12/12/2013:The Marines and the USAF worked together with support from the USN to establish an infrastructure to enable relief operations.
It was an insert, support and withdraw effort in which the 36th Contingency Response Group (CRG) and the USMC played a key role in rapid insertion, and responsible withdrawal.
As Col. James, from PACAF, explained about the role of the CRG:
They deployed to Tacloban and worked to open up the airport to become capable of flowing in support capabilities. They had to set up air traffic control support; they had to work to extend the runway ….
They worked with the Filipinos to make sure the kind of safety equipment we needed to maintain sortie rates was available to ensure safety security. They also focused on getting in the machinery which can facilitate offloading of supplies.
These photos show some of the activities of the CRG in the operation.
[slidepress gallery=’the-36th-crisis-response-group-in-the-philippine-relief-effort’]
- In the first two photos, Airmen assists evacuees as they board a U.S. Air Force C-130H at Tacloban Airport, Republic of the Philippines, during Operation Damayan Nov. 18, 2013.
- In the third photo, Airmen move cargo in support of Operation Damayan at Clark Air Base, Republic of the Philippines, Nov. 19, 2013.
- In the fourth photo, evacuees board a C-130 in support of Operation Damayan at Tacloban Airport, Republic of the Philippines, Nov. 23, 2013.
- In the final photo, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joe Klimaski, 36th Contingency Response Force, offloads relief supplies from a Philippine Air Force C-130 with Philippine airmen in support of Operation Damayan at Tacloban Airport, Republic of the Philippines, Nov. 23, 2013.