621st CRW Airmen, 688 RPOE Soldiers deploy to Liberia in support of Ebola outbreak humanitarian relief operations

by Staff Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez
621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs

10/2/2014 - JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J.  -- A rapid-response team of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army air and surface mobility specialists deployed to Liberia, Sept. 17, in support of Operation UNITIED ASSISTANCE, a comprehensive U.S. effort to support the World Health Organization and international partners to assist the governments of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in their efforts to contain the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa.

Approximately 60 members of  the 621st Contingency Response Wing, based at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and the 688th Rapid Port Opening Element from Joint Base Langley-Eustis,Virginia, merged as a Joint Task Force-Port Opening and began assessment operations at Roberts International Airport, Monrovia, to evaluate the airfield infrastructure.

"The Airmen and Soldiers of our JTF-PO team train together on a routine basis for missions such as these," said Air Force Lt. Col. Kyle Benwitz, JTF-PO contingency response element commander. "When the call came in, we were ready and able to assist the host nation's residents in their moment of need."

The JTF-PO specializes in rapidly establishing hubs for cargo distribution operations worldwide, to include remote or damaged locations, on short notice. Previous deployments include humanitarian assistance support missions to Haiti, Pakistan and Japan, and contingency deployments in support of military operations in Eastern Europe, Afghanistan and South America.