Airmen bring relief to tsunami-devastated region

  • Published
  • By Samantha L. Quigley
  • American Forces Press Service
UTAPAO, Thailand (AFPN) --  Airmen of the 8th Airlift Squadron from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., continued their vital role in the disaster relief effort Jan. 12. Equipment, supplies and people were loaded onto one of the squadron's huge C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets headed to Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Indonesia was one of the areas hardest hit by the Dec. 26 earthquake and resulting tsunamis.

The C-17's crew of four, with the help of a tanker airlift control element team, loaded at least 58,000 pounds of equipment and supplies, said Tech. Sgt. Mark Hafer, one of the crew's two loadmasters. The team is from Travis Air Force Base, Calif.

The equipment, Sergeant Hafer said, included a tonnage loader and an all-terrain forklift used to move pallets of supplies. The C-17 also carried other supplies, including 6,000 pounds of relief supplies, he said.

The mission came off without a hitch. The plane, which took a fair amount of time to load, landed in Banda Aceh after about two hours flight time. Cargo unloading took about 45 minutes, and the plane and crew took off quickly on the next mission.

The 8th Airlift Squadron's normal missions involve a great deal of training with 82nd Airborne Division Soldiers from Fort Bragg, N.C., Sergeant Hafer said. The unit also has flown missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This mission is different though.

"You definitely get more satisfaction helping people," Sergeant Hafer said. "It beats getting shot at," he added with a smile.

Satisfying as it may be, the mission here is more difficult than normal. Simply navigating the lumbering C-17 into the Banda Aceh airport has its challenges.

"All of their stuff was wiped out," said Capt. Bill Quashnock, aircraft commander. The airport's radar system is gone, and air tower workers cannot "see" inbound planes before they are physically visible, he said.

"As we're flying in, we're constantly having to give them updates (on our location)," he said.

To combat the lack of a radar system, the aircrews use what are referred to as "nonradar procedures." The system is officially known as the traffic collision avoidance system. The C-17 also has a small radar system onboard that can pick up other planes in the area, which is especially important since air traffic controllers cannot see on radar when planes might be crossing paths and subject to a collision.

"(The system) is a fallback everywhere," Captain Quashnock said. But, it is not as difficult for pilots as it is for the controllers, he said.

The air traffic controller, who is Indonesian, has a bit of help by way of an Australian counterpart, Captain Quashnock said. That backup watches over the air traffic controller's shoulder to ensure that there are no misunderstandings because of any language difficulties.

The authorization of night flights is imminent, Captain Quashnock said. As the airport's systems are limited, these night flights will require the use of night-vision goggles, he said.

With all the challenges present in flying relief equipment and supplies into Banda Aceh, Captain Quashnock said that this mission is more satisfying than those to Afghanistan and Iraq.

"I guess you could say it's a lot more enjoyable," he said.