PÁPA, Hungary – The Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) launched a humanitarian relief mission to the Caribbean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017.

The Strategic Airlift Capability launched the Emergency Response Mission following a request from the Netherlands, one of the SAC member Nations.

The mission started from Pápa Air Base, the home station of the three SAC C-17’s, via Eindhoven in the Netherlands to upload the humanitarian relief cargo needed to ease the pressure on the people of the severely damaged island of St. Maarten.

Due to uncertain airport conditions on the island, the first run was conducted to Curacao, which was not damaged by the Hurricane, but was designated as a staging point for support to the island of St. Maarten. Reportedly airport conditions in St. Maarten are cleared and another airlift is planned to go directly there.

Humanitarian relief missions, often on short notice is one of the mission profiles that the SAC C-17’s can perform to support the 12 member nations in the SAC program. Examples of previous humanitarian relief missions performed by the Strategic Airlift Capability are the earthquake relief in Haiti, and the flood relief in Pakistan in 2010.