Wisconsin Guard pilots play major role in Haiti relief

February 22, 2010 - The task of airlifting in supplies and cargo by fixed-wing aircraft as part of Operation Unified Response - the U.S. military's mission supporting earthquake-ravaged Haiti - has largely been the jurisdiction of the U.S. Air Force, but a small group of Wisconsin Army Guard aviators are taking on that role as well.

Three members of the Wisconsin Joint Force Headquarters' Operational Support Airlift Command Detachment 52, a C-26E fixed-wing aircraft unit, left Feb. 9 for Homestead Joint Air Reserve Base in Florida to assume an operational airlift support mission for approximately one month. The small aircraft and crew began shuttling personnel and supplies between Florida and Haiti on Feb. 11. Two new pilots replaced the crew Feb. 22 and will continue the mission until early March.

That mission began at the end of January with the Army National Guard's Operational Support Airlift Agency Command (OSAACOM) initially conducting multiple flights into Haiti each day, said Army Maj. Darrell Rasor, the officer in charge of the task force. "Up until about Feb. 10, it was two flights a day, and it's been from Florida to Port au Prince daily, which is roughly a six-hour trip," Rasor said. "We've been taking passengers from Homestead ... to Port au Prince and then picking up people in Port au Prince and bringing them back."

According to Col. Jeffrey Paulson, director of aviation and safety for the Wisconsin National Guard, Detachment 52 is the only C-26 aircraft flying relief missions at present for the National Guard.

"It was decided to reduce the footprint from two aircraft to one," Paulson said.

The unit usually transports tools, cargo and personnel supporting rebuilding efforts in Haiti. However, because of the configuration of the aircraft they fly, they can also take on flying VIP missions as well.

Paulson said that refueling in Haiti is not guaranteed, so flight loads have to be planned to ensure enough fuel remains to depart. Sometimes the crew will refuel at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo, he added.

As the need for supplies and materiel in Haiti lessens after the initial push, many flights of larger aircraft - such as the C-130 Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster III - have dropped off and the needed airlift missions have been picked up by the Army aviators, Rasor said.

The air crews from OSAACOM that are flying the missions rotate on a month-to-month basis.

"There are 11 of these C-26 aircraft total within the Army Guard, and we're rotating among the states that operate these types of aircraft," Rasor said.

One of the biggest challenges facing the crews has been the short amount of time to plan missions.

"There's really short notice - it's kind of on-demand direct support," Rasor said. "The missions are going every day but you don't know what you're carrying until about two hours prior to take off."

But Rasor said that a short lead time isn't that unusual. "That's pretty inherent with the Army general support aviation mission anyway," he said.

Paulson said that the Detachment 52 crew has had to temper its expectations with the reality on the ground.

"The schedule changes constantly," he explained. "Sometimes the flights are cancelled, but they remain available seven days a week."

As of Feb. 19, the crew had shuttled 2,100 pounds of cargo and 21 passengers, including a U.S. senator on a return flight. Paulson said that the aircraft spends a fairly short amount of time in Haiti - no more than 60 minutes, enough time to refuel and reload - due to the high flight tempo at Port au Prince.

Another challenge, Paulson said, is the weather. Florida is also experiencing colder weather, with temperatures in the 40s. But Haiti currently has temperatures in the 90s with high humidity.

Despite all the hard work, Rasor welcomes the opportunity to support the mission.

"We're trying to help the leadership [respond to the Haiti support mission] and kind of get the word out that we have these aircraft and these capabilities," he said.

Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy of the National Guard Bureau contributed to this release.