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The Beat Goes On
Air Mobility Responds Beyond Baghdad
In keeping with the 2008 A/TA Convention theme: “From Berlin to
Baghdad and Beyond,” the following articles highlight the fact that,
despite of the high ops tempo in support of OEF and OIF, America’s Air
Mobility forces continue to respond to a myriad of situations beyond Baghdad –
Ramstein members Deliver Aid to Georgian Republic
As of 26 August, Ramstein Air Base C-130 Hercules aircrews continued
to fly to Tbilisi International Airport in Georgia to deliver crucial
humanitarian supplies.
Department of Defense officials were asked to support the mission
with a joint U.S. military operation that launched with the delivery
of pallets of medicine, clothing, sleeping bags, cots and other essential
items Aug. 13.
The joint military effort supports coordination by the U.S. State
Department and U.S. Agency for International Development with
the Georgians.
“Our sole goal is to safely and rapidly deliver humanitarian aid
to Georgia to alleviate human suffering and save lives,” said Col.
Benjamin Everson, the U.S. Army Europe’s International Operations
Division chief, speaking in August. “We will continue to support this
humanitarian mission until the host nation and the U.S. State
Department determine that it is no longer needed.”
Airmen from the 723rd Air Mobility Squadron move humanitarian
supplies into position for loading in support of the humanitarian
mission to Georgia Aug. 26 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Twentyeight
Soldiers from the 66th Transportation Company and the 39th
Transportation Battalion, and Airmen from the 723rd Air Mobility
Squadron worked 36 hours to palletize more than 75,000 pounds of
emergency shelter items and medical supplies which include tents,
blankets, bedding, hygiene items, clothing, beds, cots, and medical
supplies in order to support this mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt.
Bryan Woods)
Airmen with 3rd Air Force at Ramstein lead the contingency planning
effort as the operational arm of U.S. Air Forces in Europe. With
dozens of planners coordinating up and down the chain of command
with their U.S. European Command counterparts in Stuttgart,
Germany, humanitarian assistance operations are taking shape day
and night.
“USAFE, as the air component to EUCOM, brings an invaluable
capability to this humanitarian assistance mission -- an airbridge
delivering much-needed relief,” said Brig. Gen. William W. Uhle Jr.,
the 3rd Air Force assistant vice commander. “Our men and women
make that airbridge to Georgia a reality and ultimately impact the
lives of many Georgians for the better.”
The emergency shelter items and medical supplies are provided
from the U.S. State Department stock at the U.S. Army Medical Materiel
Center in Pirmasens. The supplies are then packed into pallets
by Soldiers at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command’s 66th Transportation
Company on Rhine Ordnance Barracks. The pallets are
transported to the Ramstein AB cargo yard and loaded onto C-130s
by aerial porters from the 723rd Air Mobility Squadron and 435th
Logistics Readiness Squadron.
Once loaded on C-130s, 37th Airlift Squadron aircrews fly the seven-hour
trip to Tbilisi. As soon as they touch down at Tbilisi International
Airport, C-130 loadmasters, 86th Air Mobility Squadron aerial
porters and a Georgian civilian contract company work together to
offload the cargo.
One pallet after another is quickly off-loaded from the aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Georgians on the ground continually thank the U.S.
military team for its efforts.
“We are in dire need of these supplies,” said Sergey Khomchenko,
the Counterpart Community and Humanitarian Assistance Program
director. “Thank you so much for helping us in this great time of
need. These supplies will surely save lives.”
The first deliveries into Georgia were flown in by a C-17 Globemaster
Aug. 13. Cargo aboard the aircraft included two pallets of antibiotics
that equaled 104,000 doses, Mr. Khomchenko said.
“We had more burn victims than we could’ve imagined,” he said.
“These antibiotics will go directly to the hospitals to help Georgians
who are suffering in pain.”
Ramstein AB C-130 aircrews began flying Aug. 15.
“We are thrilled to be part of this humanitarian mission,” said
Capt. J. Agnew, a 37th AS C-130 pilot who flew humanitarian aid
into Georgia. “I chose to fly an airlift aircraft so that I could be part of
missions like this. Our unique airlift capabilities allow us to respond
quickly to Georgia’s request for assistance.”
While aircraft continue to deliver humanitarian aid, there is a 1st
Combat Communications Squadron team in Tbilisi. The communications
team is providing communications support to U.S. servicemembers
in Tbilisi as well as to the U.S. Embassy.
U.S. officials, including a U.S. European Command survey team,
continue to coordinate closely with the government of the Republic
of Georgia to determine what aid is most needed within the country
and how best to distribute the aid.
As of Aug. 14, roughly 330 short tons of humanitarian aid had
been airlifted into Tbilisi, the bulk of which had been palletized,
loaded and offloaded by USAFE Airmen after an initial hand-off of
supplies from U.S. Army Europe Soldiers.
Also as of Aug. 14, aircrews with the 37th Airlift Squadron had
flown 17 C-130 missions since the effort began, while Air Mobility
Command has provided additional airlift with C-17 aircraft.
A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Fall 2008
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