Program Allows Civilian Goods To Be Transported On Military
Aircraft
More than 6,500 pounds of humanitarian goods were loaded onto a
C-17 Globemaster III at Scott AFB in Illinois on Feb. 7. The goods
are being shipped to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, as part of the
Denton Program, which allows private citizens and organizations to
use space available on military cargo planes to transport
humanitarian goods.
Humanitarian Goods Brought To C-17 For Loading USAF
Photo
Included in the shipment were three pallets of donated clothing
and shoes, donated from Red Bud, Ill. Due to the holidays and
recent inclement weather, the donation coordinators from Red Bud
were unable to bring the goods to Scott Air Force Base. "Normally
the volunteers who collect the goods will bring the goods to the
nearest port of embarkation, which in this case would be Scott
(AFB)," said Staff Sgt. John Ruiz, of the 375th Logistics Readiness
Squadron. "Due to some limiting factors on their end, the 375th LRS
(members) took it upon themselves to come together and volunteer to
pick it up from Red Bud."
Because of the large amount of cargo, squadron officials
gathered 16 volunteers to drive out and pick it up. "We gathered as
many personnel as we could from across the squadron to help out,"
Sergeant Ruiz said. "The squadron really came together donating
money for gas, manpower and vehicles to haul it all back to Scott
(AFB)."
The Denton Program is jointly administered by officials from the
U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of State
and the Department of Defense. Through the program, humanitarian
aid can be shipped at little or no cost to the donor. Donated items
include clothing, food, medical and educational supplies, and
agricultural equipment and vehicles, which are sent to countries in
need while simultaneously putting the extra space on U.S. military
transport assets to good use.
Transportation is generally available to nearby destinations
such as Central and South America. However, the availability of
transportation to particular countries is affected by current
military and political situations. Transportation can neither be
scheduled nor guaranteed; therefore it cannot be used to meet
urgent needs or deadlines. In 2008, more than 600,000 pounds of
humanitarian goods were sent to 17 different countries through the
Denton Program.
ANN Salutes Senior Airman Andrew Davis 375th Air
Mobility Wing Public Affairs