MIAMI – At the request of the U.S. State Department and at the direction of U.S. Southern Command, a U.S. Air Force C-130 is transporting 89 U.S. citizens, who were previously unable to return home from Honduras, to Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
The C-130 mission is the second Air Force mission supporting the U.S. State Department’s ongoing efforts to assist American citizens unable to return home from the Central American country.
A U.S. Air Force C-17 flew the first mission out of Honduras’ Soto Cano Air Base, landing in the U.S. earlier today (March 20) with passengers that included approximately half of the U.S. women’s football team.
Both flights were the result of close coordination between U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa.
The C-130 is scheduled to arrive at Joint Base Charleston later today (March 20) with the remaining players, as well as other U.S. citizens who made their journey home with help from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Air Force.
Through its Active, Reserve, and Air National Guard components, Air Mobility Command has been supporting the U.S. government’s ongoing COVID-19 mitigation response efforts and executing rapid global mobility operations in support of the DHHS-led, whole-of-government effort to combat the Coronavirus outbreak.
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Link to (b-roll) video:
Video description: This morning (Friday, March 20), in coordination with U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa, a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III returned to the United States from Honduras' Soto Cano Air Base with about half of the members of the U.S. women's football team. Later today, the remaining members of the women's football team will arrive at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina on a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules. Through its Active, Reserve, and Air National Guard components, Air Mobility Command stands ready to do everything possible to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and ensure we continue executing the rapid global mobility operations in support of the DHHS-led whole-of-government effort to combat the Coronavirus outbreak.
Points of Contact:
Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs Office
Capt. Elias Zani
Office: 843-963-5608
U.S. Southern Command
Public Affairs Office
Office: 305-437-1213
Cell: 305-586-3657
e-mail: southcom.miami.sc-cc.list.cmd-public-affairs