ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – An Elmendorf C-17 Gobemaster III sits on the flight line here before takeoff May 10. Airmen from Elmendorf worked hard to gather and load oil containment equipment that was flown to New Orleans Naval Air Station. Several squadrons participated in providing relief support for the Gulf oil spill. This C-17 was carrying 89,000 pounds of equipment and was expected to make the flight in seven hours. (Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross)

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ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – Capt. Todd Peterson, 517th Airlift Squadron, talks with Airmen before takeoff May 10. Airmen from Elmendorf worked hard to gather and load oil containment equipment that was flown to New Orleans Naval Air Station. Several squadrons participated in providing relief support for the Gulf oil spill. (Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross)

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ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – Airman 1st Class Nicholas Kenny, 517th Airlift Squadron, ensures the cargo is fastened on an Elmendorf C-17 Globemaster III May 10. Airmen from Elmendorf worked hard to gather and load oil containment equipment that was flown to New Orleans Naval Air Station. (Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross)

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ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – Tech. Sgt. Chad Nyreen, 732nd Air Mobility Squadron, helps load cargo May 10. Airmen from Elmendorf worked hard to gather and load oil containment equipment that was flown to New Orleans Naval Air Station. Several squadrons participated in providing relief support for the Gulf oil spill. (Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross)

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ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – A Navy boat skimmer sits on a flatbed, May 10, ready to be flown out the morning of May 11. Airmen from Elmendorf worked hard to gather and load oil containment equipment that was flown to New Orleans Naval Air Station. Several squadrons participated in providing relief support for the Gulf oil spill. (Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross)

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ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – A Navy boat skimmer sits on a flatbed, May 10, ready to be flown out the morning of May 11. Airmen from Elmendorf worked hard to gather and load oil containment equipment that was flown to New Orleans Naval Air Station. Several squadrons participated in providing relief support for the Gulf oil spill. (Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross)

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Elmendorf C-17s deliver cargo to aid oil spill containment efforts

Published May 11, 2010

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes assigned to Elmendorf's 517th Airlift Squadron are transporting oil containment equipment to New Orleans, La., to assist with the clean-up of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

So far, three C-17s and 15 aircrew from the 517th and 249th Airlift Squadrons have transported 211,000 pounds of equipment to Louisiana.

An additional three flights are scheduled. Elmendorf transportation experts expect nearly 500,000 pounds of oil containment equipment to be delivered before the operation is over.

Prepping and delivering the cargo has been a consolidated Team Elmendorf effort.

"I'm extremely excited to support this mission. The nature of this equipment, and the responsibility to ensure it is air-worthy, has presented our squadron with several new and unique challenges, however our squadron has risen to the occasion and have been very successful through three aircraft departures already, " said Mike Boy, 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron installation deployment officer.

"We continue to closely coordinate with agencies from USTRANSCOM, USNORTHCOM, ALCOM, and FEMA Region Six. Up to this point, we have inspected, palletized, and loaded over 100 tons of equipment belonging to BP Exploration (Alaska) and the U.S. Navy SUBSAL located on Fort Richardson."