Above and Beyond: 22nd Air Force supports Haiti operations in addition to war

DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- Citizen Airmen answered the call when a devastating earthquake struck Haiti last month. Units across Air Force Reserve Command and 22nd Air Force quickly mobilized to assist the injured and infirmed with food, water, medical care and other supplies.

The Haiti mobilization, however, comes atop an already high operations tempo with U.S. missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and South America. To support earthquake relief, more than a third of the 96 Reserve aircrews were retasked to the small Caribbean nation.

"Units within Twenty-second Air Force were exceptionally agile and flexible in their response to the crisis in Haiti," said Col. Ed Whiteley, chief, 22nd Air Force current operations. "Training sorties were recut and units volunteered crews and aircraft to support the initial response before they were even asked."

Relief operations began immediately after the earthquake. The 512th Airlift Wing Contingency Response Element was pulled from an exercise and set up at Homestead Air Force Base, Fla., to control the flow of relief. Stage operations for the C-130s were established at Pope AFB, N.C. Aeromedical crews volunteered and were tasked to fly in support of victims being airlifted to hospitals.

Twenty-second Air Force supported the effort with aircrews, support personnel, supply transport and cargo. Approximately 277 numbered air force Reservists, of the 895 total from AFRC, have, so far, directly supported the relief effort. 22nd wings have transported 1,704 tons of supplies -- one third of all supplies delivered by AFRC.

"We have always been there to assist in times of crisis with both tactical and strategic airlift volunteers," said Colonel Whiteley. "Training has suffered (temporarily) and some C-130 units had to pull out to meet those requirements prior to deployments."

Relief efforts come in addition to an already heavy flight schedule for Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, Coronet Oak and other operations in Africa and elsewhere in the world. In 2009, 22nd AF completed 53,311 flying hours - hours of flight in support of missions and sorties - for those operations. According to officials from the Reserve command, those numbers aren't due to change much in 2010.

"We're already on a fairly high operations tempo because of OIF and OEF commitments, strategic airlift crews on orders and volunteer stuff we do on a daily basis," said Lt. Col. Patrick Shope, deputy chief, Air Force Reserve Command Current Operations.

He explained how the Haiti operation began with first responders, then moved to aid with food, shelter and medical care, then moved to sustainment. Since that first rush of support, the aid has now scaled back nearly 60 percent.

"People need to remember that we're still fighting wars," said the colonel. "We're already taxing our folks. Volunteerism at our initial level is just unsustainable."

As Air Force Reserve operations reduce in Haiti, the mission remains unchanged overseas. Twenty-second Air Force will continue OIF and OEF operations, as planned, as directed by higher headquarters and the Department of Defense. Overall, however, the 22nd AF response through volunteerism and flexibility shows a Numbered Air Force ready to rise above and beyond any challenge.

"Considering everything we are doing on a daily basis," said Colonel Whiteley, "I think our response has been outstanding."