Patriot Wing delivers aid, happiness to Guatemala

by Staff Sgt. Kelly Goonan
439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

3/12/2014 - GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA -- An 11-member Westover crew flew 20 tons of humanitarian aid to this Central American city March 9.

The cargo included an ambulance, a bus, two pallets of corn and other medical supplies which were picked up from Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio and Joint  Base Charleston, S.C.

Humanitarian aid missions, like these, are made possible by the Denton Amendment, a state department program that allows the Air Force to deliver donated humanitarian aid on a space-available basis worldwide.

After a four-hour flight and some language hurtles on the way between the aircrew and host nation, a very crowded city appeared in the mountainous Guatemalan terrain. High rise buildings appeared to hug each other. Houses seemed to be on top of one another. Clothes lines draped the porches.

The Westover Galaxy touched down on the 9,800-foot runway of La Aurora International Airport. Shortly after arrival, two large trucks, equipped with armed police, came to assist in the off-loading of the C-5's cargo. The Mission of Love volunteers shook hands and hugged each member of the Patriot Wing aircrew. Everyone broke out in applause.

"We were just so happy to see the crew and cargo," said Kathy Price, Mission of Love founder and director.

Price's foundation is the largest non-governmental organization user of the Denton Program in the United States. She said they have delivered aid to five continents throughout the world.
The cargo delivered by the Patriot Wing will be put to good use.

"I'll be delivering the wheel chairs to children with cerebral palsy, and washing and waxing the ambulance and bus for the presentation to the Mayan communities," she said. They'll go to Way-bi, a Children's Hospice in Tecpan, Guatemala, which serves terminally ill children.

The ambulance will service 80,000 Mayan Indians and will be the only one of its kind in the region while the school bus will provide transportation to 13,000 Mayan children for education.
The Denton Amendment mission brought a sense of accomplishment and pride to the entire aircrew.

"It's this kind of mission that makes everything that you have to do back at home station worth it," said Tech Sgt. Daniel Orcutt, 337th Airlift Squadron loadmaster.

Due to Guatemalan offload equipment limitations, about 800 pounds of corn had to be broken down from the two pallets and hand-carried off the C-5. The Westover crew and volunteers worked alongside each other, completing the task in less than 15 minutes.

"When we distribute the corn the Mayan Indians, mothers cry with gratitude," said Price. "Because the corn is so valuable we need a police escort 65 miles to their community." The corn will service thousands of Mayan Indian families, who use the vegetable as their only staple to make tortillas.

"Everybody in Tecpan will benefit from this Mission of Love cargo, no exceptions," she said.

"You are not here to save the world but to touch the hands that are within our reach." - Mission of Love Foundation, mission statement.

The Denton mission departed Guatemala March 9 for MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., before returning to Westover March 10.