Travis AFB crews to fly two C-17s to Africa on humanitarian mission

Travis AFB crews to fly two C-17s to Africa on humanitarian mission
By Reporter Staff
Posted: 01/09/2009

Travis Air Force Base crews will be flying two C-17 Globemaster IIIs to Africa on Saturday to support humanitarian aid operations in Darfur.

Travis support is part of a larger United States effort at the request of the United Nations-African Union Mission in the Darfur region of Sudan and at the request of the United States Department of State and the United Nations.

Travis aircrews will be comprised of men and women from the active-duty 60th Air Mobility Wing and the Air Force Reserve's 349th Air Mobility Wing.

Travis' aircraft and crews have been supporting humanitarian operations around the world for decades.

As the west coast premier air mobility hub, Travis provides the nation heavy global airlift, air refueling and contingency and humanitarian support capabilities.

The 615th Contingency Response Wing sent out an 11-person team Jan. 1 to Rwanda to coordinate with Rwandan and U.S. officials to facilitate the airlift efforts into the region.