Reservists continue Haiti humanitarian relief Published Feb. 6, 2012 By Capt. Wayne Capps 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI -- Reservists from the 315th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. delivered almost 56,000 lbs. of humanitarian aid to the island nation of Haiti this weekend. The three-day mission involved two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft delivering medical supplies, food, clothing, a van and construction equipment valued at approximately $40,000 to schools and medical clinics in Dumbay, Haiti. "These missions may seem like any ordinary mission but you have to put it all into perspective. This cargo will do a lot of good for a lot of people," said Technical Sergeat Josh Fugle a loadmaster from the 701st Airlift Squadron who was on the mission. "Missions like these make me feel good to be part of this organization." These missions were made possible by the Denton Amendment, a State Department program allowing the delivery of donated humanitarian aid to fly on Air Force assets on a space available basis. Since October 2011, the 315th Airlift Wing has flown five missions to Haiti delivering more than 89,000 lbs. of humanitarian supplies using the Denton program. "It is unbelievable that just an hour away from the United States, kids are starving like that. It was good to be able to help them," said Lt. Col. John Riordan, one of the pilots on the mission from the 701st Airlift Squadron. "I get a sense of self satisfaction flying these missions and it makes you feel fortunate to be a U.S. citizen and to be in the position to help." The Denton program allowed this cargo to be transported on standard over seas training missions. Many flight crewmembers accomplished aircrew currency items and evaluations. Sergeant Fugle, a traditional reservist who works full time with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, received a no-notice check ride or spot evaluation on the flight, a random quality control evaluation to ensure standardization of training. Sergeant Fugle also sees these missions as a nice change of pace. "Most missions we fly supply the war fighter on the ground. While both missions are rewarding, I like the satisfaction that comes with helping people in need," he said. "Money is tight everywhere and the taxpayer gets a lot of value out of a mission where we accomplish the training that we need and do some good for people in need," said Master Sergeant Tom House, the evaluator load master on the flight. "Flying missions like these is a good way to spend the weekend, we were able to help hundreds of families by delivering these supplies." The relief missions are part of ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the Haitian people.