Military

U.S. earthquake assistance arrives in Pakistan

October 11, 2005

KABUL, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Oct. 11, 2005) – U.S. forces are assisting with rescue, recovery and relief operations in Pakistan following an earthquake that killed between 20,000 and 30,000.

Five CH-47 Chinook and three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with U.S. Soldiers and supplies from Afghanistan arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, Oct. 10 to assist with recovery operations in the wake of Saturday’s devastating earthquake.

The helicopter crews were from the 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 6th Cavalry Regiment at Bagram Airfield and Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

Additionally, a C-17 and its crew from the 7th Airlift Squadron, McChord Air Force Base, Wash., delivered 12 pallets -- weighing almost 90,000 pounds -- of food, water, medicine and blankets from Bagram. So far, 18 pallets of relief supplies have been transported by air to Pakistan along with essential personnel needed to assist with recovery operations.

The helicopters took off from Bagram Airfield again this morning bto ferry supplies to earthquake-stricken areas and evacuate those injured.

Additionally, C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster aircraft from Afghanistan will transport 30 pallets of relief supplies to a Pakistan Army Airfield near Islamabad, officials said.

“Our total focus is on relieving the suffering in Pakistan, help them stabilize and, in the longer term, recover,” said Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan commanding general.

(Information provided by Combined Joint Task Force–76 Public Affairs in Afghanistan.)