Travis Airmen contribute to Darfur airlift operation
by 1st Lt. Nicole Langley
615th Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs
1/9/2009 - TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- Members of the 615th Contingency Response Wing here recently deployed to Africa in support of humanitarian airlift missions into the Darfur region of Sudan.
Nearly two dozen Travis Air Force Base members departed Jan. 1 for Kigali, Rwanda, to support the operation, which will airlift equipment from Rwanda into Darfur.
The 615th CRW team is just one small piece of the operation, but is serving a vital role in the mission as they coordinate the airlift movement with numerous other agencies. American military support came at the request of the United Nations, U.S. Department of State and the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur.
The Travis AFB team arrived in Kigali after spending one night at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where they were briefed about the mission they would accomplish and the brand new squadron they would belong to. Maj. Sang Kim of the 615th CRW, now the 722nd Expeditionary Air Base Squadron commander, and his team are operating under U.S. Air Forces Africa and U.S. Africa Command, to plan and execute the operation.
"We are doing plenty of coordination with the Rwandan Defense Forces, the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations," Major Kim said.
The major, who has led other teams from the 615th CRW, including most recently in support of Hurricane Gustav, said that being a part of this mission is extremely rewarding.
The actual airlift will be conducted by other Airmen from Travis AFB, and could last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
Aircrews from the 60th Air Mobility Wing and the Air Force Reserve's 349th Air Mobility Wing here will fly two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft to Africa Jan. 10 and will remain there until all required cargo is delivered.
"We are proud to participate with our 349th and 615th contingency response wing partners in order to save lives and alleviate human suffering, as we support this mission," said Col. Mark Dillon, the 60th AMW commander.
With a primary mission to rapidly establish air mobility operations in support of contingency efforts and humanitarian operations, the 615th CRW has nearly 20 percent of its unit deployed worldwide in support of operations and exercises.
"This perfectly demonstrates the capabilities of the 615th Contingency Response Wing," said Col. John Lipinski, 615th CRW commander. "Our expertly trained Airmen are ready to go anywhere in the world on very short notice, operate in unique environments, and work with our joint and coalition partners to support contingency operations or provide humanitarian assistance."
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