Air Force adds quake to Pacific missions

The Hickam center sends two C-130s to ferry disaster relief

The Air Force has sent two C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft and 85 airmen from the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base in Japan to provide disaster relief to victims of the 6.2-magnitude earthquake near Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

"Within hours of their request for assistance, we were able to deploy people and aircraft to Indonesia to provide airlift support to the relief effort," said Lt. Gen. David Deptula, commander of Kenney Headquarters at Hickam Air Force Base.

After arriving in Paya Lebar Air Base in Singapore, the airmen formed the 374th Air Expeditionary Group, the Air Force said, and will provide transportation of relief supplies for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

The Air Force also has sent eight members of the 36th Contingency Response Group from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to Yogyakarta and Solo airfields in Indonesia to assess airfield capability.

The Kenney war-fighting center also is providing C-17 jet cargo strategic airlift to the Australian Defense Force, supporting peace operations in East Timor.

Additionally, the center coordinated airlift to provide relief supplies and workers after a 100-foot mudslide wiped out the Philippine village of Guinsaugon on the island of Leyte Feb. 17.

When countries throughout Southeast Asia were devastated by tsunamis on Dec. 26, 2004, members of the Hickam center ran the airlift relief operations.