Hurricane victim heads off to basic training

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Donna T. Jeffries
  • 514th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  To leave or not to leave - that is the question everyone asks themselves when facing the approach of a natural disaster.

"I was one of the ones who thought Hurricane Sandy was going to be OK and not so bad," said Nikolai Gakhokidze, a member of the 514th Development and Training Flight who left for basic training in mid-December. The soon-to-be Airmen is a resident of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, N.Y., who ended up being among the thousands left homeless with very few personal effects.

Going home the night of the storm, he watched the water rush in from the bay towards the taxi he had taken from visiting a friend. As he felt the harsh winds blow and torrential rain fall, Gakhokidze said he realized his mistake to ignore previous evacuation warnings, but still made his way to his basement apartment three blocks away in an attempt to save what belongings he could.

Unfortunately for him Sheepshead Bay was one of the areas that took the brunt of what Hurricane Sandy dished out. He describes walking in sneakered feet through knee high water in the middle of the street to his apartment three blocks away from where the taxi was forced to stop.

"When I reached my apartment, the water was already high and stuff was floating," Gakhokidze said. "I didn't think about saving my personal documents since they were already done for."

In the darkened room, Gakhokidze used the light from his cell phone to see and made two trips to the next level bringing his computer and gaming system to safety. When he entered his apartment for the third time, all water broke loose.

"As I was grabbing some clothes, the window burst. The freezing water gushed in and in a matter of seconds it was up to my chest," he said. "I struggled to walk around the debris that was floating to get to the stairs where I stood shaking from the cold."

Gakhokidze watched as the water rose to the first level of the apartment building before walking away with nothing but his cell phone in hand. Outside he joined several other people who also stayed and now found themselves forced from their flooding homes, looking for shelter in the midst of the storm.

Wet, cold and now homeless Gakhokidze, met up with a friend to see what they could do for his friend's grandmother that lived about a 10-minute walk away.

"That night the walk increased to 40 minutes and we reached a point where we couldn't go any further because we were scared for our lives," he said. "The water was up to our chest and was flowing like a river. We turned and went back."

By this time rescue teams from the fire department had arrived with boats to assist people out of the area. Gakhokidze went home with his friend who had a house full of family and no electricity.

He showered, ate and then found refuge in a local shelter for the evening.

His next few days were filled with much of the same, a cross between staying with friends and staying in shelters.

"I also went back to the apartment every day and was able to salvage a few more things like a pair of sneakers, a few clothes and a box of pictures from my grandmother and mother," said the Russian-born immigrant who enlisted in the Air Force Reserve at the base of the Statue of Liberty in August. "Everything else is gone."

Help came when he received a call from his Reserve unit who sent a member to pick him up in Brooklyn and bring him down to the base where, with the help of Air Force resources, he was able to begin to put the pieces of his life back together.

"I would never think that in my life that this hurricane would set me back like it did, but hopefully with the help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Air Force, I will get back on my feet," said Gakhokidze.

The 514th Air Mobility Wing has resources available to assist any of its Airmen or civilian employees who are experiencing hurricane-related hardships.

"It doesn't matter if you've been in the unit 30 days or 37 years" said Colonel Michael J. Underkofler, 514th Air Mobility Wing commander, "We're here to provide the help our people need."

Meeting the needs of its Airmen in times of trouble is part of what separates the Air Force Reserve from many other organizations.

"I feel like the Air Force is my family and they will help you in any way they can - I'm grateful to be a part of the Air Force," Gakhokidze said.