PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. – In a swift response to the devastation resulting from Tropical Storm Erin that hit the Cabo Verde Islands Aug. 11, Airmen from the New Hampshire Air National Guard loaded nearly 40,000 pounds of life-saving resources onto a KC-46 Pegasus bound for the storm-stricken region.
Since 2021, the New Hampshire National Guard has been working closely with Cabo Verde through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, or SPP. In an effort to further mutually beneficial, security cooperation relationships built on trust and shared values, the SPP aims to improve interoperability, increase readiness and foster enduring relationships.
“The pre-scheduled flight was part of an off-station training mission that overlapped with an SPP engagement on Sal island,” said Capt. Kirsten Arends, a bilateral affairs officer for the New Hampshire National Guard. “With the onset of Tropical Storm Erin, NHNG [New Hampshire National Guard] took the opportunity to transfer needed supplies that were then distributed to the hardest hit communities.”
The critical supplies arrived as the islands continued to grapple with widespread destruction from Tropical Storm Erin. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding left multiple fatalities, displaced families and blocked major roads across the islands. The government declared a state of emergency as mudslides and power outages compounded the crisis.
The pallets were stacked with medical supplies, personal protective equipment, clothing, blankets, shoes and hygiene products, alongside additional aid procured by state and military agencies.
“This is the largest cargo movement a single KC-46 has done from New Hampshire,” said Lt. Col. Moira Cuthbert, commander of the 157th Logistics Readiness Squadron.
The lift was run through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency Denton Program, a Department of Defense transportation program that moves critical resources donated by U.S.-based non-governmental organizations to countries in need.
A team of 20 Airmen, representing nine distinct Air Force specialties, conducted thorough inspections to ensure the cargo met Air Force and Denton Program regulations.
“We broke down, sorted and repackaged every box, all 33,000 pounds, to meet airworthiness requirements,” said Master Sgt. Andrew Norton, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Air Transportation Function with the 157th Logistics Readiness Squadron. “It was a huge lift and on short notice.”
Tropical Storm Erin rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane within a 24-hour time period between Aug. 15 and Aug. 16, unleashing sustained winds of 160 miles per hour and earning its place as one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes on record.
The rapid response required of the New Hampshire National Guard members tested their readiness and enhanced the Guard members’ logistical and operational skills, preparing them to respond effectively to any crisis.
“We have a strong state partnership with Cabo Verde,” Cuthbert said. “This mission demonstrates how both nations benefit, and we have the chance to contribute to something that is really meaningful.”
Through the SPP, the New Hampshire National Guard conducts military-to-military engagements in support of defense security goals. The partnership also leverages whole-of-society relationships and capabilities to facilitate broader interagency engagements that span military, government, economic and social spheres with Cabo Verde.
“To me, this was the epitome of what it means to be in the Guard,” Cuthbert said. “You are responsive, you’re flexible and you work outside your normal duties when the mission calls for it. ‘Always ready, always there;’ that’s our mantra and that’s what we did.”