BAUCAU, Timor-Leste -- Scant clouds hang scattered in the sky over parched, arid grassland surrounding a small, neglected airport. Only a handful of aircraft land or take off from the airfield during the year.
A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules with the North Carolina Air National Guard broke the silence of the nearly abandoned airfield Sept. 8, when during a precise approach, it dropped two packages, which slowly descended under their olive-drab parachutes onto the dusty tarmac.
The airdrop exercise was part of Operation Pacific Angel 15-2, and represented a real humanitarian mission as it could be performed in support of relief operation to a disaster-stricken region.
However, while the mission was an exercise, its benefits are real and allowed a combined team of U.S. Airmen, New Zealand soldiers, and members of the Falintil Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste (F-FDTL) to deliver 40, eight-pound bags of rice as a donation to the children of a local orphanage.
Smiling and yelling to get the attention of the visiting service members, children of the Al-Amal primary school gathered as the Pacific Angel 15-2 team members unloaded the rice.
In the middle of the commotion, mingling with the children, taking selfies and sharing laughs, Maj. (Dr.) Kimberly Caldwell, 18th Medical Group family practice physician, brought an additional care package of simple, yet much-needed household items, including 1,000 toothbrushes and tooth flossers in addition to 3,000 bars of soap and shampoo packages.
“I simply loved seeing the actual rice drop from the aircraft and to take it immediately to the orphanage where it is needed most,” Caldwell said. “The kids just went crazy, they loved seeing us. While it makes you sad to see that they have so little, it felt good to see their joy during our visit.”
Most of the hygiene goods were purchased and donated personally by Caldwell, who said she was inspired by the lack of resources she witnessed during a previous humanitarian assignment to Laos.
“I just wanted to give more to Timor-Leste,” said Caldwell, who is also providing free medical care to local citizens at the Pacific Angel health services outreach clinic. “I’m passionate about helping people and we have so much in the U.S. that we can’t even imagine what it is like to live here. This was easily one of the highlights of my week here. Seeing all those happy faces was really rewarding, even while it makes you wish you could do more to help.”
The orphanage was hand-selected by Pacific Angel planners and local government officials, who identified the small, Muslim institution as an ideal place to benefit children in the area.
“I’m very happy and appreciative of what (the PACANGEL team) is doing here in Baucau,” said Antonio Agusto Guterres, lead city administrator of Baucau. “It is not the large quantity that makes this donation special, but the impact this gift will have for all the children who live without parents at the orphanage. It not only will feed them for several days, but is also a sign that people care about them.
“This is the second Pacific Angel we have had here in Baucau and we are forever grateful for the social activities of free medical care and this air delivery,” Guterres continued. “We face a lot of tasks for improvement here, but the help from other nations and the military helps us care of our people and work toward a better future.”
While the airdrop benefited children in need, a major focus was to practice and demonstrate essential humanitarian air mobility techniques.
“We are here to perform and practice a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission,” said Lt. Col. Edward Khim, Pacific Angel 15-2 commander. “It is an engagement of the local community and military where we work to improve skills, techniques and procedures of all participants that will be used in real-world operations.”
To ensure a safe delivery of the donation, Pacific Angel 15-2 air mobility liaison officer Capt. Christopher Bair kept in close radio contact with the aircrew as the C-130 approached the airfield.
“Safety is a huge factor during an airdrop like this,” Bair said. “Farmers cross this airfield all the time with their animals. Together with F-FDTL security teams we made sure the runway is completely clear and no one was going to wander onto the flightline and be a danger to themselves or others, which ensured this was a safe and successful airdrop.”
Since 2007, PACANGEL missions have improved the lives of tens of thousands of people and help local government and international aid agencies respond more quickly to emergencies. It enables them to assume control of recovery efforts in their wake by enabling them to more efficiently use equipment, training and connections they already have to provide medical and engineering assistance to local citizens in need.