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LRS lieutenant recalls Haiti experience

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Samantha S. Crane
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  A 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron lieutenant's life changed earlier this year when he took part in relief efforts in Haiti after the country suffered from a 7.0 earthquake in January.

As the 375th LRS Fuels Management flight commander here, 1st Lt. Christopher Russell served as the 24th Air Expeditionary Group Aerial Port flight commander at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, later serving as the
24th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron commander.

His time in Haiti, from February to the beginning of June, marked his first deployment.

"We were in charge of ensuring the airport remained open for supplies to move in and out, because at the beginning, the seaport was still too devastated to bring any aid in," said Lieutenant Russell. "We had to move quickly and safely--any incident would have hindered our ability to expedite life-saving cargo and to get U.S. citizens and patients out."

The lieutenant's team processed approximately 150 aircraft a day for the first two weeks.

"The highest I saw was 174," said the lieutenant. "And there were no accidents that day."

Not only was the lieutenant the only member of his team from Scott AFB, he was also one of the only active duty servicemembers in his Aerial Port team, which consisted of 67 members at its peak.

"It was unique to say the least," he said. "It really highlighted the Total Force concept. The civil engineer members were all Guard, and they were outstanding."

He explained that there were two main missions for the AEG. "We supported the aerial porters to make sure flightline operations continued and the 24th AEG also had a medical function to provide medical care and aeromedical evacuation support."

While in Haiti, the lieutenant said the suffering he witnessed caused him to evaluate his own priorities.

"It was very hard because we had to abide by very strict guidelines. If you gave a small child on the side of the street some food, you could start a riot or someone could attack the child for the food."

From his point of view, middle class citizens experienced the most suffering.

"People in the very lowest class were already homeless or living in tents, and they were back to their normal routine in five to six days, and the wealthiest had enough money to find new accommodations," said the lieutenant, "but the middle class people relied on their homes for their life savings and financial stability. In Haiti, people place all that they make into their homes much like we do with banks and retirement plans.

"When the buildings were destroyed, their life savings were destroyed too, and they effectively became the lower class, causing the gap between the lower and upper classes to become extremely large. People lost hope. They lost hope for their lives and hope for their children. To work their entire lives and have it taken away caused extreme despair. Some people gave up and started living from moment to moment rather than looking to the future.

"We saw a lot of human suffering and despair," said the lieutenant. "Seeing all of that made me reexamine my priorities for my family. Hope was a scarce commodity in Port-au-Prince, and I have promised myself that I will always ensure my family has hope no
matter what comes our way."

But the experience left a lasting positive effect on the lieutenant's life.

"More than anything, it strengthened my resolve for what the men and women of the armed services do for other nations regardless of how the rest of the world views us," said Lieutenant Russell. "What we did there in Haiti, no other nation or private company could do. We saved thousands of lives because of our speed and flexibility in getting the aid to Haiti and then to the people in need."

During his downtime, the lieutenant and his team had the opportunity to help with the recovery of remains at Hotel Montana and volunteer at an orphanage. When it was time to return home, Lieutenant Russell was the very last member of the group to board the C-17.

"We were there to provide immediate life-saving capabilities and assist in Haiti's recovery, and we accomplished that mission."