This morning I attended a blogger’s roundtable with US Air Force Captain Trevor Hall. Capt. Hall was the pilot-in-command for the first US military humanitarian flight into Burma since the disaster. His C-130 transport aircraft carried food, water, and medical supplies into Rangoon International Airport. Since then, a number of further US Air Force and Marine flights have taken place.
Capt. Hall described the Burmese military personnel offloading the plane as “ecstatic” for US help, some even wanting to have their pictures taken with the crew and aircraft. Hearing this, I was reminded of Operation Little Vittles, when US pilots participating in the Berlin Airlift dropped candy from their aircraft while flying over the city. The actions of the pilots won the hearts and minds of a generation of Berliners, who dubbed the aircraft “Rosinenbombers” (Candy Bombers), and still remember the act today.
The operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have proven the power in winning a population’s hearts and minds. Modern humanitarian airlifts represent not only a chance to fulfill our responsibility to humanity, but also to create an entire generation with fond memories of American aircraft dropping American aid. In the long term, the resulting support might pay back hundreds of times over.
Update: Blackfive has a recording of the entire interview.