Dover supports humanitarian relief in Haiti

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
On the morning of Oct. 4, Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm, made devastating landfall on the western most tip of the Caribbean country, Haiti. With more than 1,000 Haitians killed by the storm and damages estimated at more than $1 billion, Haiti needed all the help it could get.

Two C-17A Globemaster IIIs and aircrews from the 3d Airlift Squadron, Dover AFB, flew humanitarian and relief supplies into Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in support of Joint Task Force Matthew from Oct. 6 to 9, 2016.

“I would say that when people picture what we do, they normally associate it with combat,” said Capt. Jeremy Roberts, 3d AS pilot. “But it’s not always that. One of our capabilities is rapid global mobility, and this is a really good example of how we can take an idea and put through to execution in just a few hours.”
Roberts was the aircraft commander of the first Team Dover C-17 to fly into Haiti, delivering relief supplies.

This first C-17 and aircrew first flew to Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, to stage their operations. From Oct. 6 to 9, they flew back-and-forth from Honduras to Haiti three times, delivering a total of 205 thousand pounds of water, food, and generators. They also transported nearly 100 Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and contractors, who are to assist with relief efforts on the ground.

A second C-17 also took part in operations. This one did not transport relief supplies, but rather a portion of the 621st Contingency Response Group. They were moved from their home station, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, to Port-au-Prince International Airport, Haiti. The 621st CRG is highly-specialized in training and rapidly deploying personnel to quickly open airfields and establish, expand, sustain and coordinate air mobility operations. In other words, their job is to support AMC aircraft on the ground.

These 3d AS aircrews found the experience fulfilling.

“I think all of us on the crew were eager to do it,” said Roberts. “It’s rewarding and humbling at the same time to help people when they are in need.”

For one loadmaster, this was not his first time on a humanitarian relief mission.

Pakistan, Haiti once before, and Honduras, Master Sgt. Donny Maheux, 3d AS loadmaster superintendent, listed off.
For Maheux, this mission had both its similarities and differences, opposed to past relief missions.

“It was pretty much the same for me,” he said. “The only difference was that we carried the 621st CRG into the location, not supplies. We brought in the people who stayed to help with the relief operations.”