Jan

2010

Kentucky National Guard provides neighborly support for Haiti from the Dominican Republic

By Tech. Sgt. Phyllis Hanson, Air Force Public Affairs Agency

Less than a week after reviving a “rundown, abandoned airfield” in Barahona, Dominican Republic, the Kentucky National Guard’s 123^rd Contingency Response Group (CRG) has already helped to ease the flow of much needed medical supplies, food and water to neighboring Haiti who suffered a horrendous earthquake two weeks ago.

During an interview Tuesday, Jan. 26 on DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable Lt. Col. Kirk Hilbrecht, a public affairs officer with the Kentucky National Guard discussed what he describes as “One heckuva very fulfilling operation.”

So far, approximately 52 aircraft, mainly the U.S. Air Force’s C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster IIIs, have brought in close to 576 tons of water, food and medical provisions, to include live donor organs and plasma, which are then trucked 60 miles east to the Haitian city of Port-au-Prince and other neighboring communities.

Known as the “airbase in a box,” Kentucky’s 123rd CRG members represent a broad spectrum of specialties, including airfield security, ramp and cargo operations, and command and control. Many of the Airmen already have operational experiences from multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as from stateside operations in support of relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina and assisting those who suffered from Kentucky’s deep freeze last February, 2009.

The team of about 60 deployed to the Dominican also includes about 15-20 active duty members who are providing security forces, and administrative needs to include a small contracting office that prepares documentation to secure flatbed trucks to get the needed supplies across the boarder.

The Kentucky Guard is expected to continue supporting Operation Unified Response from the Barahona airfield for 60 to 120 days, depending on what the mission dictates, said Colonel Hilbrecht.

For more information on what the National Guard is doing to support “Operation Unified Response” go to: www.ng.mil/features/haiti.

Photo: Members of the 123rd Airlift Wing load gear for a deployment from the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., on Jan. 21, 2010, in preparation for a flight to the Dominican Republic as part of earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Three C-130s and approximately 45 Kentucky Air National Guardsmen departed from the Louisville, Ky.-based unit on Jan. 22, 2010, to establish an air cargo hub responsible for controlling incoming aircraft, offloading relief supplies and staging them for further movement into Haiti. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Dennis Flora)

By paulf.bove | Posted in Air Force, Air Force blog, Public Affairs, US Air Force, USAF | Tagged 123rd Contingency Response Group, Barahona, Dominican Republic, Haiti earthquake, Kentucky National Guard, Operation Unified Response | Comments (0)

Jan

2010

Dispatch from an Airman in Haiti — Team Efforts

Chief Master Sergeant Tyler Foster is the Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs deployed chief of operations at the Troussaint Louverture International Airport in Port au Prince, Haiti. He and his team are supporting U.S. Southern Command relief efforts in the wake of the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated the nation.

Most air traffic controllers work in an air conditioned state-of-the-art facility with a panoramic view of the airfield they manage. They put in their 8 hours, jump in their car, head home, kiss the kids and wife and maybe even enjoy a nice cold brew in front of the tube.

I did say most, right?

Most of the time, combat controllers are deployed into war zones. These tip-of-the-spear battlefield Airmen manage air traffic while dodging bullets and shooting bad guys. There’s no office. They don’t even shave most of the time because there’s not enough water. The cushiest part of their job are the knee pads built into their uniforms. The commute to work? How about a free-fall drop from 10,000 feet? Not your cup of tea? Maybe the 10-mile ruck march into 14,000 foot mountains with 120 pounds on your back? That’s a typical day in the Air Commando CCT’s office.

Here, it’s a little different. They walk to work here. It’s only about a quarter mile to the office … a fold up table and some chairs in the middle of the infield at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport. No air conditioning. It’s hot. It’s humid. It’s noisy. And rather than directing air strikes on hostile forces in Afghanistan, they’re controlling hundreds of flights per day bringing life saving supplies for the people here who need them.

Normally, this airport handles about 35 aircraft per day. Last Saturday, we managed about 240. For you math whizzes out there, that’s one aircraft every 6 minutes. If you’re a history buff, then you’ll remember the freshly minted U.S. Air Force had it’s “3-minute beat” during the Berlin Airlift back in ‘48-’49 … landing one aircraft every 3 minutes. We’re moving some serious tonnage into this LZ. To date, it’s about 3.5 million pounds … that’s water, food and medical supplies for the millions of Haitian survivors here. Not one fixed or rotary wing aircraft hits the tarmac here without a combat controller’s DNA on it.

With this level of logistical movements, ramp space comes at a premium sometimes. When we first got here … 7 hours after the President of Haiti requested humanitarian assistance … this LZ was in utter chaos. There were 42 aircraft jammed into a parking ramp designed to accommodate 9. They were parked under each other’s wings, nose to nose, on the taxiway, even on the runway … it was pure mayhem. It took this team of pros a full day to untangle that mess. By then, we were landing one aircraft every 30 minutes or so. As this op matured, combat control teams worked with planners at the newly stood up Haiti Flight Operations Coordination Cell at Tyndall AFB, Fla., to design a system to avoid air traffic and ramp space congestion and conflicts. We call it a “slot” system.

It’s really pretty simple as long as everyone follows the rules. Call up the HFOCC, reserve a slot time, fly here on time, land, off-load your cargo and passengers, then get out of Dodge on your reserved take off time. Simple, right? Sometimes, not so much. For whatever reason, an aircrew may spend more time on the ground than they’re allotted. That affects other aircraft in the holding pattern waiting to land. Sometimes they run low on fuel and have to divert. Sometimes we have the maximum number of aircraft on the ground here at the airport … can’t land more or we go back to day 1 … not good. So flights are diverted … as they are at every airport … for safety reasons. There’s no favoritism. A plane is a plane to us.

Still some people just don’t get it and bust their reserved times. Think about it like this: have you ever made reservations for dinner at a nice restaurant? Maybe you’re running late, so you call. They hold your table for 20 more minutes. You show with your lovely lady, enjoy dinner, wine and pleasant conversation. You run up a nice $300 tab. You’re there an hour and a half … 45 minutes past your reserved time. Now there’s a couple who’s celebrating their 10th anniversary waiting for their reserved table … you know, the one you’re sitting at. They are late to seat and eat, so that has a ripple effect on down the line. Ultimately, other customers leave and eat elsewhere because, well, it’s just rude to make people wait that long when they’re hungry and wanna eat. In the end, customers are ticked, and the restaurant loses money.

Here, the same principle applies. Only instead of money, every busted minute over the allocated slot time may mean a life is lost because much-needed supplies didn’t make it here on time. It’s an easy fix. Get here on time. Get your cargo offloaded in time to make your takeoff time and get out of the next guy’s way. We’ll bring you in and get you out … you have to do everything in the middle quickly.

We’re all here to help, and that includes helping each other too.

Photo Cutlines:

Top right: A U.S. Air Force Combat Controller from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field Fl., exits a helicopter on a drop zone in the outer lying area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where humanitarian aid will be air dropped and distributed by members of the United Nations Jan 21, 2010. Department of Defense assets have been deployed to assist in the Haiti relief effort following a magnitude 7 earthquake that hit the city on Jan. 12, 2010.(U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. James L. Harper Jr.)

Lower left: A U.S. Air Force combat controller from the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla., assesses a potential relief supply air delivery drop zone during Operation Unified Response in Port au Prince, Haiti, Jan. 19, 2010. The U.S. Department of Defense contingent is part of a larger national and international relief effort led by the U.S. Agency for International Development in response to the Jan. 12, 2010, 7.0 earthquake here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.)

By admin | Posted in Air Force | Comments (1)

Jan

2010

Landing slots and priorities–Managing aircraft flow in Haiti

By Paul F. Bove, Air Force Public Affairs Agency

U.S. Air Force Colonel John Romero, chief of Air Mobility Division for the 612th Air Operations Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, A.Z.; Lieutenant Colonel Brad Graff, 601st Air Operations Center, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; and Major Dave Smith, U.S. Air Force were on the DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable on 21 January to discuss how Airmen are managing the flow of aircraft into Haiti. With the recent boom of humanitarian flights going into and out of the Port au Prince Airport, missions have increased to approximately 140 per day (at an airport capable of handling approximately 50 per day).

The airstrip capabilities being implemented in Haiti make up what is now called the Haiti Flight Operation Coordination Center (HFOCC) and are based on lessons learned from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. These practices are allowing the Air Force to safely and effectively manage inbound and outbound flights so that aid can arrive in the safest, most efficient manner.

It is apparent that there are major difficulties in coordinating all the relief flights that want to come into Port au Prince. Col. Romero said that Air Mobility in Davis-Monthan is “focusing on getting the right things at the right time into the airport in Haiti to support the Haitian government and the people of Haiti.” The “right things” include numerous requests of support from NGOs who want to bring supplies, doctors and other people to help. Col. Graff stated, “As far as how many requests we’re getting, all I can tell you is that our phones are ringing off the hook continuously 24/7. The ramp is being fully utilized 24/7. So the demand for the ramp is continuous and insatiable.”

The use of designated slot times and shipment priorities, as decided by the Haitian government, play heavily into the scheduling of flights. Factor in the limited capabilities of the airstrip and there is a lot of room for failure.

To ensure success, the HFOCC is enforcing landing time slots. Organizations, including the military and anybody else who wants to fly in, must have a landing slot. “What we were having was everyone wanted to get in and they couldn’t, but they came anyway,” said Col. Romero. He likened it to JFK Airport suddenly having twice as many flight wanting to land even though the additional planes never called to say they were arriving.

Col. Romero continued, “I understand everyone thinks they have the number-one priority, but not everyone truly does have the highest priority. And you have to rack and stack those, and that’s why we depend on the Haitian government there to work with the Joint Taskforce and the U.N. Mission so that we make sure we get the right prioritized cargo and we can schedule those folks with the right slot times at the right times to get into Port-au-Prince.”

To reiterate the point, Col. Graff said, “We’re not trying to bar people or limit the field. Far from it. We’ve tripled the flow through that field. So your chances of getting in are better now than ever. You just do need to follow the procedures that are in place. We don’t like to think of ourselves as limiting that airfield; we like to think of ourselves as facilitator that are allowing things, the proper agencies, allowing people to get in there in a more timely manner.”

Ultimately, the successful airfield management of the HFOCC will allow for the Haitians to receive the aid and support they currently need.

Credits:

Photo 1: U.S. citizens living in Haiti evacuate from Troussaint Louverture International Airport, on board a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III on Jan. 18, 2010. An earthquake devastated much of the capital city, Port au Prince. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Master Sgt. Russell E. Cooley IV)

Photo 2: U.S Army PFC Keenan Roberts, Second Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne, removes supplies from a U.S. Navy helicopter at the airport in Port au Prince, Haiti, on Jan.19, 2010, during Operation Unified Response. This operation, led by U.S. Agency for International Development, is part of the U.S. Department of Defense effort to provide aid and relief to Haitian citizens affected by the Jan. 12, 2010, 7.0 magnitude earthquake here. (U.S. Air Force photo by. Tech. Sgt Prentice Colter)

By paulf.bove | Posted in Air Force | Tagged aid, Air Force Live, disaster, Earthquake, Haiti, humanitarian, Port au Prince, relief, U.S. Southern Command, US Air Force | Comments (4)

Jan

2010

Dispatch from an Airman in Haiti– “One life at a time”

There is no “easing” into the day here at the military encampment at the Port au Prince airport. Navy and Marine helos hit the deck here at 0630 sharp. There’s no snooze button on that alarm. You roll out of your cot, put the same uniform on that you’ve worn for the last 3 or 4 days. Does it stink? Who knows, everyone is in the same boat. This ain’t no formal dinner. These are bare base operations. Our focus is mission. Our mission is saving lives.

Bleary-eyed Airmen migrate toward the port-o-lets then off to their work space: a table, a steel chair, the flightline, the rubble of a building. There’s no complaining. You grab a cup of joe if it’s ready. Otherwise, it’s water. Water all day every day to keep hydrated.

You learn to tune out the incessant and essential cacophony the ever-busy flightline offers. The word “noisy” doesn’t do this environment justice. At times it is deafening. The hum of the flightline means life saving supplies, equipment and personnel are on their way to the Haitian citizens who need them. One life at a time. That’s all we can do. Save one life at a time.

Photo Cutline: U.S. Air Force Medics, Master Sgt. Douglas Brook and Tech. Sgt Nicholas Wentworth, Air Force Special Operations Command, perform urgent medical care to a Haitian man at the Troussaint Louverture International Airport, Haiti on Jan. 18, 2010. The man was injured in an earthquake that rocked the country on Jan. 12, 2010. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Master Sgt. Russell E. Cooley IV)

By paulf.bove | Posted in Air Force | Tagged aid, Air Force Live, disaster, Earthquake, Haiti, humanitarian, Port au Prince, relief, U.S. Southern Command, US Air Force | Comments (1)

Jan

2010

Operation Unified Response makes progress in Haiti, hard work still ahead

By Tech. Sgt. Phyllis Hanson, Air Force Public Affairs Agency

Providing medical care and delivering water and food supplies are top essentials in supporting Operation Unified Response in Haiti for now, but more tasks are to come in the near future.

“No one’s kidding themselves,” there are enormous tasks in front of us, in bringing stability to Haiti, said Lt. Gen. P. K. (Ken) Keen who discussed these top priorities during an interview Jan. 18, on DoD Live Bloggers Roundtable.

“We’re going to do our very best to help the Haitian people with what they need as fast as we can. It’s taking our entire military to do this, and we’re building up each day,” said General Keen who is the Joint Task Force Commander Haiti as well as the U.S. Southern Command deputy commander.

With 1,400 U.S. servicemembers on the ground, and nearly 5,000 afloat, those numbers will grow in coming days to about 5,000 on the ground and another 5,000 off shore supporting Haiti needs. The goal is to leave the lightest “footprint” by not sending in too many people for they will consume what other wise could be pushed out to the population, he said. There has to be a balance in order do to accomplish our mission.

The Port-au-Prince International Airport is hopping with 24-hour operations, averaging 180 round-the-clock flights per day. To maximize movement, the Air Force is alloting planes 2 hours each to get in and get out whether it be to deliver supplies or to pick up evacuees. Mind you, this is includes the Air Force’s big birds such as the C-17 Globemaster III and the C-130 Hercules on a 10,000-foot runway which normally only handles about 13 flights a day.

While Air Force personnel are essentially running airport operations, the Haitian government determines the priorities and the order in which planes are scheduled depending on the needs at any given time. Timeliness is crucial in meeting those top needs — especially delivering medical supplies.

“We’re doing the best we can, but have more to do,” said General Keen. “It is absolutely critical to get the ports open,” he said. And while Haiti seaports are damaged, more U.S. Naval and Marine support are arriving , to meet crucial demands such as more hospitals.

The U.S. is an enduring partner and will remain committed to providing support to the Haitians to ensure they are able to recover from this devastating disaster. If you’re interested in helping Haiti with urgent and long-term needs, go to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund website or any number of trusted aid relief organizations such as the American Red Cross.

SOUTHCOM, who has led U.S. military support to 14 major relief missions, including assistance to Haiti in September 2008, is working closely with United Nations Stabilization Mission, or MINUSTAH, and local officials. For more information about the Air Force’s participation in the Haiti Earthquake relief effort, visit http://www.af.mil/humanitarianrelieftohaiti/index.asp. For a compilation of official U.S. Government Twitter accounts following Haiti relief, click here.