Tempo Triumph: How AMC Airmen Sustained Speed in Pakistan’s Flood Crisis
By MRS. LAUREN FOSNOT, STAFF WRITER
In the wake of natural disasters, rapid response can mean the difference between life and death for affected communities. Recognizing this need for urgency, Air Mobility Command (AMC) Airmen, in the face of hurdles, worked tirelessly “at tempo”—a term used by AMC Commander Gen Mike Minihan to describe the swift pace of operations—to provide lifesaving sustainment for thirty-three million Pakistanis, whose country was afflicted by catastrophic floods in 2022.
The Air & Space Forces Association recognized this feat at the 2023 Air, Space & Cyber Conference by awarding AMC’s 14th Airlift Squadron the Berlin Airlift Veterans Association Humanitarian Airlift Mission of the Year Award. Col Sam “Lurch” Todd, Commander of the 437th Airlift Wing, accepted the honor on behalf of his deployed squadron for the seven-day, sixteen-mission humanitarian response in which twenty million pounds of humanitarian supplies were delivered.
The Mobility Forum spoke with Lt Col Daniel Naske, current Commander of the 14th Airlift Squadron and a C-17A Globemaster III Weapons Officer at Joint Base Charleston, SC, to gain insight into the noteworthy AMC mission.
Amidst the Pakistani crisis, Naske was Commander of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The unit was the only forward-deployed C-17 squadron in the world at the time and was largely in charge of operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility (AOR). It was evident, toward the end of August through early September 2022, that C-17s were needed to provide relief to the people of Pakistan after the devastating floods.
“With the C-17 being a strategic and tactical airlift platform that can travel vast distances and deliver supplies across the world, this aircraft was ideal to help out in this situation,” he explained.
When the Commander received notice that his squadron of nearly 115 Airmen would be needed for the humanitarian effort, he immediately tasked his team with preparing for the challenges ahead. The logistics of traversing Pakistan airfields would be daunting as the airfields are typically small with tight taxiways and had not been accessed by U.S. forces in more than a decade. The squadron diligently studied airfield layouts, airspace regulations, and approach procedures to ensure safe and precise operations. Amidst ongoing activities in the AOR, the squadron juggled multiple priorities, flying three to four missions daily with five airplanes. He also recognizes the aircraft maintainers who kept the planes running during that busy time. “It was an eighty percent mission capable rate, which is better than any airplane in the fleet,” he stated. “They did an excellent job.”
In the meantime Naske flew Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, then-Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet, to Northern Pakistan to meet with the Pakistani government and the U.S. Department of State to organize permissions for U.S. forces to enter the country. The Pakistani government permitted the United States to fly into their airfields and start preparing to receive humanitarian supplies. The aid was from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), an independent agency of the U.S. government primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. The supplies ranged from kitchen sets and temporary tents to food, water, and other essential goods. Naske flew the head of USAID on a C-17 to oversee this effort. There, in the flooded country, Naske witnessed how desperately these supplies were needed by the Pakistani people.
“Their homes [were] gone, their businesses [were] gone, they [had] nowhere to sleep. Everything was mud. It was terrible to see,” he said. “The supplies served to help people survive until they could rebuild and get a sense of normalcy back.”
He further explained what made the mission extraordinary: the tempo sustained by the Mobility Airmen—a factor keyed in on within Minihan’s The Mobility Manifesto. While Minihan’s tempo references relate to the future fight, Naske shared his belief that tempo applies to combat as well as Mobility missions across the board—from aeromedical to humanitarian aid. In other words, if Mobility Airmen are executing a mission, they will be operating at tempo. To ensure this pace, Naske already had his crews operating on Bravo status, which meant they were on alert and ready for the call. “From flash to bang, from notification to execution, it was about twenty-four to forty-eight hours,” he stated. “We exploded into the theater to help the millions of people who were displaced.”
Another remarkable feat was how safe the missions were. According to Naske, 1.4 million pounds of humanitarian aid were transported by his squadron in six days without a single safety incident. “No one was hurt, and there was no damage to any of the aircraft,” e said. “The way that they were able to do all of that in a professional and safe manner was inspiring.”
He says his squadron had three tenets in mind: Be safe, take care of each other, and execute the mission well. He instilled these same tenets in his team as Commander of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and still encourages impeccable standards as Commander of the 14th Airlift Squadron.
When asked if he witnessed Mobility Airmen acting as Multi-Capable Airmen, Naske replied, “Absolutely.” In fact, one of his aircraft loadmasters, SSgt Abby Beachnau, helped drive one of the forklifts to help one of the Pakistani forklift operators get behind the aircraft to move pallets.
Naske shared that observing the impact of humanitarian relief on the people of Pakistan was an important motivator for many Airmen. He also admires the planners and other personnel behind the scenes who worked equally hard despite not directly witnessing the effects of the aid, like he and others had.
For all of those involved, the Commander wanted to share a very touching moment—he recalls an instance in which a Pakistani military liaison called on the radio to state that the people of Pakistan were forever grateful to the men and women of the U.S. military for delivering aid to their country. For Naske, this moment reminded him of the humanity of the entire situation. “It was human beings helping human beings through a time of crisis,” he said. “I thought that was just a beautiful thing, and I’ll never forget it.”
As the world continues to grapple with humanitarian crises, Mobility Airmen will be available. They will remain trained, ready, and willing to continue the tempo.