ARLINGTON, Va., - The task of airlifting in supplies and cargo by fixed-wing aircraft as part of Operation Unified Response—the U.S. military's mission supporting earthquake-ravaged Haiti—has largely been the jurisdiction of the U.S. Air Force, but a small group of Army aviators are taking on that role as well.
Operating out of Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., the Army National Guard's Operational Support Airlift Agency Command (OSAACOM) based at Fort Belvoir, Va., has been flying C-26 aircraft into Haiti with passengers and cargo.
The mission began at the end of January with the group initially conducting multiple flights into Haiti each day, said Army Maj. Darrell Rasor, the officer in charge of the task force.
"Up until about Feb. 10, it was two flights a day, and it's been from Florida to Port au Prince daily, which is roughly a six-hour trip," said Rasor. "We've been taking passengers from Homestead … to Port au Prince and then picking up people in Port au Prince and bringing them back."
The unit, now flying one mission a day to Haiti, usually transports tools, cargo and personnel supporting rebuilding efforts in Haiti.
However, because of the configuration of the aircraft they fly, they can also take on flying VIP missions as well.
"The reason that SOUTHCOM requested this airplane (the C-26) is that it can haul roughly 2,400 pounds, which is a pretty healthy payload for cargo; and when you combine cargo with personnel, you've got a pretty good capability there," said Rasor. "But, also, at the same time, it's nice enough inside that you can do dual roles with the VIP type of mission."
As the need for supplies and materiel in Haiti lessens after the initial push, many flights of larger aircraft—such as the C-130 Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster III—have dropped off and the needed airlift missions have been picked up by the Army aviators, said Rasor.
And a smaller aircraft equals a smaller air crew. "It's two-pilot crews and they handle all the cargo loading, passenger manifesting and all the duties that the crew chief would normally handle," said Rasor. "And they, of course, handle all the pilot duties, such as the flight-course planning and flying the aircraft."
The air crews from OSAACOM that are flying the missions rotate on a month-to-month basis.
"There are 11 of these C-26 aircraft total within the Army Guard, and we're rotating among the states that operate these types of aircraft," said Rasor, adding that the crews currently flying are scheduled to rotate out in the beginning of March.
One of the biggest challenges facing the crews has been the short amount of time to plan missions.
"It's been a short planning cycle," said Rasor. "There's really short notice, it's kind of on-demand direct support. The missions are going every day but you don't know what you're carrying until about two hours prior to take off."
But Rasor said that a short lead time isn't that unusual. "That's pretty inherent with the Army general support aviation mission anyway," he said.
OSAACOM's fixed-wing airlift mission for Haiti may expand over the coming weeks, said Rasor.
"There is the possibility of a C-23 (Sherpa) cargo aircraft being requested, because of its capability to operate out of Port au Prince and easily get to the smaller airfields within Haiti that are unimproved and have rough operating conditions," said Rasor.
Despite all the hard work, Rasor welcomes the opportunity to support the mission.
"We're trying to help the leadership (respond to the Haiti support mission) and kind of get the word out that we have these aircraft and these capabilities," said Rasor.