Written on January 15, 2010 at 12:03 pm by

Haiti Quake: US Air Force Special Forces Set Up Airport Controls, Start Rescue Missions

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable, DoD News, Operation Unified Response-Haiti {2 comments}

Air Force Special Operations Forces have been manning the airport in Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince since Wednesday evening, conducting airfield operations and starting recovery and rescue efforts, said Air Force Lt. Col. Brett J. Nelson. The commander of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, 720th Special Tactics Group, discussed conditions during a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable Thursday afternoon.

Highlights of the discussion include:

  • U.S. Air Force special force operators in Haiti have rescued seven survivors of the massive Jan. 12 earthquake that continues to wreak havoc on the country in its wake.
  • Air Force personnel have been engaged in operations to rescue potential survivors from collapsed buildings.
  • A number of Americans have been evacuated via the airport, but Lt. Col. Nelson declined to provide an exact figure.
  • Nelson corrected media reports that said airport operations grinded to a halt after being saturated with aircraft. He acknowledged that operations at the airport have slowed down under the stress, with 44 aircraft crowding the space at one point today, but maintained that operations are ongoing.
    To view a transcript from this interview, click here.

Joining us on the call were Matt Armstrong, http://mountainrunner.us; Jim Dolbow, www.blog.usni.org; Bruce Henderson, Chuck Simmins, www.northshorejournal.org; Paul Bove, U.S. Air Force Public Affairs Agency; David Axe, www.warisboring.com; Paul McLeary, www.aviationweek.org; Richard Lowry, www.marinesinthegardenofeden.com; Bryant Jordan, www.military.com; Nathan Hodge, www.wired.com; Jen DiMascio, www.politico.com; Chris Albon, http://warandhealth.com; Beth Wilson, www.homefrontinfocus.com; Larry Shaughnessy, www.cnn.com; Joe Tabet, Alhurra Television; Luis Marinez, www.abcnews.com

To listen to this interview, click here.

To view the complete story, visit Defense.gov.

To view the transcript, click here.

Check out these other posts:

  • Pingback: SOCOM Saves Lives… - Cultural Gadfly

  • Pingback: Haiti Quake: US Air Force Special Forces Set Up Airport Controls … | Tailspin

DoDLive on Tumblr

  • photo from Tumblr

    While flying over Colorado a B-2 Stealth Bomber from Whiteman Air Force Base, MO, moves into position for a mid-air refueling via the boom of a KC-135R Stratotanker from the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Milwaukee on 09 May, 2012. The B-2 Stealth bomber and the KC-135 crews conducted the aerial refueling to maintain mission readiness standards.

    U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt Jeremy M. Wilson (DVIDS)


  • photo from Tumblr

    Royal Canadian Mounted Police assigned to a Marine Security Emergency Response Team debark from the HMCS Ville de Quebec (FFH 332) to conduct boarding operations during Exercise Frontier Sentinel 2012 May 8, 2012 at sea off Sydney, Nova Scotia. Exercise Frontier Sentinel is a combined interagency exercise involving Joint Task Force Atlantic, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy Fleet Forces Command. The exercise is designed to continue to develop and validate the existing plans, treaties and standard operation procedures for a bilateral response to maritime homeland defense and security threats.

    (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte / Released) (DVIDS)


  • photo from Tumblr

    Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians from the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, tread water during water training in Southwest Asia, May 7, 2012. Members of the EOD flight use water training as part of their physical training routine to stay in top physical condition and stay trained.

    (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Sara Csurilla) (DVIDS)