When disaster struck western North Carolina in Hurricane Helene, one of the fastest groups able to mobilize resources was a hodgepodge of former military volunteers. The former pilots brought their helicopters, the naval men brought their boats, and the intelligence officers brought their
search-and-rescue expertise.

Over 800 volunteers were mobilized over the month of October, coming from all across the country, and even some active military from across the world, to camp out for weeks on end at a flooded-out Harley Davidson lot. From early-morning meetings and prayer circles to late-night returns from locating bodies with retired cadaver dogs, the group worked tirelessly to bring aid and answers to the people of Western North Carolina.

The question of what extent military should get involved in civilian lives continues to be a contentious one, but in the wake of a disaster like Helene in a town with limited resources and experience when it comes to hurricanes, Savage Freedom Ops was just what Asheville needed.

Above, the houses closest to the rivers in Western N.C. were hit the worst. In the town of Swannanoa, every house on the street could be seen emptied of it's contents as a result of the heavy flooding of the Swannanoa river.

Steven Cochran, a member of the National Guard, leaves headquarters in a military truck to head out into the field for the day's mission. The group is headquartered outside a Harley Davidson store that was flooded out due to the storm. The store's big parking lot lent itself perfectly to a donated supplies center and its large field was perfect for landing helicopters.

Richard Kelada, a volunteer from Florida with expertise in working with cadaver dogs, crosses the flooded river into the town of Green Mountain. Green Mountain was one of the hardest-hit towns due to its multiple rivers running through it. The bridges into the town were collapsed and the roads torn apart. Because of the sewage carried through, the river water had also become toxic to wade through, so people could only enter and leave by boat.

Through someone with Savage Operations, the group had acquired a rare land-water vehicle called a "SHERP," or "shuttle for humanitarian emergency response." There are no other known SHERPs in use or available in the United States. But citing "no governmental red tape," Savage Ops could frequently bring what they needed into their operations.

Richard Kelada checks in with Troy Hughes on what he and his wife may need or want. This was a routine part of each volunteer's mission, and they made sure to have full conversations with any community member they encountered.

The Hughes had lived in this house for over 50 years and everything inside was destroyed by the hurricane, whether that was through breakage, mud, or the mold and mildew that followed. Having evacuated up the mountain to his son's house, this was the very first time Troy saw the damage for himself.

Jennifer, a Savage Freedom Operations volunteer walks to a small island in the middle of Green Mountain via a fallen log. That log was the only way to access the island.

Nox, a retired cadaver dog, wades into the water with his handler to attempt to locate buried cadavers on the island.

After Nox had made a "hit," or indicated he smelled a cadaver, a group of volunteers digs down into the blown dirt to try to locate human remains. The smell was palpable even to the human nose, but with so much debris blown on top, the group needed to bring in heavier machinery to dig further.

Sean Kilrain gathers a group of volunteers stationed at Green Mountain to discuss positions and next steps for the day.

Ken Wittekiend mounts his mule near the end of the day. Wittekiend and Paul Garrison (back) have been bringing their mules to Green Mountain as a way to wade across the water and access areas of land still inaccessible due to the fallen roads and bridges.

Back at headquarters, the intelligence team responds to a continuous stream of requests and alerts on missing poeple, fallen trees, houses needing to be checked on, and roads needing to be repaired.

Adam Smith, founder of Savage Freedom Relief Operations, gives a big hug to one of his volunteers who had just returned from a long day out in the field. Many of the volunteers had to leave their families for long periods of time to put in this work and are witnessing trauma first-hand every day. Though difficult work, it made for an unbreakably close-knit community.

On a new day, the group of volunteers pray for their town, state, and safety for themselves before dispatching on new missions. Adam Smith leads the 5-10 minutes prayer every morning, which can get emotional. Smith says, "I don’t go a day without crying."