Dobbins airmen provide airlift for more than 1,100 Afghan evacuees

Sep. 23—Airmen of the 94th Airlift Wing provided airlift for more than 1,100 Afghan evacuees in early September, Dobbins Air Reserve Base announced. The unit, which calls Dobbins home, was participating in Operation Allies Welcome, a mission that provided temporary housing and support for Afghan special visa applicants, their families and others.

Airmen flew passengers out of Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia International Airport to military bases in New Mexico, Texas and Indiana.

The Department of Defense is providing transportation, lodging, food, medical care and other needs to at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees, per a Dobbins news release, as part of the U.S. efforts to assist Afghans who supported the U.S. mission during the 20-year war.

"We flew daily from September 3rd to September 14th, 14 total missions in total," said Maj. Bart Clark, 94th Airlift Wing pilot and chief of safety, in the release. The work has been fast-paced, Clark added.

"Personally, I've never taken more than 60 passengers at a time, but we were carrying upwards of 90 people for each flight."

Maj. Jonathan Lester, an operations support squadron pilot and the unit's director of operations, said the team was proud to support the mission.

"Our loadmasters did a good brunt of the work," Lester said in the release. "They worked with interpreters who had to brief the passengers and assist with them."

Many reserve citizen airmen also volunteered to support the operation, taking time away from family and other civilian commitments.

"All of us that went, I believe we would have regretted saying, no we can't help," Lester said. "This mission definitely validates the importance of what we do."