Air Force team deploys to prepare for Sudan airlift mission

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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) --  About 30 Airmen from U.S. European Command arrived in Kigali, Rwanda, on Oct. 21 to begin preparations to support a two-week airlift mission of Rwandan peacekeepers. The mission is part of an African Union expanded mission in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Two C-130 Hercules aircraft and about 120 Airmen from the 86th Airlift Wing and 435th Air Base Wing here are expected to arrive in Kigali in the next several days to begin the airlift, officials said.

The advanced team represents various specialties such as logistics, contracting, airfield management, security forces and communications to help the airlift operation. The majority people on the team deployed from here and Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England.

The arrival of the team coincides with an Oct. 20 decision by the African Union Peace and Security Council to expand the security force for monitors by sending additional African peacekeepers to the Darfur region, officials said.

"This is an extremely important mission. ... We're looking forward to supporting the (African Union) in its effort to mitigate the humanitarian crisis that's taking place in the Darfur region," said Col. Robert Baine, the deployed U.S. commander for this mission.

On Oct. 18, the president directed the secretary of defense to make the two U.S. military aircraft available for two weeks to support a portion of the deployment of the expanded African Union mission in Sudan. According to a statement from the White House, U.S. officials are working with other international partners to support the expansion of the mission to about 3,500 people. Other people involved are from Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the European Union. (Courtesy of American Forces Press Service)