DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. - Airmen from the 436th Aerial Port Squadron processed U.S. humanitarian assistance at Dover Air Force Base Feb. 7, including supplies and search and rescue dogs, to support earthquake relief efforts in Türkiye.
The 436th APS “Super Port,” the Defense Department’s largest aerial port, loaded 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 respond quickly 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, structural engineers, doctors, logistics personnel and technical search specialists. Cargo included rescue equipment and medical supplies, tents, water and water purification systems.
The team, one of two search and rescue teams in the country that respond on behalf of the U.S. government, was in place in less than 24 hours with enough supplies to sustain operations for at least seven days.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed deep sadness for the tragic loss of life and destruction across Türkiye and said the United States was determined to do all it could to help those affected by the Feb. 5 earthquakes.