Airmen deploy to Indonesia to help quake victims

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Veronica Pierce
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Airmen assigned to Pacific Air Forces left here and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Oct. 5 on two C-17 Globemaster IIIs for Padang, Indonesia, to provide medical care to those affected by the recent 7.6-magnitude earthquake.

The humanitarian assistance rapid response team combines medical and contingency response experts from the 36th Wing at Andersen AFB, the 13th Air Force at Hickam AFB, Hawaii; the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; and the 374th Medical Group from Yokota Air Base.

Padang and surrounding areas on the west coast of Sumatra were devastated by the Sept. 29 earthquake and several strong aftershocks.

"HARRT augments a host nation's medical response during times of disaster," said Lt. Col. David Olson, the humanitarian assistance rapid response team medical commander from Andersen AFB. "Four hospitals in Padang are damaged, two of them severely, so we'll be providing disaster relief, predominantly ambulatory care."

Included in the humanitarian assistance rapid response team is a seven-person mobile field surgical team consisting of specialists in the fields of general surgery, orthopedic surgery, anesthesiology and emergency medicine from the 3rd Medical Group at Elmendorf AFB.

The humanitarian assistance rapid response team is led by Col. Dan Settergren, the 36th Contingency Response Group commander at Andersen AFB. The team combines the command and control and base operating support capability of the 36th CRG with the medical expertise of medical personnel to form a small, rapid-response unit deployable within 24 hours to an austere environment to help host nations during disaster relief operations.

"With all the recent natural disasters, Pacific Air Forces is facing many challenges throughout the Pacific Rim," Colonel Settergren said. "With approximately 3,000 people still missing, Indonesia calls for the most need of urgent medical care."

A C-17 crew from Elmendorf AFB transported the personnel and 13 pallets of equipment at Yokota AB, while a C-17 crew from Hickam AFB transported the personnel and equipment at Andersen AFB. The team is self-sustaining for up to five days.