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Globemaster delivers Qatari mobile hospital for quake relief

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. Alicia Prakash
  • U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AMCNS) --  A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transported the first Qatari mobile hospital to Pakistan in support of earthquake relief operations Oct. 15.

Airmen loaded seven Qatari Army soldiers and 90,000 pounds of cargo that were airlifted to Islamabad International Airport, Pakistan. The group consisted of two medics, two drivers and three vehicle mechanics. Cargo included two all-terrain vehicles filled with medical equipment, a five-ton truck, a generator and a trailer.

“It was very wonderful to go,” said Saeed A.N. Mohammad, a Qatari Army pharmacist and nurse. He and three other Pakistan-natives on the team were anxious to get to Pakistan to assist in the relief efforts. The four expressed relief that their immediate families remained unharmed by the natural disaster.

After landing in Islamabad, the Qatari soldiers had to wait nearly an hour before deplaning because of inclement weather. Pakistani nationals and crews from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., and McGuire AFB, N.J., offloaded the vehicles and medical supplies.

For C-17 air crew member Airman 1st Class Dan Gutowski, a 15th Airlift Squadron loadmaster from Charleston AFB, providing support by airlift was "Just another day," but he was ready to help.

“I know the earthquake caused a lot of damage and the Pakistani people really need our assistance,” he said. “I’m glad I’m in the position to make it happen.”

Since Oct. 9, C-17s have flown 938,000 pounds of cargo, 182 pallets and 69 passengers into Pakistan, according to Maj. Brent Keenan, the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Detachment 2, C-17 operations commander.

The earthquake caused massive destruction in the North West Frontier Province and some districts of Kashmir, destroying more than 200,000 homes, killing more than 25,000 people, and injuring 52,000, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Because of the amount of devastation and volume of relief supplies headed to Pakistan, operations on the ground are challenging, according to Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Mitchell, 818th Contingency Response Group, McGuire AFB, flightline expeditor. The 818th CRG is assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing -- one of two specialized units under the direction of 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill.

Sergeant Mitchell said downloading aircraft and uploading helicopters with supplies can be quite a feat on an airport runway that has so many people and moving parts.

The Qatari Army has contributed directly to the relief efforts in Pakistan, thanks to the U.S. Air Force’s C-17 providing the airlift to get the Qatari soldiers and supplies where the help was needed, Mohammad said.

“We are very thankful (for Americans),” said Mohammad. “We are all human, like brothers.”