JTF 505's 36th CRG departs Nepal

OKINAWA, JAPAN

05.23.2015

Courtesy Story

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

KATHMANDU, Nepal -- The U.S. Air Force’s 36th Contingency Response Group, which deployed with Joint Task Force 505 in support of Operation Sahayogi Haat, departed Nepal May 23. The group is departing after relinquishing their responsibility for processing relief supplies to the government of Nepal and international communities that have built up significant capabilities in Kathmandu.

The 36th CRG, based out of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, arrived in Nepal to support JTF 505 May 5 in response to the tragic 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the country April 25.

In coordination with the government of Nepal and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the 36th CRG was called on due to its airfield operations capabilities and ability to contribute to efficient logistics throughput. These unique capabilities were ideally suited to support the initial wave of humanitarian aid and disaster relief supplies flowing into Nepal.

“Simply put, we download aircraft quickly and safely to get cargo where it needs to go,” said Capt. Brint Ingersoll, 36th CRG Operations Officer. “Our diverse team strives to keep aircraft ground times to a minimum which is what allows a larger throughput of aircraft and humanitarian aid.”

At the beginning of the operation the average download time without CRG support was over three hours depending on the type of aircraft. Almost two weeks into the operation, the 36th CRG, Nepalese Civil Aviation Authority, and Nepal Army have been able to cut the download time for most aircraft in half, averaging 974 pounds of cargo downloaded every minute.

The Nepal Army, international aid organizations and their supporting contracted capabilities, with the dedicated support of the Nepal Civil Aviation Authorities “have confidently taken over the roles we’ve served in over the past few weeks. We are confident they will be able to manage the flow of humanitarian relief and recovery supplies as they come in from here on out,” said Ingersoll. “It has been an honor to stand with Nepal and assist them in the initial efforts to provide relief as they begin to transition to recovery and reconstruction efforts to rebuild their great nation.”

• Date Taken: 05.23.2015
• Date Posted: 05.25.2015 23:45
• Story ID: 164479
• Location: OKINAWA, JP