Air Force Reserve C-5 crew supports Navy's Project Handclasp

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Veronica Aceveda
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Nineteen reservists from the 709th Airlift Squadron returned to Dover Air Force Base, Del., April 15 following a 3-day mission to Naval Station Rota, Spain, in support of Project Handclasp.

In operation since 1962, PH distributes donated humanitarian, educational and goodwill material to disadvantaged people in foreign countries.

The program greatly enhances perceptions of the United States and the U.S. Navy, according to Operational Navy Instruction 5726.3E, Project Handclasp.

That policy also states U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel, as representatives of the American people, should make the distribution of material directly to intended recipients; but, as in this past weekend's case, it was a joint effort with the Air Force Reserve that made the delivery of more than 110,000 pounds of cargo possible.

The all-Reserve aircrew flew to Oceana Naval Air Station, Va., where they loaded 34 pallets, almost filling the C-5's maximum pallet capacity of 36.

"It certainly was a lot of cargo," said Senior Airman Guy Martin Jr., a new loadmaster who logged his first humanitarian mission. "The cargo was securely packaged, double wrapped and stacked for maximum transportation."

Some of the hauled humanitarian items included medical supplies and wheelchairs intended for delivery to the countries of South Africa and Mozambique.

Goodwill items airlifted overseas included soccer equipment and stuffed animals routed for Kenya, Ghana and Djibouti. Educational materials, in the form of books, were bound for Tanzania.

"To be a part of something that will benefit an array of different countries, economies and families is both touching and humbling," said Martin. "It provokes a feeling that can't be easily matched or duplicated."

This airlift across the Atlantic Ocean also contained the non-profit organization's most requested item - 165 water filters, said U.S. Navy Cmdr. James Massello, Project Handclasp.

"These water filters have a huge impact in the communities where they are employed," said Massello. "Each filter provides an institution or home with safe water for more than 10 years. And, we could not have executed this humanitarian mission without (the Air Force Reserve's) help."

While the Dover-based aircrew unloaded the pallets at one location in Spain, the impact of that mission will span seven African countries in need of humanitarian assistance.