DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- 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 a 144th Airlift Squadron 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.