HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - About 40 U.S. military personnel from bases throughout the Pacific and continental U.S. arrived here May 8 to participate in Pacific Angel 10-2.
The C-130 Hercules from the Alaska Air National Guard's 144th Airlift Squadron flew in the doctors, dentists, optometrists, medical technicians and engineers to execute a humanitarian mission in villages near Can Tho, Vietnam, from May 10-15.
Pacific Angel 10-2 is a U.S. Pacific Command directed, U.S. Pacific Air Forces executed, mission designed to provide civic assistance and build civic capacity improvement in countries throughout the Pacific. The first Pacific Angel was held in Cambodia in May of 2009.
"Pacific Angel missions are designed to ensure that U.S. military forces work closely with the host nation military and appropriate non-governmental aide organizations to ensure the best possible effect during our time in county," said Lt. Col. Blair English, the Pacific Angel 10-2 commander who is deployed from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. "It's also important to note that this is a total-force and joint mission for the U.S. military forces-with U.S. Air Force active duty, Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force reserve forces and U.S. Navy Seabee Engineers."
"This mission has been in planning for months and we're all very excited to work with our Vietnamese military brethren and personnel from the NGOs to provide civic medical assistance and capability improvement," continued English.
With the arrival of the main body of U.S. forces in country, Pacific Angel 10-2 is ready to help provide support and increase civic capacity in Vietnam in cooperation with the Vietnamese military.
Pacific Angel missions also allow PACAF to execute USPACOM's mission of increasing cooperation, security and stability throughout the Pacific.