A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules and aircrew from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., prepares to combat offload four pallets of flood relief supplies at Skardu Airport Oct. 3. The mission was one of the last fixed-wing operations supporting flood relief in Pakistan. Between Aug. 16 and Oct. 3, C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and their aircrews transported nearly 6 million pounds of much-needed relief supplies to Pakistan aid distribution centers throughout the country. Photo by Staff Sgt. Andy Kin

The government of Pakistan has informed the U.S. that as flood relief operation shift from air to ground transportation, they no longer require U.S. military C-17 Globemaster III or C-130 Hercules aircraft support for delivery of relief supplies.

Two U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft conducted the last fixed wing missions to deliver flood relief supplies in Pakistan Oct. 3, flying humanitarian supplies from Pakistan Air Force Base Chaklala to the Skardu Airport in northern Pakistan.

“The mission was our last flight into some of the forward operating bases in support of humanitarian operations — the end of the fixed wing operations,” said Maj. Kevin Baylis, an Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules pilot from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. For the final day of flood relief missions “we flew into Skardu which is up toward the Pakistani border up in the mountains.

“Hopefully we [delivered] the supplies the folks need to make it through the winter. When you look at the numbers of folks who have been displaced by the flood, it’s good to be able to help out with that,” said the major, who is on his first humanitarian deployment.

Between Aug. 16 and Oct. 3, C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and their aircrews transported nearly 6 million pounds of much-needed relief supplies to Pakistan aid distribution centers throughout the country.

“We’ve been flying into Skardu, Ghazi and around Pakistan delivering humanitarian relief supplies,” said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Beresky, an Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules loadmaster. “Normally there are about four pallets, each weighing about 7,000 pounds, of mainly wheat and water, any other supplies … that people need.

“We’ve been flying two missions with multiple legs every day,” said the technical sergeant, a native of Carbondale, Colo. “We’ve airlift probably between 75 to 100,000 pounds a day — roughly about 25,000 pounds per flight.”

In addition to flying relief supplies to the north, “we’ve also done a fair number of missions into the southern part of Pakistan since there were a lot of flood victims there, as well as … several missions down south bringing in [supplies and parts] for the Army and Marines,” said Baylis, a native of Medford, Ore.

“I would say it’s definitely significant that we were able to come up here and provide the support,” said the pilot, though the crew had to battle occasional weather challenges in getting to the mountainous regions in the north. “I think we all would have liked to fly much more to help out, [but] … we got a lot done.”

To date, U.S. military fixed and rotary wing aircraft, working in partnership with the Pakistan military, have delivered more than 14 million pounds of relief supplies and evacuated more than 21,000 people from flood-affected areas.

As U.S. military fixed-wing support for flood relief in Pakistan ceased, the aircrew and maintenance personnel began making arrangements to depart Chaklala.

“I personally feel proud as a reservist, being one of the first to be staged here and one of the last ones out of here,” said Beresky. “This is what you train for — going to a forward deployed location like this, flying the missions, getting things done as you need to, and delivering the supplies that need to be delivered.”

While the government of Pakistan’s requests for U.S. fixed-wing relief flights have ended, there is no decrease in U.S. commitment to supporting Pakistan flood relief efforts. U.S. military helicopters, U.S. Agency for International development and other U.S. civilian agencies continue to provide humanitarian and recovery assistance throughout Pakistan in support of flood victims.

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Story by Staff Sgt. Kali GradisharSmall RSS Icon

U.S. Air Force Airman from the Contingency Response Element out of Joint Base MGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., operates a forklift while transporting equipment containers off the flightline at Chaklala Air Force Base, Pakistan, Aug. 28. The CRE arrived to augment the local flood relief efforts at the Pakistan Air Force's Central Flood Relief Cell at the air base. Photo by Staff Sgt. Andy Kin

Along with the arrival of a contingency response element from the 621st Contingency Response Team, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., came additional capabilities to increase aircraft loading efficiency at Pakistan Air Force’s Central Flood Relief Cell at Chaklala Air Base, Pakistan.

The additional equipment added to Pakistan’s flood-relief efforts at Chaklala will augment local workers at the flood relief cell as they build pallets of flood relief supplies and load them on various aircraft bringing much-needed food, water, shelter and other basic necessities required for the survival and endurance of the more than 14 million people affected by flooding that began late July.

The first aerial porters who landed at Chaklala AFB had only two 10K all-terrain forklifts and were loading pallets one at a time on aircraft, which took about 40 minutes per aircraft, said Staff Sgt. Damian Perkins, 21st Air Mobility Operations Squadron, Joint Base MDL. Then we received the next generation small loader, or NGSL, which “shortened it from about a 40-minute load time, to loading a C-130 [Hercules aircraft] in about 15 minutes. It means a lot more cargo, a lot more food and a lot more water getting downrange to the people that need it.”

The contingency response element arrived with the equipment, as well as the manpower to support it. That includes 16 specialty porters who are qualified drive all vehicles used in the loading and off-loading of cargo for Air Force assets.

“I’m one of the [aerial porters] that loads up the cargo with the assistance of the Pakistanis and moves it on the C-130′s, said Perkins, who said the equipment has benefited operations at the base.

The introduction of the NGSL, additional forklifts and manpower allows for a remarkable increase in capability for the Pakistan relief effort, as it frees more time for aerial porters, loadmasters and aircrews to aid their Pakistani counterparts.

“It eases up on the workload of everybody here,” said Perkins, a Michigan native. “This means we can load more C-130′s when we get them here. It frees up a lot of hands.”

“We could possibly get the C-130′s to run two missions per day out of Chaklala bringing relief supplies to smaller airfields throughout the country”, said the staff sergeant. “That’s twice the cargo going downrange — Twice the food. Twice the water. Twice the humanitarian supplies. And that’s basically what we’re here for to make sure everybody downrange gets what they need… at the request of the Pakistani government.”

The equipment and manpower supplied by the CRE are part of a behind-the-scenes effort aiding the Pakistan Air Force at Chaklala AFB in forwarding various flood relief supplies to include blankets, clothing, beds and various supplies donated from Pakistan and other countries.

“We get to do the humanitarian mission, and it makes you feel really good inside. We’re helping the people that are honestly sitting there with no food, no water and they’re asking for the help,” Perkins said.

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Story by Staff Sgt. Kali Gradishar

Afghan Air force Returns Home After Aid Mission to Pakistan

Four AAF Mi-17 helicopters with crews of 22 AAF flew flood rescue and aid relief missions in Pakistan. During the last month, the AAF flew 401 sorties moving 1,904 passenger and aid workers, while rescuing 120 people stranded in one of the worst floods in Pakistan’s history. They moved more than 188 tons of lifesaving aid including including food, medicine and shelter.

On Sept. 4, 2010, they returned to a crowd of cheering airmen at the AAF base in Kabul. Each member received flowers and was praised during an award ceremony by the Afghan National Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi and the AAF commander, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Darwan.

“In my one year here, the Afghans have excelled in humanitarian aid missions. I knew they were ready to do this mission on their own…It shows you how much progress they have made. This mission is one of their highlights this year,” Brig. Gen. Michael Boera, Combined Air Power Transition Force Commander said.

This is not the first time the AAF has performed this type of mission. Over a two-day period in July 2010, combined Afghan and Combined Air Power Transition Force aircrews rescued more than 2,100 people stranded near Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

U.S. Army soldiers from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, work to get a UH-60 Black Hawk back on flying status at Chaklala Air Force Base, Pakistan, Sept. 2. The 16th CAB arrived in Pakistan in support of flood relief efforts throughout the country. Photo by Staff Sgt. Andy Kin.

Alaskan Soldiers and Army Helicopters Flying Aid in Pakistan Flood Zone

Members of the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, are reassembling CH-47 Chinooks and preparing for departure in hours of darkness under beams from flood lights and head lamps. In doing so, the Soldiers are slowly acclimating themselves to a change in climate and pace for their humanitarian mission in Pakistan.

“The big difference in the climate is the humidity and the heat. This time of year in Alaska it’s about 40-50 degrees, and about 70 degrees is the warmest it’ll get right now,” said Sgt. 1st Class James Eastman, CH-47 Chinook maintenance platoon sergeant who has been in the Army for 14 years. “We’re working at night to mitigate the issue of the heat being such a factor.

“With the light systems that we have, it’s almost like working during the day as far as the lighting goes. But just to cut down on the amount of people affected by the heat, we’ll try to avoid the hottest part of the day,” said the sergeant responsible for overseeing the build-up and unscheduled maintenance for the Chinooks.

Eastman, who is on his first humanitarian mission, is one of approximately 300 Soldiers journeying from Alaska to Chaklala Air Base, Pakistan, to re-assemble Chinooks and UH-60 Black Hawks tasked to aid the Pakistan government and military with flood relief efforts in the northern regions of Pakistan.

Preparing for the more than half-day flight and follow-on mission requires the organization of personal mobility gear, as well as the disassembly of the helicopters for them to fit on transport aircraft such as the Air Force C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III.

“When we tear these down, the entire top half is basically cut off,” said Spc. Adam Quinn, CH-47 Chinook repairman, also on his first humanitarian mission. Then the “Air Force mostly handles putting them on and taking them off [the transport aircraft]. We’re just there to lend assistance if there’s anything that needs to be done.”

When the aircraft are unloaded, Soldiers go to work rebuilding the assets starting with the aft pylon, moving to the forward and aft transmissions and finally hanging the blades.

“You have to go in a certain order just to make sure that the weight is distributed so it doesn’t tip in any direction,” said Quinn, a prior Air Force aircraft electrician on A-10 Thunderbolt IIs.

Quinn recalled the switch to helicopters aiding in a humanitarian mission as being “a little bit more fulfilling,” he said. “I have a good feeling about these missions that we’re going to be doing.”

Switching from Thunderbolts to Chinooks, from fixed wing to rotary wing, also brings a change in pace. The process of reassembling Chinooks typically takes an entire day, sometimes more, and can often present challenges for the repairmen.

The time it takes to reassemble a Chinook “depends on if the bird wants to go together or not,” said Quinn. “Everything’s manufactured to specifications, but sometimes things just a little bit difficult … You just have to know when to work with it or when to let somebody else give it a try.

“If it wants to go together nicely, it’ll go pretty quickly,” he said.

As the Chinooks are reassembled, each is tested to ensure it is functioning properly –by conducting a ground run followed by maintenance test flights.

“The maintenance test pilots have a checklist they [use to] check everything out. If everything is working as advertised, then it’s good to go. If not, then we adjust from there, figure out what’s wrong with it and send it on its way,” said Sergeant Eastman, a native of Moline, Ill. We “keep them flying the best we can.”

Just as they arrived, one-by-one or in pairs, the Chinooks and Black Hawks will travel north carrying maintainers, pilots, gear and equipment to Ghazi Air Base, Pakistan. Once there, the 16th CAB is expected to transport food, water and other supplies in partnership with the Pakistan military to the hard-to-reach areas in the region.

“Our aircraft is capable of carrying a gross weight of 50,000 pounds,” said Sergeant Eastman. “So, anything that we can fit in there at a gross weight of 50,000 pounds, we’ll deliver. I expect to help [the people and government of Pakistan] in any way we can.”

Local men assist U.S. Marines in offloading hundreds of bags of flour aboard a KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft at Gilgit Air Base, Pakistan, Sept. 8, 2010. Photo by Staff Sgt. Andy M. Kin

Millions of Tons of Aid Arrive in Pakistan on American Wings

U.S. military aircraft supporting Pakistan’s flood relief efforts achieved a significant milestone Sept. 11, exceeding 5 million pounds of relief supplies delivered since U.S. military relief flight operations in Pakistan began Aug. 5.

To date, U.S. military helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, working in close partnership with the Pakistan military, have transported more than 5.4 million pounds of relief supplies and rescued more than 13,000 people, delivering much-needed aid and providing transport to people who urgently need emergency assistance.

The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and 16th Combat Aviation Brigade are providing 30 helicopters to support relief operations. Eighteen U.S. helicopters are operating out of Ghazi Air Base in northern Pakistan, eight are operating out of Pano Aqil Air Base in southern Pakistan, and four helicopters are at Chaklala Air Base being prepared for follow-on missions.

Meanwhile, U.S. military C-130 and C-17 cargo aircraft also have been providing airlift support to Pakistan. The C-17, the second-largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory, has the capacity to carry 90,000 pounds of supplies. Together with Marine Corps and Air Force C-130s, these aircraft have delivered more than 2 million pounds of relief supplies to multiple locations throughout the country, including Skardu, Quetta, Jacobabad, Sharea Faisal and Gilgit.

U.S. flood relief support to Pakistan is being provided through a whole-of-government, interagency response. Relief efforts are being coordinated through the U.S. Embassy here, in full consultation with the Pakistan government, including Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority and other agencies.

Here are several articles from our other site about the efforts of our young men and women in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps to aid the millions affected by the flooding in Pakistan. Follow the link for the entire piece and some photos.

U.S. Marines Respond to Pakistan Floods

The United States military is part of an international effort to provide relief services to the victims of the massive flooding now taking place in Pakistan. Helicopters from the U.S. Army have been flying out of the Pakistani airbase at Ghazi and are now being joined by the air element of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit on the U.S.S. Peleliu. The U.S. Army was able to send four CH-47 Chinooks and two UH-60 Black Hawks to the area from Afghanistan. The effort has also delivered hundreds of thousands of prepared meals, conforming to Islamic dietary laws, to the flood victims.

United States Aids Pakistani Flood Victims

As the misery from the monsoon flooding in Pakistan continues to grow, the United States is pouring assistance in to the country. Through the U.S. military and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), both supplies and funding is being delivered. USAID reports that over $90 million of funding has been committed for Pakistani flood relief by the various agencies of the U.S. government. The military is also providing aircraft and support personnel for rescue and relief flights within and to Pakistan.

Millions Helped by U.S. Military Relief Efforts in Pakistan

Military aircraft sweeping out of the sky have meant little but death for the people of the Swat Valley in Pakistan until now. Long a stronghold for the Taliban, this restive region has
been devastated by the record monsoon flooding that began in late July 2010. The Pakistani government has limited resources and they have asked for assistance from other nations. Stepping forward, the United States military is engaged in rescue and relief efforts in the Valley and other parts of northern Pakistan.

U.S. Aid Continues to Flow to Pakistan Flood Victims

The monsoon related flooding in Pakistan is continuing. The Pakistani National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) reports that, as of August 29, 1,645 deaths and 2,479 injured people are due to the flooding. 1.24 million homes have been damaged.

The current monsoon weather forecast suggests that the rains will abate for several days. This will allow for additional rescue and relief activities, although the floods will require longer to subside. Flooding near the mouth of the Indus River is especially heavy and levee breaches have created many issues.

Marine Corps Super Stallion helicopters from HMM-165 reinforced (Rein), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit approaches land in the Kalam Valley during humanitarian relief efforts in the Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. Photo by Capt. Paul Duncan

The sailors and Marines of HMM-165 reinforced (Reinforced), 15th MEU, and HM-15 Detachment 2, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 press on as they acknowledge a major achievement during humanitarian relief efforts in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.

In just over two weeks on the ground in Pakistan the combined efforts of the Marines and sailors in Task Force Ghazi have resulted in 1,084,158 lbs of supplies delivered to flood victims and 4,758 evacuees relocated.

“It was slow going at first because of the weather, but I think we have really hit our stride now,” said Cmdr. Sara “Nitro” Santoski, officer in charge of HM-15 Detachment 2. If the weather continues to cooperate I believe it won’t be much longer before we will have doubled our numbers,” explained the 37-year-old native Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

The heavy lifting capabilities of the Navy and Marine Corps were specifically requested by the Pakistani government. As a result, 15 U.S. helicopters were sent to augment already existing relief efforts in the region from Marine and Navy helicopter squadrons HMM-165 (Rein) and HM-15 Detachment 2.

“It’s taken the combined efforts of everyone here to do this and it’s not just about the pilots either,” said Lt. Wesley Passons, a Sea Dragon pilot. “If it weren’t for the efforts of each maintainer, crew chief, and avionics tech here, these aircraft would never get off the ground. This is why we are all so proud of what we have been able to accomplish,” explained Passons.

For the Marines of HMM-165, this represents yet another milestone in its historic final deployment. Once the, “White Knights” return to their home base at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., it will transition from the CH-46E to the V-22 Osprey, concluding over 45 years of service with the CH-46E.

“Even amidst the devastation here I am amazed at what I am seeing,” said Sgt. Christopher Johnson, a CH-46E Sea Knight crew chief. “The natural beauty of the landscape is unbelievable,” said Johnson. “I never thought in a million years I would be flying a 46 in the Himalayan Mountains. It just goes to show how different each deployment in the military can be,” explained the 26-year-old native of Sutton, Neb.

“I am extremely proud of all of the hard work these Marines and sailors have done during this relief effort,” said Lt Col. Todd “One-Two” Oneto, commanding officer of HMM-165 (Rein) and Sea Knight pilot.

“The combination of long hours, challenging weather and flying conditions have made it difficult at times but the Marines and sailors are getting the job done,” explained the 47-year-old Wallingford, Conn., native.

The 15th MEU is currently deployed with the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group performing training and security operations-missions as part of their routine deployment across the Western Pacific. HM-15 Detachment 2, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 is a permanent forward deployed detachment located in Bahrain.

DVIDS
Story by Capt. Paul Duncan