fre- e island, Andersen's facility has to maintain all the aspects of the quarantine to meet the public law requirements, according to DeGracia. "I'm very pleased to say that we had a visit from the Guam Public Health Office and they were very pleased with what they saw," he said. Local communities have also pitched in to help the effort. A local association called Guam Animals in Need has provided kennels, food, leashes, food and water bowls, and medication. Support in the form of 500 pet carriers used to house and transport the animals came from Pacific Air Forces, headquartered at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. A1C Charles Holzinger, a precision measurement apprentice with the 633rd Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and volunteer caregiver, summed up the relief effort. "I volunteered because I love animals," said the .... 1 nr. V nam X I , "1 siX ' a WMWIHIWfc 'MjWdWfWj miiii'nnwn r"t-- T U.S. Air Force Photo by A1C Steve McNolly Fleeing town Families evacuating Clark AB, the Philippines, are lined up as they flee to Subic Bay Naval Station. Cincinnati native. "It feels good to help these people because they're having such a rough time. It's one less headache if they know their pets are being taken care of." (Courtesy PACAF News Service) 1 COME SEE OUR NEW Hkmnmv Pept. BUSHNELL ARROWS BINOCULARS per 12 dozen 10x50 Shafts ...... $1049 I up Flefched $9199 Ll UD INSTA-FOCU- S SAM '13-105- 5 Reg. S65 SALE 7x35 INSTA-FOCU- S . 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