News>Pacific Air Forces Airmen deploy to Japan to aid relief efforts
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Tech. Sgt. Andrew Dunn conducts a pre-flight maintenance inspection on a C-17 Globemaster III March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, before departing on a humanitarian mission to Japan. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there. Sergeant Dunn is a crew chief with the 15th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Allen)
735th Air Mobility Squadron ramp service specialists and 535th Airlift Squadron loadmasters load generators onto a C-17 Globemaster III March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in preparation for its departure on a humanitarian mission to Japan. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Allen)
Capt. Nate Amidon conducts a pre-flight crew briefing March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, before departing on a humanitarian mission to Japan. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there. Captain Amidon is a C-17 pilot with the 535th Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Allen)
Maintainers and fuel technicians fuel a C-17 Globemaster III March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in preparation for its departure on a humanitarian mission to Japan. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Allen)
A 735th Air Mobility Squadron ramp service technician loads generators onto a C-17 Globemaster III March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in preparation for its departure on a humanitarian mission to Japan. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Allen)
Staff Sgt. Eric Jordan removes pitot covers during a pre-flight maintenance inspection on a C-17 Globemaster III March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, before departing on a humanitarian mission to Japan. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there. Sergeant Jordan is a crew chief with the 15th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Allen)
Airman 1st Class James Limon secures a generator to the floor of a C-17 Globemaster III March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in preparation for its departure on a humanitarian mission to Japan. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there. Airman Limon is a ramp service specialist with the 735th Air Mobility Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Allen)
Airman Ryan Lockhart directs the loading of a generator into the cabin of a C-17 Globemaster III March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in preparation for its departure on a humanitarian mission to Japan. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there. Airman Lockhart is a loadmaster with the 535th Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Allen)
Airman 1st Class James Limon and Senior Airman Kevin Kust secure a generator to the floor of a C-17 Globemaster III March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in preparation for its departure on a humanitarian mission to Japan. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there. The Airmen are ramp service specialists with the 735th Air Mobility Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Allen)
Brig. Gen. Scott West fields questions from the media before boarding a C-17 Globemaster III March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The aircraft was being prepared to depart on a humanitarian mission to Japan. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there. General West is the 13th Air Force vice commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Allen)
3/14/2011 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) -- A C-17 Globemaster III carrying a team of Pacific Air Force Airmen departed here March 12 to support ongoing disaster relief efforts in Japan.
The team of approximately 25 Airmen from a variety of Air Force specialties, traveled to Yokota Air Base, Japan, where they will provide support to efforts underway to support the government of Japan.
The aircraft also was loaded with several generators, which will be used in the support efforts.
"First and foremost our prayers are with Japan," said Brig. Gen. Scott West, the 13th Air Force vice commander, who departed with the team. "They are resilient and capable. (But) we'll be there so long as our allies ask us to."
Lt. Col. Rocky Favorito, the commander of the 374th Communications Squadron at Yokota AB, was on temporary duty at Joint Base Hickam when the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami struck. He returned to Yokota AB with the C-17 team, excited to get home and help.
"Today I'm proud to be in the U.S. Air Force," Colonel Favorito said.
The colonel said that his squadron had just completed an exercise, so they were ready for the real-world response.
Such enthusiasm to help the Japanese people was shared by all the Airmen onboard the aircraft.
"We'll do whatever we're needed to do, whatever we can," said Capt Jacob Debevec, the 613th Air and Space Operations Center chief of personnel recovery operations.
