Air Force begins delivery of Darfur aid - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times

Air Force begins delivery of Darfur aid

The “Spirit of the Golden Gate” — a C-17 Globemaster flown by airmen from the 60th Airlift Wing — kicked off the Air Force’s delivery of over 30 tons of humanitarian aid landing in Darfur on Wednesday morning.

This is the first major airlift organized by Africa Command since it was stood up in October 2008.

Airmen delivered oversized vehicles, water purification systems, water trailers and tents aboard two C-17s out of Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Two flights occurred Wednesday with “a couple more” planned over the coming days, said Maj. Sang Kim, 722nd Expeditionary Air Base Squadron commander.

Airmen with the 615th Contingency Response Group and soldiers with the Rwandan Defense Force loaded the cargo jets at the Kigali International Airport in Rwanda before the aircrews flew the C-17s into Darfur and landed near RDF positions, Kim said.

Kim’s squadron arrived in Kigali on Jan. 5 and started preparations prior to loading the oversized vehicles onto the C-17s. Airmen in 17th Air Forces — the numbered Air Force under AfriCom — started planning for this airlift as early as October.

Maj. Timothy Voss, chief of current operations for the 17th Air Force, said organizing the Sudan airlift has provided a great opportunity for the 17th to learn on the job.

“It has helped us learn who we need to talk to including all of the different agencies we work with,” he said. “And, it has provided some lessons learned that will allow us to execute plans like this better in the future.”

Over 300,000 people have died in Darfur since 2003 while 2.5 million more have been displaced, according to United Nations records. President George W. Bush promised the aid shipments Jan. 5 after meeting in the White House with Salva Kiir, a former south Sudanese rebel leader who is now the First Vice President of Sudan.