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Hill reservists 'grateful' for Haiti deployment

  • Published
  • By Bryan Magaña
  • 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UTAH --  Five reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing who returned today from a month-long deployment to Haiti said their homecoming is "bittersweet."

They and 10 other Air Force Reservists from the 67th Aerial Port Squadron helped restore airfield operations at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. The team loaded and unloaded nearly 2,000 aircraft, processing more than 12,000 tons of cargo and 15,000 passengers, to include 7,000 evacuees and Haitian orphans.

The reservists also volunteered with the Army in excavation and recovery efforts at Hotel Montana, where several U.S. citizens died in the quake. The once-luxurious resort is now a "construction site" with only its first and second floors still standing. The aerial porters acted as spotters for heavy machine operators who are still sifting through mounds of rubble to find bodies and belongings of earthquake victims.

"If you consider it a success to find these kinds of things, then we had a lot of success," said Tech. Sgt. Justin Adams, who has been with the 67th APS for six years.

On good days, temperatures reached 90 degrees. When the wind blew, the smell of death permeated the air and seeped into their uniforms. Early on, roads were lined with two feet of debris on each side, like snow-plowed roads, and Haitians filled the streets with hands outstretched. Traveling from the airport to Hotel Montana helped make real the devastation they'd heard about.

But Sergeant Adams said it was "rewarding" to help offer families closure and ensure the bodies of loved ones were paid proper respects.

The Airmen joined about 40 countries offering aid to the broken nation--anything from food and water, to mattresses and medical supplies. They say they were impressed that so many nations gathered behind one cause to help humanity.

"What I've seen is unity, teamwork and solutions," Sergeant Adams said. "Not only by the Haitians, but by the world."

The global relief effort was encouraging to the reservists, who say they return with a new appreciation for their families and the little things they enjoy.

Master Sgt. Jeffery Petterborg, the team chief, said they lived in "primitive conditions" before the airport was better stabilized. Like the many made homeless after the earthquake, the Airmen lived in tent-cities nestled between the airport's taxiway and runway--a noisy space to return to after 12-hour shifts.

"We set up our own tents and rolled out our own sleeping bags," Sergeant Petterborg said. "Those were our living conditions for the first 25 days."

Between their weekly showers, the Airmen bathed with wet wipes and bottled water. They washed clothes with toilet plungers in five-gallon buckets filled with soapy water. But their hardships were nothing compared to those they were helping.

"We lost a little bit of sleep, but it was worth it because of the good that came out of it," Sergeant Adams said. "Leaving Haiti is bittersweet."

"There's definitely hope for Haiti," Sergeant Petterborg said. "The military has done tremendous work in getting aid to the Haitians. The people are still struggling but they're trying to get back into a routine."

Part of that routine was restored last weekend when commercial flights into Port-au-Prince resumed--a testament to what Hill's Citizen Airmen have accomplished in the past month.

"We were a small part of this process, but the amount of effort the U.S. is putting into the humanitarian effort is humbling," Sergeant Adams said. "We were just grateful to be there."