76th APS Airmen prepare pallets for Honduras Published Feb. 13, 2015 By Senior Airman Rachel Kocin 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- The 76th Aerial Port Squadron (APS) is using its expertise in cargo handling to help send humanitarian assistance to Honduras. Airmen palletized medical supplies including hospital beds and mattresses and a Bobcat utility vehicle to transport the equipment once it reaches its destination, during the February Unit Training Assembly here, Feb. 7, 2015. The pallets are scheduled for transport to Honduras via a KC-10 aircraft Feb. 18. This medical equipment is being transported as humanitarian airlift using the Denton program. "This equipment would either be recycled or put into a landfill," said Master Sgt. Kevin Massie, 76th Aerial Port Squadron Superintendent. "This way, it has a chance to be repurposed." The cargo was collected by MedWish International, a non-profit organization based in Cleveland, Ohio. MedWish spokespersons said the items were donated by the Cleveland Clinic and other local hospitals. During the last seven years, 76th APS personnel have assembled and sent nearly 250 pallets to countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and Haiti via the Denton program. According to its website, the Denton Program allows U.S. citizens and organizations to use space available on U.S. military cargo planes to transport humanitarian goods, such as clothing, food, medical and educational supplies, and agricultural equipment and vehicles, to countries in need. The program is jointly administered by USAID, the Department of State and the Department of Defense. Shipping humanitarian airlift via the Denton program allows otherwise unavailable training opportunities for Aerial Port personnel. 76th APS members primarily train for cargo transport via C-130s as the primary aircraft of the 910th Airlift Wing. Denton airlift missions allow Airmen to train with different aircraft such as the C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III and KC-10 Extender. "This is great, real-world training that is key for YARS personnel who do not always have the opportunity," said Massie.