PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti –
Pilots and aircrew from 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, flew over Haiti to get familiar with the country side and survey future landing zones March 23 as they begin relieving Navy and Marine rotary assets that have been supporting Joint Task Force-Haiti airlift operations.
The Soldiers from the 1/228th along with other members of Joint task Force-Bravo deployed from Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras March 21 successfully prep their aircraft and set up a base of operation at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport.
"Our Soldiers and Airmen have worked really hard over the past 48 hours to get us to the point where we could take these flights," said Lt. Col. Salome Herrera, commander, 1/228th. "The familiarization flights we flew today will prep us for the missions we do in the future supporting JTF-Haiti."
The pilots and aircrew flew with their Navy counterparts March 22 as part of the transition of the rotary airlift mission to JTF-Bravo. They were also briefed by Navy personnel on standard operating procedures in Haiti and future operation tempo.
"It was great to get the information from the guys who have been flying here for more than a month," said Herrera "They did an outstanding job of getting us ready to take the reins of the mission."
JTF-Haiti is the U.S. military's task force assisting in disaster relief efforts in Haiti following the Jan. 12 earthquake as part of Operation Unified Response.