SOTO CANO AIR BASE, HONDURAS – A team of 19 Airmen and Soldiers and two helicopters from Joint Task Force Bravo departed here today heading for the Dominican Republic to assist with recovery efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Noel.

The 19 servicemembers and two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were loaded on a C-5 Galaxy from the New York Air National Guard this morning and will arrive in the Dominican Republic later today.

"We’ll be doing search and rescue missions," said Army Sgt. Jose Burgos-Mercado, one of the Joint Task Force Bravo Soldiers deploying to the Dominican Republic. The 19 member team from Joint Task Force Bravo consists mostly of aircrew and search and rescue team members.

There are a lot of people still missing, so we’ll help look for them and move relief supplies, said Sergeant Burgos.

Joint Task Force Bravo is a joint unit of approximately 600 Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors stationed at the Honduran Air Force’s Soto Cano Air Base near Comayagua, Honduras. The task force primarily conducts humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and counter-narcotic terrorism missions.