FONDS-DES-BLANCS, HAITI -- On May 6, members of the 732nd Airlift Squadron successfully completed its 21st humanitarian mission trip to Haiti, with the Denton Cargo Program, delivering a trailer to aid in the construction of a new medical warehouse.
Donated by the charitable organization Build Health International, the trailer was picked up by the 732nd AS flight crew at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts, where they worked with Airmen from the 42nd Aerial Port Squadron to safely and securely load it onto a C-17 Globemaster III.
They then delivered the trailer to Saint Boniface Haiti Foundation located in Fond-des-Blancs in the southern region of Haiti. There the trailer will be used to complete a new 10,000 square foot warehouse to store supplies, medication and equipment for daily operations of the Saint Boniface Hospital. The hospital serves over 2.3 million Haitians in the southern region of Haiti, providing services in infectious disease, primary care, neonatal care, maternity, surgical, spinal cord injury and rehabilitation.
Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the 732nd AS has delivered much needed supplies and equipment to the area through the Denton Program, a DoD transportation program that moves humanitarian cargo, donated by U.S. based Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to developing nations to ease human suffering. The deliveries have had a positive impact on Haitian charitable organizations and communities, as well as the Airmen involved.
“For seven years humanitarian mission trips to Haiti have been rewarding for the entire crew. The 732d Airlift Squadron has delivered pallets of food, home kits, vehicles and equipment to Haiti,” said Lt. Col. Mike Prodeline, 732d Airlift Squadron evaluator pilot.
Nam Nguyen, Toussaint L’Ouverture International Airport logistics management specialist, helps coordinate humanitarian deliveries to the airport, which is located in Tabarre, near Port au Prince.
“Haitian people are working with many charitable organizations to bring supplies to Haiti through the Denton Program. We have many donors waiting to deliver their cargo to Haiti,” Nguyen said. “The demand of cargo delivery surpasses the amount of available flights to Haiti through the Denton Program.”
During the flight over Tech. Sgt. Steven Cabrera, 732nd AS loadmaster, completed his training evaluation, a mandatory evaluation for loadmasters and a necessity for the humanitarian delivery.
“The flights are operated by reserve and air guard units during training evaluations of flight crew. Cargo can only be delivered during our training evaluations which are scheduled quarterly to Haiti,” said Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Clayton, 732d AS loadmaster.
When complete, the new hospital warehouse will also provide mobile clinics to rural towns and inventory for emergencies. Further construction is scheduled to expand the Saint Boniface hospital to increase their medical services for the population in Fond-des-Blancs.