Flying a “loaner” C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, a mixed active-duty and Guard aircrew flew the 15th Airlift Wing’s first contingency response mission.

The aircraft, from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., flew relief supplies to Clark Air Base, Philippines, Feb. 22. It was the first time a mixed crew had flow such a mission. Members of the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 204th Airlift Squadron were also part of the crew.

The C-17 carried military rations, water, cots, tents, heavy equipment and wing Airmen to Clark, a former U.S. Air Force base. The mission was part of U.S. Pacific Command’s response to the Filipino government’s request for help after a devastating mudslide covered the village of Guinsaugon on Leyte Island.

A killer 100-foot deep mudslide hit the village Feb. 21. Filipino officials fear there are more than 1,000 dead.

“Anytime there is a mudslide, any kind of earthquake, tsunami -- any of that stuff that happens in the Pacific -- we’ll already be there with all the crews and all the airplanes,” said Capt. Jason Ward, a C-17 pilot with the 535th Airlift Squadron.

“We can get in supplies, people, helicopters, medical equipment and supplies -- anything that they need in any area,” the captain said. “We can pretty much get there within 24 hours so if something happens give us a call and we’ll start flying.”

With any humanitarian relief mission time is important. Hickam Airman can get the mission done quickest, said Capt. Jason Mills, a C-17 pilot. He coordinated the short-notice mission.

“We’re in the middle of the Pacific, so we have reach in multiple directions,” said Captain Mills, of the 15th Operations Support Squadron. “From the South Pole to Australia, New Zealand and anywhere in East Asia, our location allows us to respond to major contingencies faster, and with a larger airframe we can move more to affected areas with fewer flights.”

Several C-130 Hercules aircraft loaded with supplies and equipment had already arrived in the Philippines. But the cargo loads were too heavy for the small forklifts on the ground.

With a stop at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, the aircraft -- call sign VOG 146 -- loaded up two 10K forklifts and was back in the air. Less than four hours after leaving Guam, the C-17 arrived at Mactan Air Base to deliver the equipment.

“Strategic air is what comes to mind,” said mission commander Capt. Paul Theriot of the 15th OSS. “The C-130 is tactical theater type aircraft -- it’s awesome. It can do some things better then the C-17, like land of little dirt strips that can’t carry or can’t hold the weight of a C-17.

“But as far as strategic airlift -- which is where most of it’s at when you’re talking about getting cargo around the world -- it’s a new era for the Pacific. I mean there’s nothing like being able to put a couple hundred thousand pounds of gas on a plane, fly eight to 10 hours direct from Hickam to just about anywhere in the Pacific,” Captain Theriot said.

“The 10,000-mile mission was in a way a test of the Pacific Air Forces’ new capabilities. As the squadron matures missions like this will become routine,” he said. And exploiting the Pacific’s theaters tyranny of distance will become less of a challenge and more an everyday task.

“For the first mission -- that’s really been tasked and executed with PACAF forces running the show and putting everything together -- it went very smooth,” Captain Theriot said.

“We’ve been on time or early at every location we went to,” he said. “The support from the air mobility division was outstanding. Support from the home units, the flying squadron was outstanding, so yeah, it was great.”