UTAPAO, Thailand-- A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules stocked with supplies humanitarian relief takes off from Utaphao International Airport in Pattaya, Thailand on 12 May to deliver relief supplies to Burma. The Air Force is part of Joint Task Force Caring Response, a multi-service humanitarian sssistance and disaster relief effort for Burmese citizens devastated by Cyclone Nargis. (U.S. Marine photo by L. Corporal Robert Harding)

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UTAPAO, Thailand-- Supplies are loaded into a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules to deliver to the country of Burma May 12 at the Yangon International Airport. The plane carrying water, food and medical supplies provided relief to Burma, which was struck by Cyclone Nargis May 2. The aircraft is deployed from the 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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RANGOON, Burma-- Supplies from the U.S. Agency for International Development from the American People is loaded into a C-130 Hercules for to the country of Burma May 12 at the Yangon International Airport. The plane carried water, food and medical supplies to provide relief to Burma, which was struck by Cyclone Nargis May 28. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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RANGOON, Burma-- Senior Airman Daniel Mortensen and Burma servicemember work together to unload relief supplies from a U.S. Air Force C-130 at the Rangoon International Airport, May 12. This is the first shipment of water, mosquito nets and blankets is the first U.S. military flight in support of relief efforts to Burma following Tropical Cyclone Nagris that recently swept through the country May 2. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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RANGOON, Burma-- Service members from Burma and United States pause momentarily while loading supplies from a U.S. Air Force C-130 onto Burmese trucks at the Rangoon International Airport, Burma, on May 12, 2008. The shipment of water, mosquito nets and blankets is the first of three planned flights in support of relief efforts following Tropical Cyclone Nagris that recently swept through Burma. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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RANGOON, Burma-- Henrietta H. Fore (left) meets an official at the Yangon International Airport May 12. The plane carried water, food and medical supplies to provide relief to Burma, which was struck by Cyclone Nargis May 2. Mr. Fore is an administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development from the American People. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt Andres Alcaraz)

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UTAPAO, Thailand-- United States Navy Admiral Timothy J. Keating, commander of United States Pacific Command, the Honorable Eric G. Johns, Ambassador of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, and Ms. Henrietta Ford, USAID Administrator and Director, await to address the media on May 12 at Utaphao International Airport in Pattaya, Thailand. They spoke about the importance and significance of the mission, in conjunction with joint service operations for humanitarian relief effort in Burma. (U.S. Marine photo by Sgt. Andres Alcaraz)

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First C-130 crew provides humanitarian assistance to Burma

Published May 12, 2008

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii -- A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules loaded with emergency relief supplies touched down at Rangoon International Airport in Burma May 12 in support of national disaster relief efforts following Tropical Cyclone Nagris that swept through Burma May 2.

An aircraft was loaded with 8,300 bottles of water, two pallets of mosquito nets, and a pallet of blankets in the first of three planned flights in support of the United States Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Relief and approved by the Burmese government.

Pacific Air Forces officials are accustomed to working with the international aid community and other partner nations in disaster relief operations to provide humanitarian assistance. PACAF officials stressed their committment to providing relief assistance to the people of Burma as they cope with this tragedy.

In addition to the aircrew, Undersecretary Henrietta H. Fore, the director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and USAID administrator, Navy Adm. Timothy Keating, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command, and Bill Berger, the commander of USAID's Disaster Assistance Response Team, flew with the relief supplies to Burma to meet with Burmese officials and help pave the way for more intenational and U.S. relief flights.

More than 45 members, from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, 36th Contingency Response Group were among the first responders to deploy in support of the relief operation. The team is also prepared to open or operate airfields to facilitate relief operations if necessary.

Two C-130s assigned to Yokota Air Base, Japan, 374th Airlift Wing are forward deployed to Utaphao Thai Royal Navy Air Base, Thailand, for the humanitarian relief operation.