Photo By Airman 1st Class Jade Caldwell | Members of the 7th Logistics Readiness Squadron and the 89th Airlift Squadron,...... read more read more
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DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – The 7th Logistics Readiness Squadron partnered with the Denton Program to deliver humanitarian aid to the Dominican Republic Aug. 12, 2024.
The Department of Defense Denton Program moves humanitarian cargo on DoD transportation that has space available. The program allows the 7th LRS to impact developing nations in a positive way with a wide variety of cargo.
“We move anything and everything that could help people in the countries this cargo is going to,” said Tech. Sgt. James Root, 7th LRS air terminal function NCO in charge. “For instance, this specific mission we are moving over 40,000 pounds of rice, which is going to help feed countless numbers of families in the Dominican Republic.”
The shipment of humanitarian cargo that the 7th LRS helped move will provide commodities directly to beneficiaries in need, where impoverished families struggle with food insecurity daily.
"This mission impacts the community, the ones that actually receive the humanitarian aid," said July Martinez, 7th LRS travel management office cargo supervisor. "It definitely feels good, and we're satisfied to know the cargo gets to these countries safely and that the mission supplies those in need successfully."
Whether Dyess delivers the cargo to a commercial carrier or stages it for air transport, the 7th LRS delivers humanitarian assistance when and where it’s needed.
"If the 7th LRS needs to work with any DoD component to help get this humanitarian cargo out, we can move it by land, air or sea," said Root. "It shows not only our local community, but the bigger community everywhere that the government, and specifically the Air Force, we care, and we help when and where we can in every possible way."
Humanitarian aid missions vary, impacting different countries with different goods, but the 7th LRS learns and adapts to each type of cargo to efficiently transport what is expected of them.
“Every single mission is a little different and is going to help a certain community that needs support,” said Root. “This mission is only food, however the last one we sent a bunch of clothes, office supplies and school supplies that went to help over 30 different schools for students to provide them with a better education.”
Through the humanitarian assistance transportation program, the 7th LRS accomplishes missions around the world that not only create a positive effect on other countries, but on the Airmen who help make it happen.
“Our impact is seeing the bigger picture, our Airmen are seeing that,” said Root. “Some of the big things that our job does is humanitarian work, and I think it’s very good for our Airmen to see that there’s more to the job than the Striker Mission. We help people all around the world.”
The 7th LRS feels the wave of change they bring to the world after each mission and the work they accomplish at Dyess. While humanitarian support is not the most common type of cargo the 7th LRS moves, the impact it brings to the base is far-reaching.
"From the Airmen to the senior enlisted leader, they all directly impact the community,” said Martinez. “That's a big part right there. Showing that the 7th LRS worked with these communities in a humanitarian way. We definitely display that through the mission.”
The 7th LRS does more than move assets around Dyess, they bring support, help and aid to the world. There are families in other countries that have food and supplies they didn’t have before thanks to the Airmen at the 7th LRS and the work they put in every day.
"Humanitarian missions demonstrate that the 7th LRS means something, that Dyess belongs here, and we’ve earned our place on the map," said Martinez. "Fighter bases have their missions, bomber bases have their own, but all bases can all have a collective goal on supporting each other for all things and all people."
Editor’s note: The mention of these nonprofits does not constitute endorsement or affiliation by the U.S. Air Force.
| Date Taken: | 08.22.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.22.2024 12:18 |
| Story ID: | 479231 |
| Location: | ABILENE, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 40 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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