AMC Airmen posturing to support China, Burma humanitarian relief Published May 17, 2008 By Maj. Dave Huxsoll Air Mobility Command Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) -- Mobility Airmen are posturing for possible relief efforts for victims of China's earthquake, planners from the 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center here said May 16. While the 618th TACC has no defined requirements to provide military airlift assistance, at least one AMC aircrew is on alert to fly an Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III already in the region, and other aircrews may be placed on alert, said Thomas Janisse, 618th TACC contingency planner. "AMC crews participating in the annual Cobra Gold exercise have been standing by in Thailand," Mr. Janisse said. "They are ready to support relief efforts in China or Burma if called upon to do so." The 618th TACC is the 18th Air Force hub for planning and directing tanker and transport aircraft operations around the world. Chinese officials say more than 22,000 deaths have been confirmed and almost five million have been left homeless by the earthquake which hit China's southwestern Sichuan Province earlier this week. Cyclone Nargis ravaged Burma earlier this month, and left as many as 100,000 dead and millions homeless. Two C-17 crews from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., are currently on alert to support relief operations in that country. The 621st Contingency Response Wing from McGuire AFB, N.J., also is on alert. Their mission is to provide tailored units that can quickly open airfields in remote locations and extend AMC's ability to deploy people and equipment around the globe. Gen. Arthur Lichte, AMC commander, visiting McChord AFB May 15, said AMC is experienced in responding to natural disasters, noting AMC's role in relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina and the Pakistan earthquake in 2005. General Lichte said every time an AMC aircraft lands anywhere in the world, it is a symbol of hope. "We've been called on to do this before," he said. "It may be in the middle of an earthquake, it may be in the middle of a tsunami, it may be in the middle of a cyclone. It's there to provide hope for the people who see it. It brings food, it brings equipment, it brings medical supplies, and it may be taking people out of harm's way and transporting them to another place." During Hurricanes Katrina and Rita the 618th TACC tasked nearly 900 sorties to support relief efforts, and mobility forces moved more than 14,600 passengers, nearly 3,000 patients and hauled the equivalent of 686 semi-truckloads of supplies to and from the Gulf Coast region. Within the first 24 hours of Katrina's landfall, the 618th TACC aggressively moved search-and-rescue teams and their equipment to Louisiana, and then quickly shifted focus to a hub-and-spoke operation to rescue patients and bring in supplies. During Pakistan earthquake relief operations in 2005, the 621st Contingency Response Wing supported 273 U.S. missions, and provided 15,294,000 pounds of relief supplies, including more than 93,000 sleeping bags and 292,000 blankets. The wing also loaded 587 trucks and processed 4,481 pallets. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page