Hawaii Guard gives Pacific Angel a lift

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young
  • Defense Media Agency - Hawaii
KUPANG, Indonesia --  More than 80 U.S. Air Force active duty, Air National Guard and reserve medical and engineering personnel are providing humanitarian assistance with local authorities in Indonesia and Timor Leste, all thanks to a "lift" by the Hawaii Air National Guard.

A C-17 Globemaster III aircrew from the HI-ANG's 204th Airlift Squadron at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, dropped off the Operation Pacific Angel 2009 team here July 15.

Pacific Angel is a Pacific Air Forces humanitarian assistance operation in the Asia-Pacific region led by 13th Air Force at Hickam AFB. Two Pacific Angel teams are operating through July 24 - one here and another in Timor Leste.

"I like this mission because we have a humanitarian [operation], and we are carrying doctors and nurses," said 14-year Guardsman and lead loadmaster Master Sgt. Joseph Salvador, a native of Oahu, Hawaii.

The C-17 crew dropped off two groups to support Pacific Angel. One group remained in Kupang while the other group moved on to Dili, Timor Leste. The second group was transported to Dili by way of a C-130 Hercules aircrew from the 176th Wing at Kulis Air National Guard Base, Alaska.

"It's cool that we get to help support this group that is going to provide humanitarian relief," said six-year loadmaster Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Kido of Oahu, Hawaii.