On one of the flights, the aircrew “saw four stranded individuals with broken bridges on both sides, and the water was high,” said AW1 Sabia. “We came in and made our turn. It looked like seven kids and a father. They were patting their [stomachs] saying they were hungry and thirsty. We came into a low hover and dropped about a hundred pounds [45 kilograms] of [food] and maybe about another 200 pounds [90 kilograms] of water to them.” It didn’t take long for the aircrew to realize how much good one drop could do. “Just the look in their eyes … you knew they were really appreciative,” said AW1 Sabia.

The USNS Rainier’s embarked helicopter squadron delivered relief supplies ashore. “The only way to deliver the desperately needed food and water is by helicopter,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chris Hayes. “Our [MH-60S Knighthawk] helicopter is uniquely configured for cargo, so we can carry a lot more than the other aircraft. We typically load up with rice, water, medical supplies and deliver them. Sometimes, we go straight to the villages.”

Loaded with supplies, helicopters from the Rainier typically flew to Sultan Iskandar Muda Air Force Base in Banda Aceh, the main logistics hub for relief supplies, and then delivered aid to Indonesian villages in need. On return flights, they often carried critically injured villagers seeking medical attention.

Relief operations took U.S. Navy Lt. Dan Bogan and U.S. Navy pilot Lt. j.g. Patrick Smith to some of the more isolated areas of Sumatra. Their mission aboard the MH-60S helicopter was to deliver bottled water to residents of the island.

The sound of a helicopter approaching brings people running. Lt. j.g. Smith noted they would approach a landing zone and see no one. But as soon as they landed, “There’s 70 people around you in no time,” he said. This flight was no exception. The few people at the landing zone became a crowd once the helicopter landed. In a matter of minutes, the aircrew pushed the 100-plus water bottles out of the helicopter. The crowd, young and old, grabbed as much water as they could carry and carefully moved it away from rotor blades only to return for more.

Helicopter landings pose a safety issue. If not positioned correctly, the rotors that normally spin at 12 feet (3.6 meters) off the ground can dip to four feet (1.2 meters). Before landing, helicopters dropped leaflets warning residents of procedures for safely approaching a helicopter.

The welcome was more than enthusiastic, but the departing scene said it all. One boy, who had already carried his treasure out of harm’s way, sat in the field with one hand holding the bottle of water he was drinking, while he held the other straight up in the air, flashing a number one at the crew.

Refueling and Deliveries
As helicopters flew to different landing zones in Indonesia, available ships such as the USS Rainier waited along the coast so that helicopters could fly from ship to ship, stopping for fuel when required. The USNS Rainier is one of the four largest and fastest combat logistic ships in the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MCS). Able to reach speeds up to 25 knots, the ship has the speed to keep up with carrier strike groups. It rapidly replenishes U.S. Navy task forces and can carry more than 177,000 barrels of oil; 500 tons (450 metric tons) of dry stores; and 250 tons (225 metric tons) of refrigerated stores. Rainier carries two MH-60S helicopters. As other MSC ships arrived off the coast of Sumatra, Rainier often received disaster-relief items for further distribution.

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