USAF Photos of the Day: Special Ops Air Controllers at Toussaint Louverture International Airport

United States Air Force, Operation Unified Response ^ | January 23, 2010 | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Desiree N. Palacios

[EnjoyingLife]

Photo #1, 23 January 2010: Aerial photo of Toussaint Louverture International Airport, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Photo #2, 23 January 2010: Combat controllers from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida, USA

Photo #3, 23 January 2010

Photo #4, 23 January 2010

Photo #5, 23 January 2010

Photo #6, 23 January 2010: Aerial photograph of Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

The Photographer: Staff Sgt. Desiree N. Palacios, United States Air Force

Photos Via: http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-201001.htm (photos 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54) 

[roaddog727]

I worked with a Combat Controller team a bunch of years ago down in Hondo. Super guys.

[Dr. Ursus]

Nice Pics.I believe that they were called combat controllers
in my day?

[Moose4]

There’s a lot of workhorse aircraft in that first picture. FedEx 727, two USAF C-130s...I can’t make out whose Ilyushin Il-76 that is in the background. And parked in the middle of all of those is a Gulfstream! I wonder whose it is.

}:-)4

[Prince of Space]

Something about a man in a uniform....

Mrs. Prince of Space

[SLB]

Thought you might like this.

[SlowBoat407]

Where were the Italian controllers?

[OriginalChristian]

I am humbled by their service. I am honored to live in this country.

[commish]

Not sure whose gulf stream. I do know that Hendrick Motorsports is flying all 3 of thier 45 pac Saabs in and out. Joe Gibbs Racing and Micheal Waltrip Racing are also flying relief flights, they might use Gulf Streams. also, John Travolta is flying relief flights, but he may be flying his 707.

[ironwill]

They’re wearing the Multicam pattern. Hmmm...are the SpecOps forces in Afghanistan not the only ones wearing it anymore?

[jnsun]

Great pics, thanks.

Still a fair amount of ramp space available at that instant. If not now incorporated Homestead ARB is a natural for the air supply stream into Haiti. An hour flight, maximum cargo loads, plenty staging area, RR and highway land supply, and air route could even be a VFR corridor. And I suppose nothing wrong for foreign national flights to fit into the stream, just make sure they have a bigger (safer) block. (Although command would have to play hardball if they started screwing things up.)

I guess someone has figured this out.

Just help the locals in place, no "crisis" immigration, which isn't a long term solution anyway. (I know from experience there'll be thousands clawing to get on those US flagged aircraft.)

[nfldgirl]

I can’t believe that airport building is still standing. How in the world did it escape the destruction of the earthquake.

[SJSAMPLE]

Some commercial and infrastructure buildings were built to a much higher standard.

I suspect that a large portion of the dead are buried beneath residential and light commercial rubble, which isn’t usually held to a high (or any) standard.

[New Perspective]

I can’t believe that airport building is still standing. How in the world did it escape the destruction of the earthquake.

We probably built it.

In the 1940s a military and civil airfield, Bowen Field, was established near Baie de Port-au-Prince providing passenger air service by Compagnie Haitienne de Transports Aériens. It served as an airbase for the U.S. military in Haiti in the 1950s and 1960s. Developed with grant money from the United States Government, the current airport opened in 1965 as Francois Duvalier International Airport, named after then Haitian president Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier. Following the resignation of Duvalier's son and successor Jean Claude Duvalier in 1986, the airport was renamed Port-au-Prince International, before being renamed again as Toussaint Louverture International Airport in 2003, in honour of the Haitian revolutionary leader.

[Flightdeck]

“We probably built it.”

All part of the plan to have a pre-fabricated base for invasion once we were ready to use our new earthquake machine. My only concern is how Chavez uncovered the plot.

[OrioleFan]

Still a fair amount of ramp space available at that instant.

Probably have to reserve it for State Department and Congresional "fact-finders" who get in the way of relief efforts.

[Rinnwald]

“Where were the Italian controllers?”

Well, if they were there, they would be doing a much better job than our boys in uniform. (snarling sarcasm)

Really, how much of a Euro-peckerhead do you have to be to criticize the guys with the first boots on the ground? Thank you very much, Italy.

[texas booster]

Not sure about the uniforms, but Zephirhills water bottles are a FL thing.

[WINGNUT45]

These guys are U.S. Airforce Combat Controllers from the 23rd. Speacial Tactics Squadron. They are wearing Multicams which are used by U.S. Special Operations.

[WINGNUT45]

Seriously everyone, the picture bylines are a wealth of information. they are U.S Airforce Combat Controllers From 23rd STS in Hurlburt Field field, Florida. They are FAA certified Air Trafic Controllers with Special Ops training. they are usually paired with other special forces team to communicate with pilots to provide airstikes and medivacs. If need be, they can take a strip of land and turn it into a landing strip or drop zone. Their history comes from the Pathfinders of WW2. The uniform are common for Special Ops of every branch.