455th AEW Airmen deliver first relief supplies in response to Pakistan flooding

by Tech. Sgt. Drew Nystrom
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

8/2/2010 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- A C-130H Hercules crew delivered relief supplies to Islamabad, Pakistan, July 31 in response to catastrophic monsoon flooding.

The first flight, flown by the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, delivered nearly 8,000 Halal meals. Halal meals are similar to the military's packaged ready-to-eat meals, and they're prepared according to Islamic laws.

A follow-on C-17 Globemaster III flight, flown by Airmen from the 385th Air Expeditionary Group, delivered more than 44,000 of the Halal meals Aug.1.

Hassan Zulfiqar, the director of Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority met the aircraft as they delivered the much needed supplies.

"Monsoon rains have caused a lot of flooding," Mr. Zulfiqar said. "Almost 1 million people have been affected and thousands of people are marooned in flooded areas. They need immediate assistance, especially food and medicines."

Pakistani relief efforts have been on-going since the floods hit, but the 455th AEW's C-130H flight was the first international assistance to make it on the ground.

"As far as foreign assistance is concerned, this is the first flight," Mr. Zulfiqar said. "The Pakistani government has already started relief efforts and have begun to distribute relief items from our warehouses to the affected people.

"The U.S. relief supplies are going to help a great deal," he said. "We hope this assistance provided by the U.S. will be a sustained effort in the days to come and hopefully it will not be the last relief consignments. I think it's going to be a great help."

The mission was a complete success, said Capt. Robert Dodson, the C-130H aircraft commander.

"We had a quick response from the time we were notified to the time the pallets were on the airplane," the captain said. "The whole reason why we're here is to help others when we can and the whole crew is happy to do it."

According to a press release issued Saturday by The U.S. government will continue to send assistance for flood relief efforts in the country, said Anne W. Patterson, the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan.

"The United States supports Pakistan's emergency relief efforts on behalf of people affected by recent monsoon floods," Ambassador Patterson said.

In addition to the more than 50,000 Halal meals, U.S. officials are also responding to Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority's specific request for:

-- Four Zodiac inflatable rescue boats, designed and built for lightness and speed on rapidly flowing waters;

-- Two water filtration units, which provide pumping, purification, storage and distribution. Each unit can fulfill the daily water requirements of up to 10,000 people

-- Twelve pre-fabricated steel bridges that can temporarily replace highway bridges damaged by flooding in Peshawar and Kurram Agency. The provincial government officials and Pakistan's military officials are coordinating their efforts to ensure the use of these bridges.