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Atlas Response / Silent Promise

Operation Silent Promise was the US European Command's contribution to relief efforts following torrential rains and flooding in southern Mozambique and South Africa. US European Command deployed a 12-person Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team (HAST) to Mozambique and South Africa February 18, 2000 to provide an on-site assessment in coordination and cooperation with the regional American Embassies and other US Government agencies to determine military capabilities required to support ongoing disaster relief operations in Mozambique and South Africa. The HAST consists of a team leader, preventive medicine specialist, contracting officer, general engineer, logistics specialist, force protection officer, two civil affairs specialists, water purification specialist, and rotor wing aviation specialist.

As of February 24, the HAST completed its mission in South Africa and were in Maputo, Mozambique. The Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency approved a Department of State request to provide airlift support for humanitarian relief supplies from Travis Air Force Base, CA, to Pretoria, South Africa. The US Transportation Command coordinateed airlift of medium and large general purpose tents and blankets to be delivered by February 29, 2000. On February 25, 2000, The Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency approved a Department of State request to transport humanitarian relief supplies to Mozambique. The US Transportation Command was tasked to coordinate airlift and deliver plastic sheeting, water containers and wool blankets from Pisa, Italy, to Maputo, Mozambique, by February 29, 2000.

The US Agency for International Development is the government's lead agency for providing disaster assistance. In response to a request for U.S. assistance from the president and minister of defense of South Africa, beginning on 20 February 2000 the Department of Defense provided humanitarian assistance to flooded regions of South Africa and Mozambique ravaged by a recent round of severe tropical storms.

There were about 700 U.S. military personnel, mostly U.S. Air Force, in South Africa and Mozambique as part of Joint Task Force (JTF) Atlas Response. Personnel include experts to establish airfield operations at Hoedspruit, Maputo, and Beira, including communications, security forces, fuels, medical, and aircraft maintenance. U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft operations are based out of Hoedspruit. Helicopter operations will be spread among the three sites: Hoedspruit, South Africa, Maputo, Mozambique; and Beira, Mozambique.

US airmen from RAF Mildenhall made their way back home in early April 2000 after completing humanitarian relief work in southern Africa. The first group of airmen, including 3rd Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Joe Wehrle, arrived home March 31. As joint task force commander during Operation Atlas Response, Wehrle was in charge of the more than 700 service members that made up Joint Task Force Atlas Response. The task force assisted with relief efforts directed at victims of the recent flooding in Mozambique.

Almost half of the task force troops were from Mildenhall. The mission also included stateside and European-based troops from other Air Force bases and U.S. sister services. The Mildenhall contingent left for the flood-ravaged region March 5 to supply the people of Mozambique with the food, clothing and medical supplies they needed to survive. The joint humanitarian assistance effort required airmen to work closely with their military counterparts from Britain, Germany, Malawi, Mozambique, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. While most of the relief mission concentrated on Mozambique, other areas included parts of South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Cumulative sorties in support of JTF-AR are tallied below:

U.S. Aircraft	Sorties	Passengers	Cargo (tons)	Flying Hours
C-130 Hercules	234	765	814	362
MC-130P Combat Shadow	43	53	2	161
HH-60G Pave Hawk	243	290	162	215
MH-53M Pave Low	76	64	41	117