USTRANSCOM moves coats to Afghan orphans
Cantor, team chief of the special issues team, Stability Operations, Combined Task Force-82, got the idea to help the children several months ago while talking with Afghans about their needs. "One of them mentioned that there was an orphanage that had very little supplies and the kids there really needed winter coats," Cantor said.
Cantor decided to get his hometown involved.
"I wrote the Marlboro (N.J.) Deputy Mayor Larry Rosen to see if we could get some winter coats donated to an orphanage here in Afghanistan," Cantor said. "He thought about it and immediately put the Teen Advisory Committee into action."
The group of industrious teens managed to collect 400 coats and various toys and supplies for the project.
"The concern was raised about how to ship the coats here to Afghanistan," Cantor said. "Larry Rosen reached out to Congressman Rush Holt's office, and he gladly stepped up to send the coats via the Denton Agreement. USTRANSCOM got involved and worked out the logistics in getting the coats here."
Navy Cmdr. James Cheatham, chief of the USTRANSCOM Standards Branch said the Denton Agreement is a Department of Defense transportation program that moves humanitarian cargo donated by U.S.-based non-governmental organizations to developing nations to ease human suffering.
Once approved, DOD land, air or sea assets, transport this cargo on a space-available basis. The Department of State and DOD manage the program, as authorized by 10 U.S. Code 402.
"It was a collaborative effort between us, USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development), Defense Security Cooperation Agency and of course, our agents at JRI (Joint Relief International) at Charleston Air Force Base," Cheatham said,
"Marlboro leaders asked New Jersey Congressman Russ Holt for help," Cheatham continued. "Holt contacted U.S. Agency for International Development leadership and Gen. Duncan J. McNabb, commander of USTRANSCOM, to help move the coats as fast as possible."
According to Ken Hundemer of JRI, the company responsible for scheduling approved Denton shipments for USTRANSCOM, the shipment of coats began with USAID, State Department and DSCA approval.
"Once approved, USTRANSCOM had transportation oversight of the movement of this cargo," Hundemer said. "Once coordination was completed between the congressman's staff, protocol office, public Affairs and the aerial port squadron with the 305th Air Mobility Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., the bags of coats were moved onto the base on Saturday, March 27, 2010.
"The cargo was manifested," Hundemer continued, "and then moved on a channel mission from McGuire through Dover Air Force Base, Del., to its terminating point at Ramstein Air Base, Germany on March 29th. From there the cargo was re-handled by the 721 APS at Ramstein and manifested for opportune movement to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan."
"They were delivered on Friday, April 2, 2010, which was Good Friday," Cantor said. I signed for the pallet and had them delivered to the building were we would launch our humanitarian assistance mission, nine days later."
Cantor and his team arrived, to a waiting crowd at the orphanage.
"There were about 130 orphans there waiting to see us, and they were looking forward to receiving their new coats," Cantor said. "There were three girls and 127 boys. Most of these kids had the clothes on their backs and nothing else. There were very poor, had no home, no parents. It was really sad to say the least.
"I am so proud of the Marlboro Teen Advisory Committee for making this all happen," Cantor added. "I doubt if they fully understand the amazing impact they had on a society's poorest and neglected people."
Brig. Gen. Michael Lally, USTRANSCOM director of Operations and Plans said such a shipment would ordinarily take three to six months, but the efforts of the Standards Branch cut down the time dramatically.
"This is another 'Promise given...Promise kept' example made possible by our TCJ3-SS," he said. They did so by collaborating with USTRANSCOM's Denton Program contractor Joint Relief International, Congressman Holt's staff, as well as Denton representatives from USAID and DSCA. These coats arrived in Bagram six weeks after TCJ3 was given this task.
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