Mobility planners move 82nd Airborne unit to Haiti Published Jan. 28, 2010 SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) -- Air Mobility Command crews and aircraft have been working around-the-clock, transporting people, supplies and equipment from Pope Air Force Base, N.C., into Haiti to support relief operations following the earthquake that hit the island Jan. 12. A major portion of the AMC effort was dedicated to deploying Soldiers and equipment from the 82nd Airborne Division's Global Response Force, from Fort Bragg, N.C., being used to facilitate security and the distribution of relief supplies in the region. The effort to provide airlift to support the 82nd Airborne's move took less than seven hours to plan and was executed in only 100 hours, according to AMC officials. A combination of C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules aircraft were used to fly the missions operating out of Pope Air Force Base, N.C. The missions were planned, tasked and managed by the 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center staff, located at Scott AFB, Ill, AMC's hub for global air operations. The 618th TACC is the lead agency for scheduling and directing AMC's nearly 1,300 aircraft to support worldwide airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation operations. "The effort to deploy the 82nd Airborne forces took 91 C-17-equivalent loads," said Lt. Col. Mike Kirby, the deputy director of the 618th TACC's Mobility Management Directorate. "We were able to close out those 91 C-17 equivalents in 100 hours because Air Mobility Command had people working 24/7 to plan, task and fly these missions. At the same time, our Army counterparts were also working around-the-clock to prepare troops and equipment for our flights." Units from the Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Pacific Air Forces command and Air Education and Training command answered the call to support the humanitarian efforts by providing aircraft and crews to fly the missions, according to AMC officials. "Aircraft and crews came from all over the United States," Colonel Kirby said, "making this an all out total force effort, with AMC at the steering wheel."