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Airmen honor 5 fallen Kyrgyz men

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan --  Transit Center at Manas Airmen honored five fallen Kyrgyz men in a ceremony in TokMok, Kyrgyzstan, April 29, 2010.

Five brave men, among many, were slain during the recent unrest in Kyrgyzstan. The U.S. Airmen donated dry and household goods to assist their surviving family members.
"We bring small tokens of friendship for the families who are going through so much difficulty right now," said Transit Center director Col. Blaine Holt.

The Transit Center has been involved in humanitarian assistance in Kyrgyzstan for years and has even increased it since April 7.

"Whether you read the local newspaper or the international press, there are many political discussions about the Transit Center," Colonel Holt said. "But the reason I'm here today is just to tell you that we are in the community and we want to continue to help."

We will continue to be community partners for as long as the Transit Center is in Kyrgyzstan, he said. Some of the assistance the U.S. has contributed through Transit Center Airmen includes more than $300,000 in medical supplies and food. Airmen visited wounded Kyrgyz men in the hospital recently, and have also aided the city of TokMok in improving the psychological center facilities there.

But the ceremony held on a rainy Thursday was centered upon honoring the dead and assisting their families.

"Today, my heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones," he said. "I wish you hope for the future."