Humanitarian airlift brings $15 million in aid to base

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chuck Marsh
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyz Republic (AFPN) --  The largest amount of humanitarian aid to enter the Kyrgyz Republic since it became its own country in 1991 came by way of C-17 Globemaster IIIs from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., on Sept. 23.

About $15 million worth of medicines and medical supplies were unloaded at the Bishkek International Airport -- a civilian airport and the base’s flightline -- by 376th Expeditionary Logistics Squadron workers. The supplies will be used in hospitals as part of Operation Provide Hope, a medical aid program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

“It takes the whole system from headquarters and above all the way down to the base to make an operation work,” said Col. Mark Glibbery, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing vice commander.

“At the base level, it requires the operations side to get the aircraft here and be able to integrate with the support group functions to offload and distribute the cargo, as well as the maintenance functions to ensure the aircraft is mission capable,” Colonel Glibbery said. “The entire base plays a part in making any operation happen.”

Included in the supplies were life-saving antibiotics and cancer medicines.

“I’m just glad to be making a difference,” said Senior Airman Joshua Onge, a 62nd Airlift Wing loadmaster. “I see so much going into Afghanistan and Iraq; it’s good to be able to help other parts of the world as well.”

The feeling here is the same.

“The United States is trying to help the Kyrgyz people by way of humanitarian efforts, taking advantage of our military capability to spread that aid,” Colonel Glibbery said. “While the Manas Air Base mission is to support the global war on terrorism in Afghanistan, our ability to support Operation Provide Hope helps to give the local communities a positive image of the U.S. military.”