C-17 Returns to Wake Island

  • Published
  • By By Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo
  • Air Force Print News
WAKE ISLAND (AFPN) --  Three weeks after evacuating 188 people out harms way from a category 5 typhoon Trek 15, a C-17 Globemaster III from the 535th Airlift Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii is returning and bringing back some of its residence and a team to asses the damage.

"I flew the mission that brought the people out three weeks ago. When we picked the people up, Wake Island was full of green vegetation the building were in good shape and the place looked really nice," said Capt. John Ramsey III Trek 15 pilot.

"Now everything is brown the building look horrible and you can see the ocean in places where the vegetation use to cover the view," he said.

The C-17 brought in a 53-person team of 15th Airlift Wing Airmen, Defense Department employees, contractors and 44,000 pounds of cargo to assess damage caused by the typhoon and report the finding back to Gen. Paul V. Hester, Pacific Air Forces commander.

"Our job is to figure out the price tag on the damage," said Maj. Ron Pieri, 15th Civil Engineer Squadron operations officer.

On August 31, Super Typhoon Ioke hit the island with winds well over 165 mph driving a storm surge and waves directly into the lagoon. Anything not made of concrete was expected to be destroyed.

After arrival by a Navy ship the initial assessment team from the 36th Contingency Response Group, Andersen Air Base Guam who's job it was to assess the runway, taxiway and ramp area for structural damage, deemed the area suitable for aircraft operations.

"We worked for five days from 0700 to 1730 on the island," said Maj. Pat Poon, Mission Response commander for the 36th CRG. "With 16 people we were able to open a base run by 188 people," he said.

With no runway instruments and lights working on the island the C-17 had only a short window of daylight to work in. Crewmembers went to work downloading cargo and personal as quickly and safely as possible.

"The mission went well. Everyone hustled when we got on the ground; we were able to get unloaded and loaded and get out of there ahead of schedule. Everything went better then hoped for," said Maj. Joseph Golovach Trek 15 mission commander.

"We downloaded 11 pallets and uploaded two rolling stock, a pallet and 15 passengers in about two hours," said Airman First Class Charles Gibb Trek 15 loadmaster.

Having a C-17 fleet at Hickam, it is relatively easy to generate a mission to respond to natural disasters and is exactly the kind of missions the U.S. Pacific Command and Pacific Air Forces officials had in mind for the fleet.

"Being at Hickam is a great asset because we are so much closer to everything in the Pacific, " said Maj. Golovach.