By Ian Thompson | Daily Republic | January 15, 2009
Loadmasters secure Rwandan defense force vehicles and water tanks on board a C-17 Globemaster III Jan. 13 at Kigali International Airport in Rwanda. This is the first load of five airlift missions to the United Nations Mission in Darfur. The Airmen are from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet) Photo by SSgt Samuel Bendet
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE - Two C-17 Globemasters from Travis Air Force Base started airlifting equipment and supplies to the peacekeeping effort in the Darfur region of Africa on Wednesday.
The C-17 called the Spirit of The Golden Gate flew about 30 tons of cargo from Kigali, Rwanda, to Darfur, according to a press release from the US Africa Command Public Affairs Office.
Another Travis-based C-17 flew a second mission with more cargo later that day.
The Air Force is flying in about 150 tons of cargo that includes nine large vehicles, water purification systems, water trailers, tents and space parts, according to the press release.
This equipment will help support four battalions of peacekeepers from Rwanda who are assigned to the United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur.
For the past five years, conflict in Darfur in the western Sudan has displaced about 2.5 million people and led to an estimated 300,000 deaths, according to the United Nations.
President Bush made the decision to airlift the equipment Jan. 5.
Two C-17s with aircrew from both the 60th Air Mobility Wing and the 349th AMW left Travis on Jan. 10 with some of the equipment.
A 12-person team from the Travis-based 615th Contingency Response Wing was sent to Rwanda on Jan. 1 to work with American and Rwandan forces to facilitate the airlift efforts, according to a Travis Public Affairs press release.
