McChord Airmen continue to assist Haiti

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kirsten Wicker
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  Members of the 62nd Aerial Port Squadron returned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord Wednesday after supporting ground operations in Haiti since Jan. 23. The team is part of a larger 62nd Airlift Wing effort supporting the Haiti operation to include aircrews, two of which are still operating from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., 19 aerial porters and a 16-man maintenance team were on the ground in Haiti since Feb. 12.

"Our main mission was to back fill aerial porters on the ground due to the enormity of the relief efforts," said Master Sgt. Jason Aven, 62nd Aerial Port Squadron team chief in Haiti. "We averaged 140 aircraft per 12-hour shift for the first six days in Haiti."

Shortly after the aerial port team deployed, 11 maintenance Airmen and three logistics Airmen joined them in Haiti in support of relief efforts.

"The team provides quick-turn maintenance of aircraft and other needed transient support," said Capt. Nate McKim, 62nd Maintenance Squadron. "McChord Airmen deployed are specialists in maintaining C-17 aircraft systems to support continuing operations there."

Since Operation Unified Relief operations launched, more than 10,000 AMC active-duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units around the globe have responded in support of the humanitarian mission. The 62nd Airlift Wing maintenance Airmen will take over the maintenance ground function from the Air Force contingency response group and establish a more normalized Air Force Expeditionary maintenance capability.

The fifteen aerial port Airmen deployed to Haiti in January have set up and operated relief and sustainment operations. They have loaded and unloaded cargo, operating equipment and have assisted passengers. Four additional porters arrived last week to set up an in-transit visibility station to help manifest and track passengers and to relieve Airmen working from the 621st Contingency Response Group out of McGuire AFB, N.J.

"They were dealt a heavy load and have taken it all in stride," Sergeant Aven said. "They were up to the task and made it happen within a day and a half."

McChord has flown more than 263 missions into Port-au-Prince delivering nearly 800 support personnel and 2.8 million pounds of cargo. More than 1,300 American citizens have been evacuated by McChord C-17 Globemaster IIIs through the Haitian airfield. More than 24 million pounds of lifesaving aid were offloaded at the aerial port in Haiti by members of McChord's aerial port squadron as well.

Additionally, AMC air delivered more than 246,000 pounds of critical supplies such as water and Meals Ready-to-Eat through four missions using five aircraft, including several C-17s from McChord.