Crews unload a RAAF C-130J at the Marianas island of Rota. (Defence)
An exercise on the Pacific island of Guam turned real for an RAAF C-130J crew last week when they were tasked to fly relief supplies to an island cut off by storms.
While participating in Exercise Cope North alongside US and Japanese forces, the RAAF answered a call for assistance from the island of Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands which was running short of supplies because its harbour had been closed due to storms.
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“To be able to move quickly from exercise to reality reflects the level of training we give our people,” the RAAF’s Director General Air Command Operations AIRCDRE Gavin Turnbull said in a statement. “It is also an honour to work alongside our US and regional allies on missions such as this. By demonstrating we can cooperate at short notice and provide assistance to the people of Rota brings a great deal of satisfaction to our people. It also highlights the importance of the international relationships we have fostered for decades in the region.”
This process of delivering critical assistance by airbridge is one that is well developed and has been highly successful in the past.
I was lucky enough to be involved in a Multi-National Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Relief Exercise in Guam (Sep 2001) and this showed the RAAF to be right up there with the best in the world at planning and managing this type of operation.
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Brett
says:This process of delivering critical assistance by airbridge is one that is well developed and has been highly successful in the past.
I was lucky enough to be involved in a Multi-National Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Relief Exercise in Guam (Sep 2001) and this showed the RAAF to be right up there with the best in the world at planning and managing this type of operation.