ONE IN 10 MILLION
Hercs’ hefty total

Corporal Chris Bensted’s RSL care parcel is the 10 millionth pound our C-130s have delivered in the Middle East in the past year – and he has a certificate authenticating the significance of the package. He received the parcel and the certificate at Baghdad International Airport on March 2. Photo by LACW Christine Williams

By MAJ Matt Grant

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IT might seem inconspicuous, but the RSL care parcel delivered to Corporal Christopher Bensted, of No. 381 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron, signifies a weighty achievement.

It is the 10 millionth pound of cargo our Hercs have delivered in the Middle East in the past 12 months in 452 missions as part of Operations Falconer and Catalyst.

For the men and women of the C-130 Hercules Detachment, reaching the 10 million pounds (more than 4500 tonnes) mark represented just another day in the office – an office that stretches across the Middle East.

Since February 2003, the two Australian C-130s have worked non-stop. Representing just 3 per cent of the Coalition C-130 fleet, the RAAF has accounted for 6½ per cent of the total cargo carried by the Coalition.

As well as the cargo lift capability, the C-130 Hercules aircraft have transported 9850 passengers – equivalent to more than 60 Boeing 737 loads – as well as moving 925 aeromedical patients.

“The fact that we are recognised by our Coalition partners as punching well above our weight underlines the efforts of our team, and demonstrates the value of the detachment to the operation,” the Commander of the C-130 Detachment, Wing Commander Tim Innes, said.

| “The delivery of the 10 millionth pound of cargo is a milestone for all personnel supporting Coalition operations in the Middle East, as they continue assisting in the rehabilitation of Iraq.”

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