C-130 crew experiences appreciation of Pakistani people

Published Sept. 6, 2010
By Staff Sgt. Kali L. Gradishar
AFCENT Combat Camera News Team

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Members of the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron forward deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, providing flood relief support in Pakistan witnessed an incredible welcome and feeling of appreciation as they offloaded supplies in an area seemingly more devastated than any other to which they had flown supplies.

A crew of six flew a C-130H Hercules from Bagram Airfield to Chaklala Air Base, Pakistan, where the aircraft was loaded with five pallets of assorted food donated from various regions throughout Pakistan. Once the pallets were loaded and secure, the crew started off to Shahbaz Air Base, Pakistan, near the city of Jacobabad.

"They were happy to see us (at Shahbaz Air Base)," said Tech. Sgt. Adam Nixon, an Air Force Reserve C130H Hercules loadmaster deployed to the 746th EAS. "I was not expecting the welcome party when we flew in there. They've been really grateful, really accommodating what we need to help them out."

"There were some local Pakistanis and some Pakistan Air Force (servicemembers) who seemed really grateful that we were helping. They just wanted to come shake our hands," added Capt. Nick Ing, an Air Force Reserve C-130 pilot deployed from the 357th Airlift Squadron, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. "And overall, the people really seem receptive that we are trying to help. (One Pakistan Air Force officer) really expressed his gratitude that we are there to help and (told us) everything we're doing is being appreciated by the people."

With a dire need for the supplies, Pakistanis at Shahbaz AB went immediately to work unloading the pallets from the C-130 almost as soon as the engines were shut down. More than 15 men stood near the ramp, waiting for it to be opened so they could unload the supplies that would be distributed to nearby villages shortly after.

Working with equipment differences for offloading the pallets, the Pakistan and American crews worked together with what they had.

An Air Force loadmaster adjusted the height of the ramp to make it level with the K-loader, essentially a long flat-bed truck with tracks of rollers, and a Pakistani man backed the K-loader to the edge of the ramp.

The Pakistani man backed up the vehicle, "with little or no direction from us. (We) just made sure he didn't run into the airplane. He lined it up spot on," said Sergeant Nixon, stunned by the extreme accuracy with which the man backed up the vehicle. "With the C-130 you have to be a little more accurate. You have to be within a couple inches left and right, and he was within those inches. He's better than (a lot of forklift operators I've) worked with, and he's driving backwards."

Once the truck was backed up, a handful of men hopped into the C-130 to push the pallets off the aircraft and onto the flatbed.

"We unlocked the pallets, and then enthusiastically the Pakistanis pushed them off... They had a couple that got wedged a little bit. They took a strap and hooked it to a fork lift. Then on the other side, they used another strap and eight guys" to pull the pallet all the way onto the flat bed, said Sergeant Nixon, who claimed he was surprised by the way Pakistanis were so efficient in doing things even without the same equipment.

"You never know what to expect when you go to places like that. The ability with which they worked with what little they had was outstanding... Either way, you've got to get the job done, and that's the bottom line," added the loadmaster, a native of Homewood, Ala.

The crew, which is one of four crews forward deployed from the 746th EAS, arrived at Bagram Airfield Aug. 16 along with support personnel and two C-130s. Since then, they have been flying missions mostly into southern Pakistan where a large amount of destruction occurred from the flooding.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority, the floods have affected more than 14 million people, more than one million homes were damaged or destroyed, and there have been more than 1,500 deaths and more than 2,000 injuries nation wide.

"Once we started getting about 15 nautical miles from Shahbaz Air Base, you could see the devastation," said Captain Ing. "You could see the rivers were overflowing, you could see that some of the towns are submersed underwater and not accessible by anything but boat or helicopter.

"When we opened the doors it seemed like they were very receptive. They came out, they were very quick to greet us and to offload the supplies," he said. "The process was quick because they really need our supplies. So they offloaded us, thanked us and we took off."

After unloading the aircraft, a number of Pakistanis approached the crewmembers while at Shahbaz AB to shake their hands and thank them for aiding the country with its own flood relief efforts.

"The Pakistani Air Force (is) doing the same things we're doing -- bringing cargo and food into smaller locations like Jacobabad and Sukkur," said Captain Ing, a native of Richmond, Va., but a graduate of Auburn University in Alabama currently living in Montgomery near his Reserve unit.

The locals seemed appreciative of all available help, whether from their own military, the U.S. or the numerous other countries involved in relief efforts - similar to the sentiment seen by members of the 357th AS crew while supporting efforts in Haiti after an earthquake that shook the country. Captain Ing noticed the similarities between current flood-relief missions and those he conducted on a previous humanitarian mission providing aid in Haiti.

"It was a joint coalition (effort) also," said the captain. "When devastation hits, it seems like other countries want to help and come to help... Overall, people are very appreciative that we are lending a helping hand."