Colorado AF Reservists play important role in Pakistani flood relief

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kali Gradishar
  • U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs
PAKISTAN AIR FORCE BASE CHAKLALA, Pakistan --  The government of Pakistan has informed the U.S. that as flood relief operations shift from air to ground transportation they no longer require U.S. military C-17 Globemaster III or C-130 Hercules aircraft support for delivery of relief supplies.

Two U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft conducted the last fixed wing missions to deliver flood relief supplies in Pakistan Oct. 3, flying humanitarian supplies from Pakistan Air Force Base Chaklala to the Skardu Airport in northern Pakistan.

"The mission was our last flight into some of the forward operating bases in support of humanitarian operations -- the end of the fixed wing operations," said Maj. Kevin Baylis, an Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules pilot from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. For the final day of flood relief missions "we flew into Skardu which is up toward the Pakistani border up in the mountains.

"Hopefully we [delivered] the supplies the folks need to make it through the winter. When you look at the numbers of folks who have been displaced by the flood, it's good to be able to help out with that," said the major, who is on his first humanitarian deployment.

Between Aug. 16 and Oct. 3, C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and their aircrews transported nearly 6 million pounds of much-needed relief supplies to Pakistan aid distribution centers throughout the country.

"We've been flying into Skardu, Ghazi and around Pakistan delivering humanitarian relief supplies," said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Beresky, an Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules loadmaster. "Normally there are about four pallets, each weighing about 7,000 pounds, of mainly wheat and water, any other supplies... that people need.

"We've been flying two missions with multiple legs every day," said the technical sergeant, a native of Carbondale, Colo. "We've airlift probably between 75-to-100,000 pounds a day -- roughly about 25,000 pounds per flight."

In addition to flying relief supplies to the north, "we've also done a fair number of missions into the southern part of Pakistan since there were a lot of flood victims there, as well as... several missions down south bringing in [supplies and parts] for the Army and Marines," said Major Baylis, a native of Medford, Ore.

"I would say it's definitely significant that we were able to come up here and provide the support," said the pilot, though the crew had to battle occasional weather challenges in getting to the mountainous regions in the north. "I think we all would have liked to fly much more to help out, [but]... we got a lot done."

To date, U.S. military fixed and rotary wing aircraft, working in partnership with the Pakistan military, have delivered more than 14 million pounds of relief supplies and evacuated more than 21,000 people from flood-affected areas.

As U.S. military fixed-wing support for flood relief in Pakistan ceased, the aircrew and maintenance personnel began making arrangements to depart Chaklala.

"I personally feel proud as a reservist, being one of the first to be staged here and one of the last ones out of here," said Sergeant Beresky. "This is what you train for -- going to a forward deployed location like this, flying the missions, getting things done as you need to, and delivering the supplies that need to be delivered."

While the government of Pakistan's requests for U.S. fixed-wing relief flights have ended, there is no decrease in U.S. commitment to supporting Pakistan flood relief efforts. U.S. military helicopters, U.S. Agency for International development and other U.S. civilian agencies continue to provide humanitarian and recovery assistance throughout Pakistan in support of flood victims. (Courtesy/Air Force Print News)

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