C-130 CREW RETURN FROM NZ QUAKE-RELIEF EFFORTS

There was no in-flight entertainment nor meal services on board, but two of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) C-130 military aircraft gave many civilians a ride to remember by flying them to safety.

Participating in relief efforts after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch on 22 Feb, the 26-member C-130 crew evacuated more than 160 civilians away from the disaster zone during their deployment which began on 23 Feb.

Together with a KC-135 military aircraft, the two C-130s were also used to dispatch a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Command team and a 55-man Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) urban search and rescue team and equipment to Christchurch on 23 Feb.

The KC-135 aircraft returned to Singapore on 25 Feb after evacuating 32 civilians from Christchurch to Auckland.

During their 11-day deployment in Christchurch, the C-130 crew assisted the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) by airlifting close to 110,000 pounds of humanitarian aid and supplies such as drinking water, decontamination equipment, clothing and portable generators, to victims of the earthquake.



The crew also ferried 36 New Zealand urban search and rescue personnel who searched the rubble for survivors.



At their homecoming on 8 Mar at Paya Lebar Air Base, they were given a warm welcome by Chief of Air Force Major-General (MG) Ng Chee Meng and other senior SAF and SCDF officers. Four SCDF personnel also returned with the C-130 crew.

Speaking to cyberpioneer after landing, C-130 Mission Commander Captain (CPT) Chew Chuen Hee commented: "For this mission, we responded very quickly and managed to deliver whatever that was required on time, so the mission was a success."

He added: "All of us are glad that we are able to play a part in the Christchurch earthquake relief efforts. It is indeed an unforgettable experience. We hope that our assistance has helped to relieve some of the victims' sufferings in their time of need."

Sharing his experience during the mission, C-130 Loadmaster 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) Vincent Teo said: "It was sad seeing some New Zealanders carrying their babies and very few of their belongings, and relocating to another town. That spurred me on to want to help them even more."

Following his return, he hopes to share what he has learnt from the mission with his colleagues in the Air Force. He said: "Having experienced first-hand how to help the victims of a natural disaster, it'll be good to share my experience with fellow colleagues, so that should such disasters happen in the region, we'll all be ready to help."

Over in Christchurch, the SAF team, comprising servicemen from Headquarters Guards, continues to assist the NZDF to conduct cordon operations in the city centre and to remove debris in the suburbs.

An SAF-led five-man Disaster Victim Identification team is also assisting local authorities in forensics work.