With nearly 20 million people suffering and homeless and nearly one fifth of the country of Pakistan underwater due to widespread flooding, two McChord Field C-17 Globemaster III aircrews sprang into action Monday to help with the United States' humanitarian relief efforts.

One aircrew from the 62nd Airlift Wing and another from the 446th Airlift Wing left on a five-day mission to transport CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters and crews from Cherry Point, N.C., to Afghanistan.

The helicopters will be reassembled in Afghanistan and then flown into Pakistan.

"It's absolutely horrific ... an unbelievable tragedy in that country," said Lt. Col. Eric Lt. Moritz, 62nd Operations Group deputy commander. "So when asked, the United States responded quickly and with efficiency, and I think a lot of generosity. We're getting to do some of that at McChord to help get some of those supplies in theater."

McChord Field aircrews are very familiar with loading and unloading CH-53 helicopters, as they routinely move them to support other missions all around the world, Moritz said.

"The C-17 was built largely around loads just like that," he said.

The helicopters will be used to access villages that can't be reached by way of boat or vehicle because of the flooding.

"The relief operations will be much easier to conduct with the helicopters," said Capt. Brian Yeargan, a C-17 pilot and aircraft commander with the 10th Airlift Squadron. "We'll be able to help more people in need and save more lives."

In addition to the helicopters, the aircraft will also transport about 70 Marines who serve as their pilots, crew and maintainers who are deploying as part of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

As of Aug. 18, U.S. military cargo aircraft based in Afghanistan had transported more than 194,000 pounds of relief supplies from the Pakistan Air Force's Central Flood Relief Cell to required locations throughout Pakistan in support of Government of Pakistan requests for additional airlift support, according to Air Force officials.

U.S. military helicopters conducting relief operations in partnership with the Pakistan military have also rescued more than 4,800 people and transported more than 600,000 pounds of relief supplies, officials said.

"Given the opportunity where you can help people that need help, it's a great feeling to be able to do that," said Lt. Col. Richard Poston, 446th OG deputy commander.

This is the second time this year McChord aircrews have played a role in humanitarian relief operations throughout the world. In January, an active duty aircrew from the 4th Airlift Squadron aircrew played a key role in supporting Operation Unified Response, a U.S. Southern Command-led humanitarian effort directly helping the Haitian people in the wake of the Jan. 12 7.0 magnitude earthquake which ravaged the Caribbean nation, leaving thousands dead and many more homeless.

The airmen picked up an urban search and rescue task force and all its equipment in New York and transported them to Haiti. The crew also flew nearly 200 refugees back to the U.S. for medical support.

(Information from an Air Force News article was used in this story.)