Ramstein Airmen help Burundi military deploy

  • Published
  • By Capt. Erin Dorrance
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) --  Members of the 86th Contingency Response Group here deployed to Burundi Dec. 1 to train the country's military for its deployment to support the United Nations.

In order to make the deployment successful, the 86th CRG deployed mobility experts to assist with deployment planning, processing, and personnel and cargo preparation.

Burundi, about the size of Maryland, is projected to deploy 1,700 soldiers and 160 tons of cargo into Somalia, using Ugandan C-130 aircraft. Burundi's troops will join 1,600 Ugandan soldiers based in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

"I get to do missions like this all over Europe and Africa as part of the 86th CRG," said Tech. Sgt. Jason Kaneshiro, assigned to the 86th Air Mobility Squadron. "But this one was especially rewarding because we were starting from scratch and able to affect their first deployment as a national force outside their own country."

The small team, requested by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Embassy in Bujumbura, Burundi, trained the Burundi forces in several aspects of deploying to include weapon clearing checks, positioning and loading of C-130s as well as building pallets.

"They (Burundi's military) are a very professional force of experienced fighters," said Capt. William Stayberg, the 86th CRG deployed commander. "They were extremely excited to learn common U.S. military practices in air movement and logistics planning."

A mobility team from the 86th CRG will remain in Burundi until the deployment of their first battalion is complete, he said.

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