Pathfinders History

The "Pathfinders" Task Force name emanates from a World War II army unit whose main function was to help guide transport planes and gliders to their destinations. The name was developed by the British, but the soldiers who made it famous were volunteers from the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division who led D-Day in 1944.

Scott Lewis' Godfather, who was wounded in the Black Forest in WW II, was part of this unit. Bill suggested the name in 1999 after the successful joint, civil / military, Hurricane Floyd response by Eagles Wings, because the Pathfinders Task Force similarly depends on volunteers who seek to help guide responders who will follow directly to those in the greatest need.

History of The Eagles Wings Foundation

Letters of Recommendation:

Click on the links below to view.

Dr. Alex Lassegne - Executive Director Hospital de l' Universite D' etat D'Haiti

Willem Charles - Founder of Mountain Top Ministries Haiti

Madame Josseline Fethiere - Haitian Minister of Commerce

Dr. Jacotte Prevalus - Elym Relief

Letter to FEMA from four Florida Congressmen
Captain George Arp
Harrison County Emergency Management
Harrison County School District
Harrison County Deputy Chief John McAdams
Abaco Bahamas Relief Command

Below are just some of the emergency situations where the Eagles Wings Foundation has provided disaster relief.

2010 - Haiti Earthquake

In January 2010 The Eagles Wings Foundation deployed to the country of Haiti after the devastating earthquake hit the island nation causing over 200,000 casualties and forcing millions of people to live outdoors in the rubble strewn streets. After traveling to Port-au-Prince via private plane provided by Kings Wings, the Eagles Wings Pathfinders Task Force was immediately focused on the huge task of helping distribute food supplied by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). With the support of other groups and the UN peace-keeping forces, the EWF Pathfinders Task Force was able to help in food distribution to the inhabitants that survived the devastation.

During the 2 weeks the Eagles Wings Pathfinders Task Force was in Haiti, the equivalent of over 2.3 million meals were distributed to the Haitian population. The Eagles Wings team was able to pay local workers to perform this distribution, thus helping the Haitian economy in the process of getting the food to the masses.

On the request of the Haitian Government, the Pathfinders team has redeployed to Haiti for a second time. Currently, The Pathfinders are helping map the damage in the region using state-of-the-art GPS systems the Task Force developed and have used in previous disasters. The Pathfinders Task Force is also working hard installing satellite communications equipment in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, bringing much needed improvements in communications with the outside world. They have also helped by restoring the Haitian National Hospital to working order, and continue to deliver food, toys, and other much needed supplies to the many orphanages of Haiti.

Haitian Minister of Commerce's Letter Asking for the EWF to Return to Haiti (PDF)

Performance Report from the Deputy Director of the UN World Food Programme (PDF)

Performance Report from the United Nations Colonel (PDF)

Our team is still on the ground in Haiti and the Eagles Wings Foundation appreciates all of your donations, which gives us the opportunity to continue helping the people of Haiti rebuild. Keep checking this website for further developments in the Haitian relief efforts.

2008 – Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike provided the first real test of the Pathfinders Task Force's technology, which had been under development since Katrina. There were many great achievements, and lessons learned as well. From the onset, the software hit a grand slam home run. In the first day of operation, 6 crews of 3 people each were rapid trained in one-hour, and deployed for recon and rapid damage assessments. Without ever having used the system before, these crews collected over 4,400 geo-coded, time/date stamped windshield surveys mapped across a heavily damaged Texas county. Every day, more volunteers were deployed, seeking out and resolving unmet needs in the Pathfinder model. The following After Action Report details the rest.

The Full Hurricane Ike After Action Report (PDF)

2005 – Hurricane Katrina

In Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi, Eagles Wings and its team was involved with volunteer efforts at the Operations Center for Harrison County. Eagles Wings Foundation helped to coordinate the not-for-profit and charitable groups, providing assistance to this devastated area (View Katrina Slide Show). As a result of this exemplary military operation, and the coordinated volunteer efforts, 126,000 hurricane survivors were served (60% of the County’s pre-hurricane population), either in their homes or at one of the twenty Points of Distribution set up by the Emergency Operations Center around Harrison County. Combining military assets with volunteer groups, Eagles Wings helped in organizing the distribution of donated relief supplies.

2004 – Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne

The team improved its skills by assisting with relief efforts in Punta Gorda and Arcadia, Florida following Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm that devastated these Central Florida communities. Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne honed the teams' skills in Southeastern Florida shortly thereafter. Eagles Wings became a central, United States based relief agency for both the Abaco chain and Grand Bahama following these storms. All of these disasters were training for Hurricane Katrina, the cataclysmic storm that destroyed New Orleans, and many other communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

1999 – Hurricane Floyd

Hurricane Floyd marked the inception of The Eagles Wings Foundation in 1999. Seeing that donations were not reaching survivors, that volunteer efforts were chaotic, and military relief was not coordinated with private relief, Scott Lewis founded The Eagles Wings Foundation to fill the leadership gap, and provide a safe place for private donations. Scott was appointed by the Prime Minister of the Bahamas to the position of Incident Commander for the Abaco Relief Command and the first Eagles Wings leadership team was formed. (news link, 'Gardener leads relief effort in Floyd-torn Bahamas)

Feel free to call or email more specific questions about how your donated dollars are maximized, and know that your help is vital. We normally spend all donated funds for the current disaster and operate in the red at the onset of a new event.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. FLORIDA REGISTRATION NUMBER CH22462.