It takes a lot of power to airlift tons of humanitarian aid, particularly to islands across the Pacific Ocean. It takes, for instance, seven C-130J Super Hercules and C-130H Hercules cargo aircraft. And this weekend those large cargo planes came together on a runway in Guam for an “elephant walk.”
An “elephant walk” is basically a tight grouping of planes on a runway, taking off one after the other. It’s a term and tradition going back to World War II. And it was alive and well on Saturday, Dec. 14 on the runway at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. Some of the seven were C-130J Super Hercules belonging to the U.S. Air Force’s 36th Airlift Squadron while other aircraft were from the Royal Australian Air Force, the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force, South Korea Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Recent elephant walks at Beale Air Force Base and Kadena Air Base have focused more on the variety of aircraft on base, a showcase of the different capabilities and power gathered. That could be a rare display of eight U-2 Dragon Lady spy planes or a collection of offensive aircraft including F-22s and F-16Cs. This elephant walk at Andersen Air Force Base wasn’t that. Instead it was to mark the completion of Operation Christmas Drop, an annual program that the U.S. Air Force and allies do in the Pacific to deliver needed supplies to remote islands in the region. It started in 1952 and has continued since.
This year’s drop brought food and other items to communities in Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia, according to the Air Force. The operation kicked off on Dec. 4 and wrapped this weekend. Saturday’s elephant walk showcased the C-130s that were the workhorse aircraft for getting the aid to communities. During the operation, air crews worked to drop the bundles from the sky, where they parachuted to hit the waves right along the coast for easy recovery.
The 374th Airlift Wing out of Yokota Air Base in Japan was the lead unit handling operations on the American side. Other units involved include the 36th Wing and the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing. Beyond providing aid to remote communities, the airlifts also serve as a training opportunity, both in preparation for handling disasters and working with other nations’ air forces, according to Col. Richard McElhaney, commander of the 374th Airlift Wing. McElhaney, who spoke to Pacific Daily News in Guam earlier this month, described it as “a fantastic test for some of our younger aviators to go out.”
Guam, with Andersen Air Force Base as well as Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz and Naval Base Guam, has become a major hub for the U.S. military in recent years as it builds up its infrastructure and presence in the Pacific theater.
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