Freedom Wing airpower feeds the hungry

  • Published
  • By Shawn J. Jones
  • 514th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Aircrews that fly KC-10 Extenders are used to filling the fuel tanks of other aircraft, but on Jan. 9 they performed a mission to fill the fuel tanks of hungry people, as they helped transport 45,000 pounds of food to impoverished Afghans.

Reservists from the 78th Air Refueling Squadron flew to Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, Minn., to load the humanitarian cargo, which consisted of boxes of fortified rice and dried vegetable meals. The crew then moved the cargo to the aerial port at Joint Base Charleston from where it will be flown to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, to be distributed by U.S. Army personnel to people living in the country's Bamiyan region, located several hours west of Bagram. The food will reduce the threat of starvation during Afghanistan's harsh winter.

Although flying privately donated humanitarian cargo is not one of the Air Force's primary missions, organizations may request their donation be transported through the Denton Program. Jeremiah Denton, a former Alabama U.S. senator and Vietnam prisoner of war, sponsored the program, which allows donations to be transported on military aircraft on a space-available basis at the convenience of the military.

"I already love doing my job, but it's even better getting to do it knowing we helped people in an impoverished country," said Capt. Christopher Sampson, the lead pilot who flew the mission. "It is very easy to see pallets in the cargo area as simply freight on its way to a destination, but at the end of the day, those pallets contained 45,000 pounds-worth of food for needy people thousands of miles away."

The mission had more than a humanitarian impact. It also provided a training opportunity for the Reserve crew. Since the KC-10's primary role is that of an airborne tanker, missions that call on the aircraft's secondary role of cargo transport can be infrequent.

"Denton cargo gives us an opportunity to practice our secondary role, adding a dynamic to the mission that is impossible to obtain on local training flights," Sampson said.

The Air Force is no stranger to delivering humanitarian supplies to foreign countries. In fact, one of the Air Force's first major challenges was transporting humanitarian cargo during the Berlin Airlift, which was one of the defining events of the Cold War. The massive airlift operation was an early triumph for the young Air Force, and signified air power's contribution to rebuilding democracy in post-World War II Europe.

Although Denton missions cannot match the scope of the Berlin Airlift, they can contribute to an overall rebuilding strategy in Afghanistan.

Sampson said humanitarian efforts like the Denton mission demonstrate how the United States truly cares about people in need around the globe.

"Most militaries would never take an asset devoted to war and use it for humanitarian purposes," he said. "That the Air Force does exactly that speaks volumes about the goodwill of the U.S. Armed Forces."

Since January 2011, the 514th Air Mobility Wing's three flying squadrons have performed 11 Denton missions.

The Denton program is jointly administered by U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of State, and the Department of Defense. To qualify for the Denton Program, a mission must be used to support on-going relief and development projects, must be consistent with U.S. foreign policy objectives and must provide legitimate humanitarian assistance to the recipients.