A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from the 133rd Air National Guard in Minnesota transported a large donation of 44,180 pounds of humanitarian aid supplies to Soto Cano Air Base, June 26, through the U.S. Agency for International Development's Denton Program.
The shipment was originally intended to support New Horizons, a U.S. Army South-led joint humanitarian exercise that would have taken place in southern Honduras, but was cancelled due to COVID-19, and items were redirected to support local hospitals throughout Honduras.
The articles were donated by MAP International and the donation was coordinated and facilitated by the Joint Task Force-Bravo Civil Affairs team, which frequently engages in the community.
"Our civil affairs teams are where policy meets people - we operate within communities around Honduras to grow partnerships at the grassroots level, enabling us to work side-by-side with our Honduran partners and provide meaningful assistance during difficult times," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Uherka, JTF-Bravo Civil Affairs director. "With the help of MAP International, USAID, and the Denton Program, coupled with our partnerships with the Honduran government-we are proud to get much-needed supplies to people across Honduras during this pandemic. We are Americans invested in America, and this donation truly represents that."
The donation included 15 pallets of hygiene articles to be distributed at the regional hospital in Choluteca through the Permanent Contingency Commission in Honduras, four of which will be delivered to Tegucigalpa and three in San Pedro Sula to support COVID-19 quarantine centers. The Denton Program is a multi-agency effort and showcases the collaborative relationship between the Department of Defense, which provides coordination and transportation of the materials, and USAID.
Tech. Sgt. Heather Boutin and Senior Airman Megan Lenling, 133rd Airlift Wing's Air Transportation Function air transportation specialists, direct and load medical supplies onto a C-17 Globemaster III during a Denton Humanitarian Assistance Program mission, June 13, 2020, at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minn. The cargo was destined for people with disabilities in Danli, Honduras. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Bristol L. Evasco)
