As North Carolina attempts to recover from Hurricane Helene, volunteer groups are stepping in to help the victims FEMA won’t. Many residents report that they have not seen any government help, even two weeks after the storm hit and killed more than 200 people. 

Tired of waiting for help, ex-Green Beret Adam Smith took matters into his own hands. He and other military members have set up shop in a Buncombe County Harley Davidson dealership, using their own aircraft to move supplies to needy residents throughout the state. Their fleet includes 35 helicopters and dozens of volunteers. 

The group initially called itself the “Savage Freedoms Relief Operation” but has leaned into its nickname, “the Redneck Air Force.” 

This isn’t some disorganized group of do-gooders. The team has partnered with a pharmacy and has a dedicated cyber team pouring through social media to identify and prioritize residents who need assistance. The Redneck Air Force has nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, and paramedics on the team, bringing much-needed medical help and prescription meds to those still stranded without power or the means to refill life-saving medications. 

They have acquired 100 Generac GP200i portable inverter generators for distribution and pre-filled gasoline containers to send alongside them. Food, clothing, and other necessities have been pouring into the Harley Davidson dealership since the Redneck Air Force began its operations. The group has been instrumental in helping to set up more than 1200 Starlinks in affected areas. 

The Redneck Air Force is flying privately owned aircraft to deliver doctors, volunteers, generators, fuel, and food to people stuck in flooded areas where roads have been destroyed and whole towns have been washed away. The group also has access to military trucks loaded with supplies for devastated communities. 

Crop duster pilots, helicopter tour guides, firefighters, and special operations pilots have volunteered to be a part of the Redneck Air Force. Smith expressed his gratitude to Tennessee’s AeroLuxe Aviation for flying missions nonstop. In addition, National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopters have been airlifting large generators to communities.  

Smith was in Austin, Texas, when Helene hit. He drove through the night to reach his family in Broad River, but when he arrived, he found no way to reach them. The roads were gone. Smith made a few calls and arranged to have his family airlifted to safety. He realized that other residents weren’t as fortunate to have his high-powered connections and quickly began organizing Savage Freedoms Relief Operation to help them. 

The operation began with a handful of horseback riders going door to door to help residents and survey the damage. It didn’t take long before the group grew and morphed into a well-oiled machine, doing the work FEMA has so far been unable to do. 

After being largely ignored by FEMA, residents in some of the harder-hit mountainous areas of North Carolina are now worried the agency will belatedly intervene and derail the organization through red tape and “incompetence.” 

Smith explained that he “respectfully” told governmental agencies to stay away. “Don’t come to our location. We don’t need your help.” 

Smith blasted President Joe Biden for visiting the area and VP Kamala Harris for doing the same a few days later. The high-profile visits prompted air restrictions and hampered their rescue operations for hours.  

Conversely, Smith praised former President Donald Trump for calling instead of dropping in uninvited. According to Smith, Trump’s team called and asked if a visit was appropriate. Smith gratefully thanked the team but cautioned that a visit would temporarily stop the Redneck Air Force’s missions at a time when every minute counts for the safety and well-being of the hurricane’s victims. 

Trump’s team agreed to hold off on the visit but extended offers to help in any way they could. 

The effort, expected to last for months, is an expensive one. So far, the group has been meeting their needs through donations from Americans nationwide and a GoFundMe page that has raised over $190k. 

The astonishing efforts by Smith and his Redneck Air Force are proof that Americans can, and will, survive just fine without governmental “assistance.”