Soldiers from the Air Force at Eindhoven Air Base prepare for a special mission: dropping food packages above the Gaza Strip. The device leaves for Jordan on Wednesday, to deliver thousands of kilos of relief supplies to people in need for two weeks from Friday.
It is a military operation, but one with a pronounced humanitarian goal. “The situation on the ground in Gaza is of course special. This gives this mission an extra charge,” says Detachment Commander Sam, who will go to Jordan on Wednesday. “We can make a contribution to offer some lighting for the population on site.”
Before the packages go up in the air, there is a lot of work to do. Sergeant Maurice of the 11 Aermobiele Brigade specializes in Airdrops and works as an inspector. He manages the teams that build the loads and checks whether everything is safe for transport. “I’m going to see what we can make good packages and of which we can deliver as much volume as possible so that we can bring this to the ground.”
In Jordan there is close cooperation with other countries to coordinate flight plans, drop zones, weather conditions and locations. 16,000 kilos of food is dropped. The drops are expected to take about two weeks. The packages include rice, flour and baby food.
Before a load ends up in an airplane, an inspector looks at the load. “It will check whether it is actually safe.” This is followed by a second inspection round, in which any latest adjustments are made. Finally, the Air Force, together with the airmobile brigade, does a final check. “The Air Force will drop it.”
‘Great that we can take this opportunity’
Maurice was once with a similar mission in Gaza last year, but does not yet know if he can come this time. “If there is room, I will come along. But in principle we are simply planned on the floor, but the most important thing is that we offer as much support as possible to the people in the Gaza Strip. And not to fly with.”
The motivation is great. “We are happy that we can perform this promotion. We train all year for this, so then it is just great that we can grab this opportunity. What makes me proud is that you can actually make the world – if only a little bit – a little bit better.”
