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Travis aircrews support Africa peacekeeping operations

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kristen Rohrer
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Two Travis Air Force Base C-17 Globemaster IIIs departed for Africa Jan. 10 in support of peacekeeping operations in the Darfur region of Sudan.

The Travis aircrews consist of men and women from the active-duty 60th Air Mobility Wing and the Air Force Reserve's 349th Air Mobility Wing.

In addition, Travis' 615th Contingency Response Wing sent a 12-person team to Rwanda Jan. 1 to coordinate with Rwandan and U.S. officials to facilitate airlift efforts into the region.

"We are proud to participate with our 349th and 615th CRW partners in order to save lives and alleviate human suffering, as we support this mission," said Col. Mark Dillon, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander.

At the request of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur, as well as the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations, Travis' support is part of a larger United States effort to provide aid to the region.

"The C-17 is especially well suited for humanitarian operations because of its ability to carry heavy cargo into austere airstrips anywhere in the world," said Lt. Col. Bill Spangenthal, 21st Airlift Squadron commander.

Aircrews were anticipating flying the C-17 during the operation because of its capabilities.

"I was happy to be a part of this type of [humanitarian] mission," said Capt. John Antal, 21st AS pilot.  "The C-17 is an amazing aircraft, with many capabilities to handle this mission. I  hope we're able to do some really great work over there."

The equipment being delivered to Darfur will be loaded in Rwanda and transported into Darfur.

"We will be transporting 75 short tons of heavy equipment, to include water trucks and other vehicles," said Col. John Lipinski, 615th CRW commander.  "Our tasking is to support Rwanda and their peacekeeping mission."

The humanitarian operations could take up to several weeks to complete and involve approximately 20 to 30 Travis crewmembers.

Travis AFB provides the nation with heavy global airlift, air refueling and contingency and humanitarian support capabilities, such as this current operation in Darfur.

"It feels great to be a part of this because as a result of the mission, we know we're going to help a lot of people," said Maj. Mendez Rivera, 301st Airlift Squadron pilot. "We train every day so we'll be prepared for this type of mission."