Haiti Disaster Airlift Response Continues:
Air Mobility Command reported Tuesday that its forces so far had flown more than 260 sorties, providing 1,600 tons of cargo and about 2,400 personnel to earthquake-devastated Haiti. AMC forces also have evacuated more than 600 people from Haiti. Additionally, to help alleviate the burden on the single-runway airport (see Working Haiti Aid above), a C-17 based at Charleston AFB, S.C. flew out of Pope AFB, N.C., on Jan. 18 to airdrop a load of 69,000 pounds of food and water to Joint Task Force Haiti for urgently needed distribution on the ground. Mobility aircrews and aircraft from as far away as McChord AFB, Wash., have participated in the relief efforts, staging aircraft and extra crews at East Coast bases. Active and reserve airmen comprise many mobility crews, including six C-17 rotations flying out of JB McGuire, N.J. (AMC report; McChord report; Charleston report by SSgt. Daniel Bowles; JB McGuire report by TSgt. Denise Johnson)
The incoming head of the 7th Air Force will face an intense mission while relying on 4th-generation fighters to stave off looming threats from North Korea and China.