Hill Airmen offer help, hope in Haiti

  • Published
  • By Bryan Magaña
  • 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFNS) --  Air Force reservists joined the Haiti multinational relief effort Jan. 22, from Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

"When I saw on the news that they were sending U.S. troops to Haiti, I wanted to be part of it," said Tech. Sgt. Cody De Los Reyes, from the 67th Aerial Port Squadron.

"So when I had the opportunity to deploy, I took it," he said.

In fewer than 48 hours, he'd kissed his wife and 6-month-old daughter goodbye and joined the other 14 Airmen from the 67th APS on a C-17 Globemaster III headed to the devastated island. Many of the aerial porters, all volunteers, returned from deployment to Iraq just months ago.

The Airmen will load and unload cargo and passengers at the Port-au-Prince airport - the center of the ongoing relief effort. Supplies, equipment and people are beginning to flood the airport's ramp and Hill AFB's aerial porters will play a key role in keeping critical, life saving provisions flowing.

"We are crucial to this mission because we specialize in getting cargo off the aircraft quickly and getting it where it needs to go," Sergeant De Los Reyes said.

After a five-hour flight, their boots touched the tarmac and they stepped into the very image they'd seen on the news just hours before. 

"We've been trained to help," said Senior Airman Sterling Broadhead, from the 67th APS. "The Haitians are in desperate need and I'm available, so I'm going to do whatever I can to help."

As the sun set on Port-au-Prince Jan. 22, wide-bellied cargo jets, Humvees and helicopters crowded the airport, bustling with uniformed men and women from around the world. In the coming weeks, Hill AFB reservists deployed there said they hope to help calm the frenzied scene.

"They will bring order to chaos, and they are very good at what they do," said Col. Walter Sams, the 419th Fighter Wing commander. "Our folks will carry out the most important and most gratifying mission we have: saving lives and helping people in need."

This help will arrive jet by jet, and after the aerial porters unload the crucial supplies onboard, they hope to reload the aircraft with precious, human cargo as there are countless earthquake victims, mostly children, in need of transport to the U.S.

In fact, the same C-17 that carried the reservists to Port-au-Prince returned to the U.S. that night with 23 Haitian orphans on board; soon to meet their new adoptive parents.

"They're just ordinary people like me and my family," Sergeant De Los Reyes said. "If my country were affected by an earthquake, I would want help too, so I'm really happy to be able to help the people of Haiti."

"Our personnel are prepared to stay on the ground in Port-au-Prince as long as they're needed," Colonel Sams said. "We're in this for the long run."