Reservists load humanitarian aid bound for Nicaragua

  • Published
  • By Capt. Christina R. Hoggatt
  • Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFNS) --  A C-17 Globemaster III from the Air Force Reserve Command's 315th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., landed here Dec. 30 to load humanitarian aid headed for Managua, Nicaragua.

A fire truck along with nearly three and a half tons of medical supplies and firefighting equipment donated by members of Emergency Response Services for Latin America, an organization formed by Rodney McDonald from Warner Robins, Ga., and Mark Taylor from Bend, Ore., to assist countries in Latin America, were loaded onto the C-17 here.

The equipment is being transported through the Denton Program, which permits the Department of Defense to provide transportation of privately donated humanitarian cargo to foreign countries using military transportation on a space-available basis. There is no cost to the donating agency or organization for the C-17 transportation-related costs.

"The opportunity to bring humanitarian aid that provides direct assistance to countries in need is one of the better missions we do," said Lt. Col. Jess Smith, the mission commander. "The entire crew is proud to be a part of these important missions."

According to an ERSLA release, the organization began soliciting equipment for this shipment in 2009 by visiting fire departments and by networking online. Donated equipment from around the country was consolidated in one staging location in Warner Robins.

Additionally, a second C-17 crew from the 315th AW is scheduled to deliver nearly $67,000 in medical and school supplies to the Lifeline Orphanage in Haiti as well as another $25,000 in clothing, food, medical and school supplies to agencies in Grenada, donated by Good News Project, Inc., an interfaith organization in Wausau, Wis.

In total, Air Force Reserve aircrews delivered four tons of humanitarian aid, school supplies and first-responder emergency equipment to Central America and the Caribbean during the New Years holiday weekend.