McChord Airmen deliver relief, evacuate survivors

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kirsten Wicker
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti --  A C-17 Globemaster III from McChord Air Force Base touched down at Port-Au-Prince's Toussaint L'Ouventure International Airport Sunday, carrying nearly 179,000 pounds of cargo in support of relief operations and later evacuated 186 people from the island, delivering them safely to Florida.

The mission was McChord's second humanitarian airlift to Haiti, which was devastated by an earthquake Jan. 12 leaving more than 100,000 people dead and thousands others homeless.

"When aid is needed, the C-17 is flexible enough to support nearly anyone, anywhere," said mission commander Capt. Anthony Cappel, 4th Airlift Squadron. "We're here to serve our country in whatever capacity we're called upon to act, and we're proud to support the Humanitarian relief operations in Haiti."

The C-17 went first to Langley AFB, Va., to pick up cargo equipment necessary to provide logistical support vital to relief operations being conducted in the aftermath of the quake.

"The United States Air Force is in dedicated, close coordination with other U.S. government agencies and international partners to ensure necessary relief supplies, equipment and personnel get where they are most needed in Haiti," said Col. Kevin Kilb, 62nd Airlift Wing commander.

Captain Cappel and his aircrew transported a specialized truck designed for rapid loading and unloading of supplies on and from aircraft and trucks. Additional cargo included lighting equipment, several generators and an all-terrain vehicle.

The equipment will increase efficiencies at Haiti's single-runway airport, which went from three take-offs and landings per day prior to the earthquake to an average of 170 each day under current Air Force operations.

"There's a lot of people involved because of the short notice and quick turnaround," he said. "It takes a lot of work to support a mission like this, from Air Mobility Command and the 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center, all the way down to the squadrons and units at McChord," said Captain Cappel. "Humanitarian missions are not new to McChord and we are proud to provide help."

Delivering critical equipment and supplies to Haiti was only half the mission. As soon as the cargo bay was emptied, McChord Airmen welcomed 186 evacuees on board for airlift to Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Fla.

Men, women and children came aboard with their belongings. Many passengers had been waiting in line for hours and some had been injured in the quake. But McChord Airmen stepped up to help each one come on board, get comfortable and land safely in the United States.

"I think it's an honor to help with the relief effort," said 1st Lt. Joseph Hurley, 4th AS pilot. "It's not every day you get to help somebody in need."

McChord's first support to Haiti operations was from a 62nd AW aircrew returning from the Area of Operations to the U.S. east coast on Jan. 15. That aircrew was redirected to transport the New York Search and Rescue team, their vehicles and search dogs into Haiti. Departing Haiti, the aircrew evacuated 186 people to Orlando.

Two additional C-17s were dispatched Sunday to Pope AFB, N.C. and Charleston AFB, S.C., respectively, to pick up critical supplies and deliver them to Haiti; a fourth C-17 departed Jan. 18 for Pope. The Charleston-bound aircraft carried two additional augmented aircrews to be assigned to other C-17s supporting the relief effort from Charleston. All aircraft departed Haiti with evacuees.