In response to requests from the African Union and the French government for help in ending the ongoing violence in the Central African Republic, the U.S. Air Force has begun to provide airlift support. Two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft have been staged at Entebbe, Uganda. In recent days, those two C-17s have been called upon to transport a Rwandan mechanized battalion to the Central African Republic. “The African Union has decided to stand up a mission in the Central African Republic to decrease the violence that has been occurring over the last several months,” said Lt. Col. Allen Pepper, senior officer in the Central African Republic, U.S. Army Africa. “A part of that is getting enough troops on the ground to execute that mission,” added Pepper. U.S. military personnel participating in the airlift understand the importance of the mission. “What the Rwandans are doing in Central Africa is very important, they are preventing mass atrocities and helping to stabilize the Central African Republic,” said Lt. Col. David Hernandez, Mission Coordination Cell Rwanda officer in charge. “For this reason, the support we are providing to them is important,” continued Hernandez. Uganda was also used as the base of operations to fly military forces from Burundi to the Central African Republic in December, 2013.
U.S. Air Force Supports Efforts To End The Violence In The Central African Republic | Photos
Burundi soldiers run off a C-17 Globemaster III, Bangui Airport, Central Africa Republic, Dec. 13, 2013. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Cardenas
U.S. Air Force and Marine service members load cargo onto a C-17 Globemaster III, Bujmumbura Airport, Burundi, Dec. 13, 2013. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Cardenas
Burundi soldiers prepare to load onto a C-17 Globemaster III, Bujmumbura Airport, Burundi, Dec. 13, 2013. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Cardenas
Rwandan soldiers wait in line at the Kigali airport to have their weapons inspected by Staff Sgt. Curtis McWoodson, 627th Security Forces Squadron Phoenix Raven, before getting on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers wait in line to board a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in Kigali, Rwanda, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. forces were dispatched to provide airlift assistance to multinational troops in support of an African Union effort to quell violence in the Central African Republic. U.S. Air Force photo by by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Senior Airman Chase Vento, 627th Security Forces Squadron Phoenix Raven, inspects the weapon of a Rwandan soldier prior to allowing him on the C-17 Globemaster III in Rwanda, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Loadmasters and aerial port crews quickly load vehicles and equipment onto a C-17 Globemaster III in Rwanda, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers wait in line at the Kigali airport to get on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Tech. Sgt. Tim Raymon, 62nd Airlift Wing loadmaster, directs a driver into position on a C-17 Globemaster III while picking up soldiers and equipment in Rwanda, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers and their equipment are flown from Rwanda to the Central Africa Republic on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Jan. 19, 2014. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
A village in the Central African Republic city of Bangui can be seen as the C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., prepares to land, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Capt. Elizabeth Shaw, 62nd Airlift Wing aircraft commander, scans the runway for any people or animals before landing at the Bangui airport in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
A C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., is parked, engines running, on an airfield in the Central African Republic to drop off Rwandan soldiers, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers exit a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash. in the Central African Republic with a refugee camp 100 yards away full of displaced locals due to fighting, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers stand in formation awaiting orders after being dropped off in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers wait in line at the Kigali airport to get on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Staff Sgt. Joseph Rivera, 571st Contingency Response Group based out of Travis Air Force Base, Calif., fist bumps a Rwandan soldier as they trade vehicles in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers form up after a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash. dropped them off in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. forces will transport a total number of 850 Rwandan soldiers and more than 1,000 tons of equipment into the Central African Republic to aid French and African Union operations against militants during this three week-long operation. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Tech. Sgt. Matthew Reddick, 62nd Airlift Wing flying crew chief, glances over to the refugee camp while Rwandan soldiers are unloaded from his C-17 Globemaster III in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
A C-17 Globemaster III out of Travis Air Force Base, Calif., takes off from Entebbe Airport in Uganda, Jan. 22, 2014. The Ugandans have supported multiple U.S. missions in the past few months by providing an airfield, transportation, and maintenance packages so the African Union can successfully carry out peace keeping operations. U.S. Air Force photo by by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
U.S. Air Force and Marine service members load cargo onto a C-17 Globemaster III, Bujmumbura Airport, Burundi, Dec. 13, 2013. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Cardenas
Burundi soldiers prepare to load onto a C-17 Globemaster III, Bujmumbura Airport, Burundi, Dec. 13, 2013. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Cardenas
Rwandan soldiers wait in line at the Kigali airport to have their weapons inspected by Staff Sgt. Curtis McWoodson, 627th Security Forces Squadron Phoenix Raven, before getting on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers wait in line to board a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in Kigali, Rwanda, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. forces were dispatched to provide airlift assistance to multinational troops in support of an African Union effort to quell violence in the Central African Republic. U.S. Air Force photo by by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Senior Airman Chase Vento, 627th Security Forces Squadron Phoenix Raven, inspects the weapon of a Rwandan soldier prior to allowing him on the C-17 Globemaster III in Rwanda, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Loadmasters and aerial port crews quickly load vehicles and equipment onto a C-17 Globemaster III in Rwanda, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers wait in line at the Kigali airport to get on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Tech. Sgt. Tim Raymon, 62nd Airlift Wing loadmaster, directs a driver into position on a C-17 Globemaster III while picking up soldiers and equipment in Rwanda, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers and their equipment are flown from Rwanda to the Central Africa Republic on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Jan. 19, 2014. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
A village in the Central African Republic city of Bangui can be seen as the C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., prepares to land, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Capt. Elizabeth Shaw, 62nd Airlift Wing aircraft commander, scans the runway for any people or animals before landing at the Bangui airport in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
A C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., is parked, engines running, on an airfield in the Central African Republic to drop off Rwandan soldiers, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers exit a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash. in the Central African Republic with a refugee camp 100 yards away full of displaced locals due to fighting, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers stand in formation awaiting orders after being dropped off in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers wait in line at the Kigali airport to get on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Staff Sgt. Joseph Rivera, 571st Contingency Response Group based out of Travis Air Force Base, Calif., fist bumps a Rwandan soldier as they trade vehicles in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Rwandan soldiers form up after a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash. dropped them off in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. forces will transport a total number of 850 Rwandan soldiers and more than 1,000 tons of equipment into the Central African Republic to aid French and African Union operations against militants during this three week-long operation. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
Tech. Sgt. Matthew Reddick, 62nd Airlift Wing flying crew chief, glances over to the refugee camp while Rwandan soldiers are unloaded from his C-17 Globemaster III in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
A C-17 Globemaster III out of Travis Air Force Base, Calif., takes off from Entebbe Airport in Uganda, Jan. 22, 2014. The Ugandans have supported multiple U.S. missions in the past few months by providing an airfield, transportation, and maintenance packages so the African Union can successfully carry out peace keeping operations. U.S. Air Force photo by by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
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