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Port dawgs help scout send aid overseas

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Christopher Carranza
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The 60th Aerial Port Squadron recently shipped approximately 5,000 pounds of donated humanitarian relief supplies to Afghanistan, as part of a Denton Program shipment.

The Denton Program, as per Title 10, U.S.C. Section 402, objective is to put the empty space on U.S. military transport to good use by providing humanitarian relief transportation for nongovernmental organizations or private citizens, at little or no cost to them.

The supplies for the shipment were gathered by Andrew Reed, Boy Scout Troop 94 Eagle Scout candidate, as part of his Eagle Scout project he said.

"I'm really excited about this donation," Reed said. "It makes me feel good to know that these supplies are going to help someone across the world."

The donation is scheduled to be received by boy scouts in Kabul, Afghanistan, and distributed to an orphanage and the needy around the city said the Folsom, California, native.

"Last year we (60th Aerial Port Squadron) led Air Mobility Command in Denton Program shipments," said Staff Sgt. James Flicker, 60th APS cargo processing shift supervisor. "For 2013, we moved 45 tons of Denton donations to Afghanistan. Supplies usually consist of rice, rice cookers, clothing, school supplies and blankets."

The Port Dawgs inspect and palletize the donated goods in a short amount of time in preparation for movement. Airman 1st Class Ryan Williams, 60th APS traffic management officer, was part of the team prepping the cargo shipping.

"I process all of the cargo going from stateside to out of country for all branches of service," Williams said. "I like being able to work with cargo because everything we ship is helping the mission, wherever it may be."

The goods are shipped via space-available, meaning all mission-essential materials have first priority.

"I just got back from Kandahar, Afghanistan, and I have seen how cargo such as this affects younger generations of people's perception of Americans," Flicker said. "I am more appreciative of moving this cargo and hope it creates better relations with the people of Afghanistan."

For more information on the Denton program and donating through the U.S. Agency for International Development, visit the website https://hatransportation.ohasis.org/