Airmen bring supplies, skills to stricken Chile - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Airmen bring supplies, skills to stricken Chile

Airmen from 13 bases are on the ground in Chile, setting up a temporary hospital to replace one that was destroyed by the Feb. 27 earthquake.

About 85 airmen — and 67 tons of medical equipment and supplies — deployed Monday to set up an expeditionary medical support unit, known as EMEDS, in Chile’s Angol area, a nine-hour drive south of the capital of Santiago.

Doctors at the EMEDS will be able to perform general and orthopedic surgery and provide care in pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology and general family practice, said Lt. Col. Chris Morgan, the administrator for the EMEDS.

Staff Sgt. Mark Pagliuca, a biomedical equipment repairman from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., said deploying with the EMEDS would be different from his previous deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I’ve always wanted to do a humanitarian mission, to do something where we’re just there to help and not worry about the things you worry about in a war zone,” he said.

Airmen flew from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, on three C-17 Globemasters to join other airmen supporting Chilean relief efforts since the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit last month.

Two C-130s and about 45 airmen from the 35th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Puerto Rico, are providing an air bridge between Santiago and the disaster areas. In addition, four airmen from the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing and airmen from Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, who arrived in Chile on Feb. 16 to provide flying and maintenance support to the Chilean air force on their new KC-135E aircraft, quickly turned their training mission into humanitarian support.

Since Feb. 28, the airmen have flown mobile medical units and supplies, field kitchens, cooks, firefighters, tents and blankets to disaster areas.

Where they’re coming from

The airmen are from 13 bases:

— Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

— Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

— Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.

— Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

— Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

— Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

— Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.

— Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

— Brooks City-Base, Texas.

— Langley Air Force Base, Va.

— Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.

— Robbins Air Force Base, Ga.

— Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.