TOP STORY > >Delivering humanitarian airlift

By Staff Sgt. Nestor Cruz
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Airmen from the 19th Logistics Readiness Squadron are key components in Little Rock Air Force Base’s Herculean mission crucial to wartime and humanitarian Combat Airlift efforts.

“This year alone, the Aerial Operations Flight has moved 5,000 passengers, processed 1,250 tons of cargo, serviced 5,162 planes and rigged and recovered 6,874 air drop loads and tactical training bundles in support of Air Mobility Command, Air Education and Training Command and Air Combat Command missions,” said 1st Lt. Francine Kwarteng, 19th LRS Aerial Operations Flight commander.

The Aerial Operations Flight also provides support for the Denton Program, a commodities transportation program authorized by the Department of Defense.

According to the U.S. Aid website, “more than 600,000 pounds of humanitarian goods were sent to 17 different countries through the Denton Program.”

The flight recently supported two Denton program missions requiring humanitarian aid supplies.

The flight palletized more than 3,900 pounds of cargo for transport in May to needy children in Iraq. They also packed a ton of donated humanitarian aid supplies, including eye glasses, wheelchairs and other medical items that departed Little Rock Air Force Base June 24 bound for Honduras.

“The Denton Program allows the use of extra cargo space on U.S. military cargo aircraft to transport humanitarian assistance materials donated by non-governmental organizations, international organizations and private voluntary organizations,” said Lieutenant Kwarteng.

“Other places that have received humanitarian aid from us are Haiti, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands,” said Master Sgt. Javier Holst, 19th LRS NCO-in-charge of aircraft services.

In addition to providing humanitarian airlift, the flight also supports missions such as Joint Airborne/Air Transportation training.

Lieutenant Kwarteng said her flight members hold themselves to high standards of excellence.

“It’s our responsibility to ensure all missions landing and departing from this base receive the world-class support AMC customers have become accustomed to,” she said.

Sergeant Holst attributes his flight’s success to the positive “can do” attitude demonstrated by supervisors guiding Airmen through daily training and taskings. The senior NCO said there is a certain satisfaction from completing missions on a daily basis.

“At the end of the day, it’s satisfying to know that our flight provides training and airdrop loads to the world’s C-130 aircrews because it allows our aircrews the training to ensure both wartime and humanitarian Combat Airlift success,” said Sergeant Holst.