[caption id="attachment_566" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Airmen from the Kentucky National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group help offload wounded Haitian refugees and medical personnel from Puerto Rico National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters at the air hub in Barahona, Dominican Republic, Jan. 25. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dennis Flora, 123rd Airlift Wing)"]
BARAHONA, Dominican Republic (Jan. 25, 2010) -- Wounded Haitian refugees and volunteer medical personnel poured into the Dominican Republic through an air hub established by the Kentucky National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group.
As airports are few in number on the beleaguered island of Hispanola, the 123rd CRG's air hub at Barahona is a welcome addition to the relief effort.
Loads of supplies including food, water and medical personnel have routed through the 123rd's air hub and into the devastated nation of Haiti.
"Over the past 24 hours, we've already seen more than 200 tons of supplies come through the Barahona air hub," said Lt. Col. Kirk Hilbrecht, director of Public Affairs for the Kentucky National Guard. "It's truly amazing what the 123rd is able to do here -- and the amount of supplies keeps growing!"
The 123rd CRG not only manages the airfield, but also provides command and control, ramp and cargo operations and airfield security.
