Team Little Rock unified in Haiti relief effort

  • Published
  • By Capt. Joe Knable
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti --  An augmented crew from Little Rock Air Force Base's 41st Airlift Squadron flew the base's eighth C-130 Hercules transport airplane into Haiti Jan. 20 as part of Air Mobility Command's participation in Operation Unified Response, the Hatian earthquake relief efforts.

The airplane, a C-130J model that flies higher, faster, farther, carries more cargo and requires fewer crew members to fly than legacy C-130 aircraft, was the fifth plane to join the relief effort from the squadron. The other three C-130s were sent by the 50th, 53rd and 61st Airlift Squadrons.

The 41st AS is the first active duty C-130J squadron in the contiguous U.S. states. It's the only unit to man the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, which it has been continually supporting since February, 2009. More than 50 percent of the squadron is currently supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Including Operation Unified Response, the squadron is now more than 75 percent tasked.

"We have a very solid (training) system in place, so when something like this happens, we just go out there and execute it," said Maj. Gary Penna, who is coordinating the squadron's efforts with OUR. "We take a lot of pride in what we do, we're very good at what we do and we want to help out as much as we can."

"Even though it says it's a 41st Airlift Squadron mission, it's a 'Team Little Rock' effort," said Lt. Col. Gilberto Martinez, the squadron's commander. The crew includes a loadmaster from the 34th Combat Training Squadron, a pilot from the 19th Operations Group and two crew chiefs from the 19th Maintenance Group.

Normally, a C-130J can fly with three crewmembers: two pilots and one loadmaster. This particular mission called for a crew of eight, including an additional loadmaster, the maintenance crew chiefs, and two Fly Away Security Team Security Forces Airmen from Pope Air Force Base, N.C. In addition to the FAST Airmen at Pope, the crew picked up medical supplies, an Army Humvee and a few dozen Army Rangers from the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment from Fort Bragg, N.C. The Rangers were brought in to deliver security and resupply the Haitians, said 1st Lt. Fredrick Lough, the platoon's commander.

After another short stop at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., the C-130 touched down at the Port-au-Prince international airport at 12:05 a.m. Jan. 20. The crew was in and out in a hurry; these parking spots are prime real estate. All of the Soldiers and cargo were unloaded in approximately eight minutes. The plane was on the ground in Haiti for about an hour.

The airport was a beehive of activity. While the C-130 was being unloaded, a marshaller started to direct a large commercial airplane about 100 feet too close to the C-130. Tech. Sgt. Steve Nader, a loadmaster on the crew from the 34th CTS, recognized the hazard and ran at the marshaller to redirect the jumbo jet off its collision course, sparing the planes untold damage, the crew from being stranded in Haiti and a potentially devastating delay at the airport. At Sergeant Nader's warning, the marshaller immediately waived the incoming aircraft away from the C-130.

"The mission went really well; we got everything turned over really fast," said Sergeant Nader. "I'm just doing my part to help out."

"It was great flying into Haiti because this is really why I chose (tactical) airlift; I really wanted to do the humanitarian aid and relief (missions)," said Capt. Cory Waldroup, the mission commander. "It's definitely a milestone in my career. I'll always be able to look back and say I took part in the relief efforts in Haiti."

After this mission, the crew remained on stand-by at Pope AFB, ready for another mission to Haiti. "We've only just begun (to help)," said Capt. Waldroup.