The Air Force is shipping thousands of pounds of equipment and search-and-rescue teams from the U.S. to Incirlik Air Base to help assist people in Turkey following this week's devastating earthquakes that have left more than 11,000 dead.
Two Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs, one from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and the other from March Air Reserve Base in California, left for Turkey on Tuesday carrying 161 urban search-and-rescue members, 12 rescue dogs and 170,000 pounds of equipment, according to U.S. Transportation Command. Those planes landed Wednesday, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said.
“We offer our sincere condolences, and we'll stand with our ally Turkey as they work to save lives and recover from this horrific disaster,” Ryder told reporters Wednesday.
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Ryder also said U.S. European Command is deploying a team to Incirlik Air Base to assist in the disaster response efforts, with the team arriving by Thursday. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey and neighboring Syria on Monday, according to The Associated Press, and the death toll has climbed rapidly as thousands were trapped under rubble.
Incirlik Air Base, which is located nearly 10 miles east of the Turkish city of Adana, reported no deaths and no major damage following the earthquakes. The installation is home to nearly 2,000 service members and…
