KATHMANDU, Nepal –
The Nepalese Army and U.S. Airmen from the 36th
Contingency Response Group demonstrated cooperative international working
relationships while supporting multinational humanitarian assistance and
disaster relief missions here May 7.
The soldiers and Airmen worked
side-by-side with military members from the Bangladesh Air Force and Indian Air
Force to process cargo from their aircraft arriving at Tribhuvan International
Airport, Nepal, to provide disaster relief following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake
that struck the nation April 25.
"In this high operations tempo, working
side-by-side with our partners exemplifies our interoperability with other
countries in the region," said Capt. Asim Khan, U.S. Pacific Air Forces South
Asia country director. "We're all working together for the same reason -- to
assist the government of Nepal's effort to distribute aid to the people who are
in need of it."
In the early morning, the soldiers and Airmen offloaded a
Bangladesh Air Force C-130 Hercules. All three nations worked together to
download five cargo pallets containing 25,089 pounds of relief
supplies.
Shortly thereafter, the soldiers and Airmen turned around to
help transport 12 generators weighing 15,000 pounds total from an Indian Air
Force IL-76 cargo aircraft.
"It was a great experience getting to work
with all three countries because they were very friendly and we worked well
together," said Tech. Sgt. Derrick McCall, 36th Mobility Response Squadron ramp
coordinator. "We all pitched in to get the job done and it went smoothly and
quickly, which is especially important so the people of Nepal can get aid
sooner."
Khan said that while he was talking to the Bangladesh Air Force
members, who have been flying relief missions here for more than a week, they
mentioned the average turnaround time for offloading cargo was four hours, but
the teamwork between the Nepalese Army and the U.S. Airmen cut the time down to
a mere 30 minutes.
"We're working with the Nepalese Army to help
facilitate the expeditious flow of cargo through the airfield and onwards," Khan
said. "This multinational effort demonstrates our effectiveness and capabilities
in inter-Air Forces operations and how coming together to work for the same
cause is vital to relief success."
The 36th CRG arrived in Nepal from
Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 5.