277 FL Residents Airlifted Out Of Israel By Tampa Bay Vets, State

TAMPA, FL — Nearly 300 Floridians are safe at home after the Tampa-based nonprofit veterans group, Project Dynamo, partnered with state officials to evacuate the group who had been stranded overseas in the midst of the Hamas attack against Israel and ongoing fighting.

At Tampa International Airport Sunday, Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife, Casey, welcomed home 270 Tampa residents, including 91 children, plus two family dogs and seven Orlando residents, who were stuck in Israel after commercial flight cancellations in the war-torn country.

It took 17 hours for the evacuees to travel from Tel Aviv to Portugal and finally to Tampa on a chartered EuroAtlantic Airways jet paid for by the state.

Once the plane landed in Tampa, the evacuees were able to obtain resources from multiple state agencies, Gov. DeSantis said.

“Just a few days ago, I signed an executive order to allow Florida to carry out logistical, rescue and evacuation operations to bring Floridians back home and provide important supplies to our valued ally, Israel,” said DeSantis. “I am proud of how quickly we have been able to activate resources and do what the federal government could not — get Floridians and other Americans back home, reunited with their families, free of charge.”

On Oct. 12, DeSantis signed Executive Order 23-208 to allow the state of Florida to carry out logistical, rescue and evacuation operations to keep its residents safe. Specifically, the order enables the Florida Division of Emergency Management to bring Floridians home and transport necessary supplies to Israel.

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“Following last week’s unprovoked and heinous attacks by Hamas, Gov. Ron DeSantis took immediate action to help Floridians in Israel,” said Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez. “Our administration will continue to work to safely bring Floridians home and support the people of Israel as they fight back to defend themselves.”

Additionally, the governor is sending medical supplies, hygiene products, clothing and children’s toys to Israel to help impacted Israelis.

“Israel mourns its more than 1,400 murdered and 150 hostages in the devastating unprovoked terror attack perpetrated by Hamas," said consul general of Israel to Florida, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky. "We have gone to war to eradicate Hamas and its allies and to uphold our values of freedom, humanity and the sanctity of life. The support we are receiving from Gov. DeSantis, the First Lady, FDEM (Florida Department of Emergency Management) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie, Florida Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly, FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) Commissioner Mark Glass and his entire administration and the state is overwhelming. We are very grateful for the special flights and supplies.”

“We have a dedicated team of volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure the well-being of Americans caught in crisis situations all over the world,” said Bryan Stern, Project Dynamo CEO and founder. “It’s truly heart-wrenching to watch the destruction unfolding in Israel. We're so grateful to Gov. DeSantis for partnering with us on this mission, to save every American in need."

The Florida Division of Emergency Management will lead efforts for additional flights, which will take more supplies to Israel and continue to bring Floridians back home with the help of Project Dynamo.

The governor has also offered to provide law enforcement resources to prevent violence at demonstrations and protect Jewish schools and synagogues.

DeSantis also issued memos to law enforcement and Florida universities reminding them of their responsibility to protect the Jewish community from threats and unlawful harassment.

"Florida will not tolerate hate or violence towards the Jewish community," he said.

Project Dynamo's Mission

Stern, an Army and Navy combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient and currently the president of John Paul Jones Consulting International LLC, was among the first military responders at ground zero following the 9/11 attacks and was subsequently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

He formed Project Dynamo with fellow veterans Stan Bunner, Sean Patrick and Matt Herring, after the U.S. signed an agreement with the Taliban, agreeing to withdraw military forces from the country following the War on Terror.

The U.S. airlifted translators and Afghan citizens considered at risk of reprisals from the Taliban along with U.S. diplomatic, security, advisory and counter-terrorism personnel remaining in the country after the withdrawal of U.S. troops on Aug. 30, 2021.

However, around 1,000 U.S. citizens and Afghans holding U.S. or other visas were prevented by the Taliban from departing Kabul Airport.

Stern was at home in Tampa talking on the phone to his friend and fellow decorated veteran, Matt Herring, now the CEO of Ultra Defense Corp. and Liberty Aviation International, about a television interview he'd seen given by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

"The general said we (the U.S.) didn't have the capability to fly in and out of Kabul Airport to rescue the remaining Americans in Afghanistan," Herring recalled. "Then Bryan just said, 'Let's do it ourselves.

Using their own money, the four men coordinated their first mission, rescuing 117 stranded Americans in a single day from Afghanistan, one of the largest private evacuations in American history. Between Aug. 30 and December 2021, Project Dynamo evacuated more than 2,000 Americans and imperiled Afghan residents from Afghanistan.

The initiative led to the formation of the registered nonprofit Project Dynamo, whose main mission is to rescue Americans in war zones.

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It wasn't long before Project Dynamo had its next assignment — rescuing Americans from Kyiv, Ukraine, as Russian forces launched the first missiles at the country in February 2022.

"Since then, we’ve executed 602 missions globally—from Afghanistan to Ukraine to Sudan—rescuing 6,700 Americans," said Stern. "Where the U.S. government lacks presence or access, Project Dynamo steps in. We vow to never leave our fellow Americans behind."

This has included risking their lives driving busloads of evacuees through areas being bombed and navigating around armed border patrols to get across borders and get Americans on planes headed back home.

Stern said he expects to undertake more missions to Israel in the coming says.

“It is not a Republican thing. It is not a Democratic thing. It’s a respect for America thing,” Stern said at the airport. “The bottom line is these are American citizens. I don’t care if they’re Jewish or Christian or Muslim. We rescue everybody.”

There are an estimated 20,000 U.S. citizens remaining in Israel including between 700 and 1,000 Floridians.

Florida residents who are unable to leave Israel due to the current conflict can apply for help getting evacuated by filling out the form available here.

Those interested in helping Project Dynamo continue its missions can donate here. Stern said it costs between $6,000 to $14,000 to evacuate someone from a war zone.

The first Red, White & Rescued Gala will raise funds for Project Dynamo on Nov. 2 at Armature Works in Tampa. Click here for tickets and here to become a sponsor.