AF Reserve unit launches first Puerto Rico-based Haiti relief mission

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier
  • 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MUNIZ AIR BASE, Puerto RIco --  After deploying to this Puerto Rican airbase two days earlier, a combined Air Force Reserve and Active Duty crew took off in their C-130 Hercules under the cover of darkness and rain Jan. 25 in support of Haiti earthquake relief operations.

The crew will fly to Florida where they are expected to take on humanitarian supplies bound for Haiti. After delivering the supplies, the crew will provide any support U.S. Southern Command officials require for additional relief support.

"The Haiti mission is just part of what we do," said Staff Sgt. Allen Clutter, a flight engineer from the 302nd AW. "You sign up for your job and the unknown is what you train for. I got lucky enough to get on this first mission. I'll try to make a good example for the rest of the engineers to follow, although those guys have some pretty heavy experience."

Members of the mission are part of an approximate 50 Airmen deployed from Colorado to Puerto Rico in support of the relief operations. The deployment is part of a previously-scheduled assignment to Muniz Air Base as part of Air Expeditionary Force Coronet Oak. AEF Coronet Oak traditionally provides rapid-response airlift to missions requested by the U.S. Southern Command. With the Jan. 25 mission, both Air Force Reservists and Air National Guardsmen deployed are are expected fly several flights a day.

The crew for the Jan. 25 mission is comprised of AF Reservists from both the Colorado-based 302nd Airlift Wing and Active Duty's 52nd Airlift Squadron. The two organizations work together under the Total Force Integration directive. During operations at Muniz, each organization falls under the control of the 35th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, the group charged with executing AEF Coronet Oak missions.

"This is vastly different for me this time because I'm on the flightdeck of the aircraft, versus working on it from the ground as a crew chief," said Sergeant Clutter, who is on his second AEF Coronet Oak deployment, but his first deployment as a flight engineer. "Going from (the Airman Battle Uniform) to a flightsuit changes everything."

To date, the 35th EAS has flown more than 213 hours, completed 38 missions, moved more than 340 tons of cargo and airlifted 141.