Airmen deliver medicine to Marshall Islands

  • Published
  • By Capt. Yvonne Levardi
  • Kenney Warfighting Headquarters Public Affairs
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) --  A C-17 Globemaster III departed here Sept. 17 at 9:17 a.m. for Majuro, Marshall Islands, bringing much-needed supplies and medicine to hospital staff and patients after a fire ravaged the capital city’s hospital.

With less than 24 hours of medicine on hand at the city’s only hospital, time was of the essence. At 8:10 p.m., that same C-17 returned, having delivered the critical lifesaving medicine in time, less than 20 hours after the need became known.

The fire destroyed the hospital’s pharmaceutical and medical supply warehouses Sept. 16, and caused the complete evacuation of all patients. The Pacific Air Forces’ Kenney Headquarters staff here worked with the hospital to determine its patients’ needs, and with a local medical center to locate the required material overnight.

Nine hours after learning of the fire, the Kenney Headquarters staff had gathered the medicine and supplies, planned the airlift mission, and put the aircraft in the air.

“The crew just found out about the mission Saturday morning,” said Lt. Col. Chris Davis, 535th Airlift Squadron commander. “When we arrived, that plane was absolutely ready to go.”

U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands, Greta Morris, was in Hawaii while transiting to Majuro after talks in Washington D.C. about U.S. support to the islands. She returned to Majuro aboard the C-17 to help get the medicine and supplies delivered.

“This mission demonstrated the fact that the Air Force can get to places immediately to help people in emergency situations,” Colonel Davis said.

Five hours after leaving here, the plane touched down, delivering its supplies and the ambassador.

“We were greeted by local folks who worked at the embassy and the medical staff,” the colonel said. “They were super appreciative of our getting this to them so fast.”