'HOA Flex' channels supplies to military trainers

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Francesca Popp
  • U.S. Central Command Air Forces Public Affairs
CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (AFNEWS) --  U.S. servicemembers at three remote camps in the Horn of Africa depend on Air Force airlift to bring them life-sustaining supplies.

These isolated sites, known as contingency operating locations, are scattered across a desolate and austere terrain two-thirds the size of the United States. This is where a team of C-130 Hercules units and a logistics directorate combine talents to move supplies downrange through missions called HOA Flex.

"Due to the size of the AOR here and the vast space it covers, air is the only way to get cargo down there," said 1st Lt. Todd Klusek, Combined Joint Task Force-HOA J-4 Logistics Directorate air movements' officer. "The C-130, HOA Flex, is the main way to go."

Originating from Camp Lemonier, the C-130 teams based in Southwest Asia deliver food, people and other supplies weekly to Hurso and Bilate, Ethiopia, as well as Manda Bay, Kenya.

"We don't waste the airlift, because we understand any airplane that is here is not available to fly in Iraq or Afghanistan, or any where else it may be needed," said the lieutenant, who is deployed from 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.

Once the mission is planned by the J-4 staff, it's up to the C-130 crews from either the 379th or 737th Expeditionary Airlift squadrons in Southwest Asia to fly the supply runs. However, a lot of behind-the-scenes work must be accomplished before any Hercules depart for either Ethiopia or Kenya.

Senior Airman William Oxenford, 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmaster, helped oversee the loading of four half-ton pallets of perishable food and bottled water, spare generator parts, a cement mixer, three-gallon containers of disinfectant, communications equipment and more, as well as 19 passengers for one of the missions.

"Ultimately, our goal is to get the cargo that needs to be there, and get the cargo out that needs to leave," said Maj. Andy McGee, 737th EAS aircraft commander, noting this was the first HOA Flex mission for the crew, despite having more than 12,000 flying hours collectively. "This requires focused planning between the entire crew."

The flight engineer determines how heavy the aircraft can be for landing and takeoff based on the elevation of the field and the current temperature. The pilots and navigator then work with the loadmasters for fuel and cargo weight, arriving at a solution which keeps the aircraft as light as possible - allowing the most amount of cargo to be moved in and out, Major McGee said.

"The brunt of our focus was on the landing zones -- Bilate in Ethiopia and Manda Bay in Kenya," said the major. "LZs can be tricky to plan at times. Often, we have the performance to land at an LZ, but we may not have the performance to takeoff, depending on what cargo is being off-loaded or on-loaded."

On this flex mission, the aircraft made three stops in Ethiopia to include Bilate. As the aircraft landed at one airfield, a crushed lava rock clearing the length just longer than 12 football fields, it caused a temporary dusty "brown out" on the 60-foot-wide strip.

"Dirt landings are one area where C-130s make their money," said Major McGee, also deployed from the 517th AS at Elmendorf AFB. "This one had people crowding the sides of it like a Tiger Woods golf shot ... no other airlift asset could've landed there."

Soldiers deployed from Guam Army National Guard's 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1-294th Infantry Battalion (Light) were waiting and ready at Bilate's LZ, located about 483 miles southwest of Camp Lemonier, to off-load their weekly delivery of food and supplies.

"It is very rewarding to deliver supplies and cargo that you know is desperately needed," Major McGee said.

"I remember (a Soldier) asking if we were off-loading some water. I said, 'Yes, we are.' (To see) the smile on his face and the relief in his eyes ... really meant something (to me)," said Airman Oxenford who is deployed from the 517th Airlift Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

The HOA Flex missions have delivered more than 3.5 million pounds of cargo and 2,400 people to the two COLs in Ethiopia and one in Kenya since May 2006.

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