FEBRUARY 8, 2023 – Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, provided support to response efforts in Turkey following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that has had devastating impacts in Turkey and Syria.
Personnel with Virginia Task Force 1, an urban search and rescue team based in Fairfax County, Va., boarded a C-17 Globemaster III at Dover.
The U.S. Agency for International Development said it was deploying urban search and rescue teams from both Fairfax and Los Angeles County that will coordinate with Turkish authorities and other responding organizations to provide life-saving assistance.
Airmen from the 436th Aerial Port Squadron processed U.S. humanitarian assistance Feb. 7, 2023, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, in support of search and rescue efforts in Türkiye following two devastating earthquakes Feb. 5.
The Defense Department’s largest aerial port, the 436th APS “Super Port” was busy processing and loading 83 passengers and 58,000 pounds of cargo from the U.S. Agency for International Development onto an Alaska Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III.
The 436th APS provides rapid airlift support enabling the Department of Defense to quickly respond to crises throughout the world.
“Dover Airmen are always ready to deliver rapid global mobility to support the needs of the nation, our allies and our partners,” said Col. Matt Husemann, 436th Airlift Wing commander. “As the largest logistics power projection platform in the DoD, Team Dover is primed to respond to global crises and deliver hope to those in need.”
Among the passengers were 79 Urban Search and Rescue personnel and six canines from Fairfax County, Virginia, including structural engineers, doctors, logistics personnel and technical search specialists. Cargo included rescue equipment, such as concrete breakers and generators, along with medical supplies, tents, water and water purification systems.
As one of two search and rescue teams in the country who respond on behalf of the U.S. government, the team was in place less than 24 hours from initial notification with enough supplies to sustain operations for at least seven days.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently expressed deep sadness for the tragic loss of life and destruction across Türkiye and added the U.S. is determined to do all that it can to help those affected by the earthquakes in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
Many countries have begun sending aid. U.S. Transportation Command said Tuesday that it delivered two Urban Search and Rescue teams and 170,000 pounds of equipment that will help rescuers dig survivors out of the debris and provide medical care and other necessities. Also part of the shipment were a dozen rescue dogs, the command said.
Some of the items shipped to Turkey include concrete breakers, generators, medical supplies, tents, water, and water-purification systems, TRANSCOM said. The aid was sent in cooperation with the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“Our hearts go out to Turkey following the devastating earthquakes,” said Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, TRANSCOM commander. “USTRANSCOM is working closely with USAID to deliver aid to the country, with U.S. assistance already underway.”
By Master Sgt. Chuck Broadway
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs