First C-130 crew provides humanitarian assistance to Burma

Burma servicemembers form a line to carry water supplies off a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules May 12 at the Yangon International Airport in Burma. The plane carrying water, food and medical supplies provided relief to Burma, which was struck by Cyclone Nargis May 2. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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First C-130 crew provides humanitarian assistance to Burma

A civilian aid worker from Burma hands bottled water to a Burma servicemember from a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules May 12 at the Yangon International Airport in Burma. The plane carrying water, food and medical supplies provided relief to Burma, which was struck by Cyclone Nargis May 2. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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First C-130 crew provides humanitarian assistance to Burma

Burman servicemembers and civilian aid workers stage and count the water offloaded from a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules May 12 at the Yangon International Airport . The plane carrying water, food and medical supplies provided relief to Burma, which was struck by Cyclone Nargis May 2. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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First C-130 crew provides humanitarian assistance to Burma

Supplies are loaded into a C-130 Hercules to deliver to the country of Burma May 12 at the Yangon International Airport. The plane carrying water, food and medical supplies provided relief to Burma, which was struck by Cyclone Nargis May 2. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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First C-130 crew provides humanitarian assistance to Burma

Supplies from the U.S. Agency for International Development from the American People is loaded into a C-130 Hercules for to the country of Burma May 12 at the Yangon International Airport. The plane carried water, food and medical supplies to provide relief to Burma, which was struck by Cyclone Nargis May 28. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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First C-130 crew provides humanitarian assistance to Burma

Henrietta H. Fore (left) meets an official at the Yangon International Airport May 12. The plane carried water, food and medical supplies to provide relief to Burma, which was struck by Cyclone Nargis May 2. Ms. Fore is an administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development from the American People. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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First C-130 crew provides humanitarian assistance to Burma

Published May 12, 2008

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, HAWAII (AFPN) -- A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules loaded with emergency relief supplies touched down at Rangoon International Airport in Burma May 12 in support of national disaster relief efforts following Tropical Cyclone Nargis that swept through Burma May 2.

An aircraft was loaded with 8,300 bottles of water, two pallets of mosquito nets, and a pallet of blankets in the first of three planned flights in support of the United States Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Relief and approved by the Burmese government.

Pacific Air Forces officials are accustomed to working with the international aid community and other partner nations in disaster relief operations to provide humanitarian assistance. PACAF officials stressed their committment to providing relief assistance to the people of Burma as they cope with this tragedy.

In addition to the aircrew, Undersecretary Henrietta H. Fore, the director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and USAID administrator, Navy Adm. Timothy Keating, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command, and Bill Berger, the commander of USAID's Disaster Assistance Response Team, flew with the relief supplies to Burma to meet with Burmese officials and help pave the way for more intenational and U.S. relief flights.

Also poised to provide support are 45 36th Contingency Response Group members from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The team is also prepared to open or operate airfields to facilitate relief operations if necessary.

Two 374th Airlift Wing C-130s assigned to Yokota Air Base, Japan, are forward deployed to Utapao Thai Royal Navy Air Base, Thailand, for the humanitarian relief operation.