Teamwork provides relief

  • Published
  • By Capt. Chris Sukach
  • Combined Joint Task Force 101 Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) --  More than 76 thousand pounds of food was carried aboard a C-17 Globemaster III Aug. 2 en route to the flood-ravaged areas of northwest Pakistan.

Those 38 tons of halal meals, ready-to-eat meals that don't contain pork products, were only a small part of the 345 thousand meals that have been delivered via the 14 missions flown into the area by C-130 Hercules aircraft and C-17s since July 31st.

U.S. officials pledged $10 million to Pakistan in humanitarian flood relief assistance, including supplying halal meals in support of a National Disaster Management Authority request.

Army Staff Sgt. Juan Roman, the mobility NCO in charge of the 82nd Sustainment Brigade at Fort Bragg, N.C., said he and his team began preparing supplies shortly after the flooding started.

"The Soldiers found out about this three days ago and have been hard at it," Sergeant Roman said. "We unload the trucks as soon as they come in and we build the pallets. This is what we do, and it's a good cause that we're supporting."

Dozens of servicemembers from across the base have been building pallets, around the clock, in two locations on the Bagram Airfield flightline so that the meals, which are trucked in from a warehouse here in Afghanistan, are ready for transport via aircraft.

"Normally, the Army would build the pallets in their area by the rotary-wing terminal and transport them to the fixed-wing terminal for loading," said Master Sgt. Agustin Casis, the special projects NCO in charge of the 455th Aerial Port Squadron here. "But because we're sending so many, we've got teams building pallets simultaneously in both locations." 

Master Sgt. Michelle Quichocho, the dayshift passenger terminal NCO in charge of the 455th APS here, helped build the pallets to withstand the rigors of flight.

"This is my fifth deployment," she said. "I helped out with a humanitarian mission when I was in Baghdad too. I'm just happy to know it's going downrange to help the Pakistanis who need it."

Downrange in this case was the Peshawar International Airport, Pakistan, where the crew was met by a team of Pakistani civilian and military members to offload and distribute the relief cargo.

"Peshawar is a city of responsibility," said Niaz Gul, the duty station manager for the Peshawar Airport. "The people in the area around here are very hospitable and we are assisting."

Capt. Tim Goodwillie, currently assigned to the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, was the aircraft commander for this mission.

"It feels awesome to be able to help out those in need," Captain Goodwillie said, speaking of his initial humanitarian flight and the first Pakistan flood relief assistance flight for the 817th EAS. "We have the capability to provide this support and we're happy to do so."

For Maj. Matt Crockett, an 817th EAS instructor pilot, this flight was one of several humanitarian missions he's been involved with over the years, including piloting the first flight from McChord AFB, Wash., to provide evacuation and relief support to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"Any time you're able to provide aid and comfort to those who need it, it's a great thing," Major Crockett said. "The Air Force has great rapid response capabilities and we're proud to be a part of that. We're definitely lucky to get to fly this jet and take part in this mission."

Staff Sgt. Manuel Chacon, a loadmaster assigned to the 817th EAS and deployed from the 15th AS at Charleston, AFB, S.C., summed it up this way: "It feels great to be able to do a humanitarian mission and to help people. It's actually the reason I came into the Air Force."