America's North Shore Journal

The sun set just after 5:30 pm in Port-au-Prince on January 13, 2010. There was no moon in the partly cloudy sky, just the stars looking down on the horror that was Haiti. Help was coming, and would arrive about 8 pm that evening.

The C-130 Combat Talons of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command quietly glided out of the sky to settle onto the one runway of the Toussaint L’Ouverture International Airport. The airport was crowded with planes that had made the dangerous, uncontrolled flight into the earthquake ravaged nation in the 24 hours since the quake.

Security personnel of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron were first off the planes. The airport was swarming with both Haitians and foreign nationals and the safety of everyone was paramount. Within a half hour, the well-trained airmen had secured the facility and the remaining Special Operators disembarked. With radios already active, combat controllers began the task of air traffic control for the airport and the region.

Along with the security contingent and combat controllers, the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron brought pararescue personnel, trained as paramedics and also trained in urban search and rescue.

The airport had planes parked wherever the pilots could find space. Some needed refueling, others needed to be moved, and others needed to be unloaded. Through the night, the airmen worked to sort out the mess. Electricity was on at the airport and the runway lights functioned.

As dawn broke, the pararescue teams and their equipment moved into the city of Port-au-Prince. Acting on a priority list from the American Embassy, they began the difficult task of locating trapped survivors and extricating them from the rubble. By mid afternoon, seven rescues had been accomplished.

The situation at the airport began to be sorted out. Airmen discovered that there were only two tow bars and two fuel trucks, which made support services a bottleneck. Unloading aircraft was another. At one point during the day 44 airplanes were on the ground.

With little prospects for additional fuel reaching the airport, air traffic controllers were telling inbound aircraft to have enough fuel for departure as well. One large aircraft on the field required six hours to be refueled via the two fuel trucks.

With just one runway and the service bottlenecks, many aircraft circled the airport for hours waiting for permission to land. The FAA assisted in attempting to relieve the congestion by limiting or denying permissions for flights to Haiti during the day on January 14.

Additional resources from the Air Force arrived in Haiti late in the day on January 14. These planes brought more equipment and additional personnel from Mobility Command to enhance air traffic control and airport operations.

Special Ops C-130s, Teams Provide Disaster Relief

Air Force Special Forces Rescue Seven in Haiti Relief Efforts

US Air Force Special Forces Set Up Airport Controls, Start Rescue Missions