Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Airmen from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and JB Charleston, S.C., support a humanitarian mission to Cucuta, Colombia, Feb. 16. The role of the U.S. military during this peaceful mission is to transport urgently needed aid to Colombia for eventual distribution by relief organizations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook)Airmen demonstrate Rapid Global Mobility in Venezuela humanitarian mission
                        
                        
                        Airmen from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and JB Charleston, S.C., support a humanitarian mission to Cucuta, Colombia, Feb. 16. The role of the U.S. military during this peaceful mission is to transport urgently needed aid to Colombia for eventual distribution by relief organizations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Capt. Andrew Shaffer, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot with the 6th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., delivers humanitarian aid from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., to Cucuta, Colombia, Feb. 16, 2019. The role of the U.S. military during this peaceful mission is to transport urgently needed aid to Colombia for eventual distribution by relief organizations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook)Airmen demonstrate Rapid Global Mobility in Venezuela humanitarian mission
                        
                        
                        Capt. Andrew Shaffer, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot with the 6th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., delivers humanitarian aid from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., to Cucuta, Colombia, Feb. 16, 2019. The role of the U.S. military during this peaceful mission is to transport urgently needed aid to Colombia for eventual distribution by relief organizations on the ground for Venezuelans impacted by the rapidly deteriorating crisis in their country. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Capt. Andrew Shaffer, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot with the 6th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., delivers humanitarian aid from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., to Cucuta, Colombia, Feb. 16, 2019. The role of the U.S. military during this peaceful mission is to transport urgently needed aid to Colombia for eventual distribution by relief organizations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook)Airmen demonstrate Rapid Global Mobility in Venezuela humanitarian mission
                        
                        
                        Staff Sgt. Travis Perry, a C-17 Globemaster III loadmaster with the 6th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., prepares cargo in Cucuta, Columbia, Feb. 16, 2019, while supporting a humanitarian mission in Venezuela. The role of the U.S. military during this peaceful mission is to transport urgently needed aid to Colombia for eventual distribution by relief organizations on the ground for Venezuelans impacted by the rapidly deteriorating crisis in their country. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Airmen demonstrate Rapid Global Mobility in Venezuela humanitarian missionPublished Feb. 22, 2019
                    
                    By  Shawn J. Jones
            **Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. (AFNS) --**Airlifting 250 tons of relief supplies to alleviate a humanitarian crisis on the other side of the hemisphere requires layers coordination between multiple military and civilian agencies in a condensed timeframe.
That’s what Airmen of the 305th Air Mobility Wing accomplished Feb. 16, delivering more than 35 pallets of humanitarian cargo to the Colombian city of Cucuta, located on the border with neighboring Venezuela, where the cargo is destined.
Maj. Trevor Kauffeld of the 6th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurs, served as the mission commander, the Air Force’s tactical-level point person responsible for the success of the mission.
He said humanitarian missions are relatively rare in general and this one required him to continue planning and coordinating even as the execution had already begun.
“This is the definition of Rapid Global Mobility,” Kauffeld said. “It was a short-notice, high-priority tasking that required quick planning and execution, involving multiple military and civilian agencies.”
Those agencies included the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, U.S. Southern Command and multiple units from JB Charleston, South Carolina, and JB McQuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
On the ground at Cucuta, five contingency response Airmen from JB McQuire-Dix-Lakehurst led efforts to download and stage the cargo.
Senior Airman Eric Feliciano, 621st Contingency Response Wing, said he was humbled to participate in the mission.
"Missions like this help us reinforce the concept of 'what you do matters' because it does," Feliciano said. "Our team is grateful to be blessed with such an opportunity to work with the Colombians and execute the mission."
Kauffeld said he’s now vested in the crisis.
“I’ve been following the news every day to see if the humanitarian aid makes it across the border to the people who truly need it,” he said.
Capt. Susan Jennie, a 6th AS pilot who participated in the mission, said contributing to humanitarian missions is one of the best aspects of working with cargo planes.
“The opportunity to fly these kinds of missions was my biggest motivation to train and fly on the C-17 (Globemaster III),” she said. “To be able to help out and bring aid to those in need, when needed, is one of the most rewarding opportunities I’ve been presented in my life and career.”
Kauffeld said the airlift portion of the mission went well and achieved its objective, but he feels like the mission isn’t quite complete.
“In humanitarian missions, we see the direct connection where the cargo meets the people who need it,” Kauffeld said. “In this case, we’re still waiting for that connection.”JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst 



305th AMW 



305th Air Mobility Wing 



Humanitarian 



Venezuela 



JB Charleston 



Rapid Global Mobility 



6th Airlift Squadron 



6th AS 



State Department 



United States Agency for International Development 



USAID 



U.S. Southern Command 



SOCOM 



C-17 



Globemaster III 



Air Force 



AF 



joint base 



621st Contingency Response Wing 



621st CRW Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil