Operation Unified Relief

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Travis Air Force Base flight line was a hub of activity into the wee hours of Sun., Jan. 24, as Team Travis Airmen prepared to leave for Haiti. Here, Airmen load equipment onto a C-17 Globemaster. About 20 members of the 615th Contingency Response Wing left late Saturday night in the C-17, loaded with equipment and supplies for Haitian relief. The 60th Air Mobility Wing, 615th CRW and 349th public affairs Airmen welcomed media from four television stations and a local newspaper, who interviewed Airmen and family, and filmed the departure, including footage from inside the aircraft just before the door closed. After a few hours rest, coffee and a snack, the PA Airmen met up with PA from David Grant Medical Center to escort media filming the departure of 38 medical personnel in the wee hours of the morning. In addition to medical supplies, medicines and equipment, the medical team packed a mobile hospital, fondly known as "hospital in a box," onto their awaiting C-17. Travis Airmen providing support for the Haitian relief efforts could be gone for anywhere from two weeks to six months, as needed. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Meredith Mingledorff)