McChord Airmen survive New Zealand earthquake unscathed

  • Published
  • By Sandra Pishner
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AFNS) --  About 35 McChord Airmen, 15 of them from the Air Force Reserve Command's 446th Airlift Wing, are in Christchurch, New Zealand, where a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Feb. 22. The remaining McChord Airmen in Christchurch belong to the active-duty 62nd Airlift Wing here.

Based in Christchurch with their C-17 Globemaster III to support Operation Deep Freeze, the Airmen are all accounted for and uninjured. Likewise, the C-17 escaped any damage.

"We had people in the hotel, at the airport, downtown, at stores when the earthquake hit," said Chief Master Sgt. James Masura, from the 446th Operations Group and currently deployed to Christchurch.

According to Col. Lane Seaholm, the 446th AW vice commander, the Airmen from McChord are currently waiting for instruction from higher headquarters as to what they'll be doing next.

"We're ready and willing to provide any assistance requested of us by higher headquarters," he said by phone from Christchurch. 

Colonel Seaholm said that he's never been through an earthquake this big.

"It's quite an emotional event," he said. "Most everyone here has at least touched base with their families back home to let them know we're all okay."

Operation Deep Freeze is an annual operation that supports the U.S. Antarctic Program and the National Science Foundation's research at sites throughout the Antarctic continent.  The Joint Task Force - Support Forces Antarctica operation is led by 13th Air Force and includes strategic inter-theater airlift, tactical deep-field support, aeromedical evacuation support, search and rescue response, sealift, seaport access, bulk fuel supply, port cargo handling and transportation requirements.