Royal Netherlands Air Force

A Royal Netherlands air force crew chief provides assistance to an F-16A pilot prior to a sortie at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, April 8, 2011. The RNLAF will be participating in exercises DISTANT FRONTIER and RED FLAG-Alaska for the first time. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz)

Maintainers keep "Hercs" in the air for the relief effort

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Staff Sgt. Neal Peterson and Staff Sgt. Benjamin Zavala, 374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chiefs, replaces breaks on a C-130 Hercules here March 31, 2011. Altogether, Yokota's C-130 aircraft have logged over 300 flight hours carrying fuel, supplies and personnel in support of Operation Tomodachi. Careful and constant maintenance ensures continued flight operations in support of the nation of Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Andrea Salazar)

CE augmentees head home

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airmen line up to load a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules on the flightline here March 30. The 42 Airmen from the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron at Kadena Air Base augmented the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron with base recovery efforts following the March 11 earthquake. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez/Released)

CE augmentees head home

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airmen from the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron based out of Kadena Air Base, Japan, load a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules on the flightline here March 30. The Airmen deployed to Misawa for more than two weeks to help the base recover from the March 11 earthquake which took out power and caused minor facility damage. Approximately 20 civil engineers from Pacific Air Forces bases still remain at Misawa to help with the remainder of recovery efforts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez/Released)

Working in the "Shadows"

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Staff Sgt. Jack Kindell, 353rd Special Operations Maintenance Squadron crew chief, prepares an MC-130P Combat Shadow to be moved across the flight line here March 31, 2011. There are currently four MC-130Ps deployed to Yokota to assist with Operation Tomodachi. As part of Operation Tomodachi, the U.S. military has humanitarian assistance capabilities positioned in the affected region that are supporting emergency relief efforts and trying to minimize human suffering. U.S. military assets include a wide range of equipment and air, sea and ground capabilities and expertise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Andrea Salazar)

First C-17 touches down in Sendai

SENDAI AIRPORT, Japan -- A C-17 Globemaster III crew from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, lands here March 20. The aircraft delivered ten pallets of food, water and blankets. This marked the first C-17 landing at the airport since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Members of the 320th Special Tactics Squadron reopened the runway to fixed-wing aircraft March 16 and cleared the rest of the runway to accommodate larger aircraft such as the C-17, enabling larger shipments of humanitarian aid. (U.S. Air Force photo/Osakabe Yasuo)