Those humanitarian airdrops in Iraq? A former congressman from Ohio was on the mission Print Stephen Koff, Plain Dealer Washington Bureau Chief By Stephen Koff, Plain Dealer Washington Bureau Chief Follow on Twitter on August 15, 2014 at 4:12 PM, updated August 16, 2014 at 6:56 AM 0 Reddit Email John Boccieri Lt. Col. John Boccieri, a former congressman from Ohio, commanded the final humanitarian mission to get food and water to refugees in northern Iraq. Courtesy of John Boccieri, U.S. Air Force WASHINGTON, D.C. – Lt. Col. John Boccieri has ferried thousands of troops. Hes delivered military equipment by the ton. But there was something different on board Thursday when Boccieri -- former congressman John Boccieri of Ohio – stood in a giant C-130 cargo plane and directed the last humanitarian air drop of food and water to displaced Yazidis on Iraqs Mount Sinjar. He and fellow Air Force reservists from Ohio, on a long deployment in Iraq, Afghanistan and the region, were on a final mission of C-130s delivering food and water -- 4,032 meals, he said, and thousands of bottles of water – dropped from the airships on crates attached to parachutes. Its pretty exciting when you get to do things that youre trained to do but also to improve and ameliorate conditions on the ground for people who are in great need, Boccieri said in a telephone interview. The Thursday flight capped a humanitarian mission in which cargo planes and Air Force reservists under Boccieris direct command dropped 18,144 meals and 23,040 bottles of water altogether, he said. Although Boccieri, of Alliance, is authorized to fly the plane, he said he stood on this flight, serving as mission commander. The Air Force made 11 drops altogether, and Boccieris unit, with about 100 service members from Ohio, was responsible for five, including the last one. Asked if this felt different from other missions in which he has delivered or directed the delivery of troops and military cargo from a C-130, the militarys delivery workhorse, he said, Oh, yeah, no question. We know that when the equipment-slash-cargo that we drop out of the C-130 lands, its actually going to help people live. That is the biggest reward of it all – when you know that your mission, your sacrifice, your training is able to improve the condition and lives of somebody whos in great need. Boccieri was calling in response to a reporters email asking about the mission. CNN first reported on the former congressmans involvement. He said he was calling from southwest Asia but could not disclose the specific location. President Barack Obama ordered the airdrops after concluding that Yazidi refugees fleeing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in northern Iraq were in jeopardy. Military airstrikes meantime helped clear escape routes for the Yazidis, a minority sect whom Western nations said were at risk of genocide. The United States ultimately decided there was no need to involve troops in a rescue mission because the situation on the mountain has greatly improved, Obama said Thursday, the same day as the final humanitarian airdrop. Obama also said, I could not be prouder of the men and women of our military who carried out this humanitarian operation almost flawlessly. Boccieri has served in active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve capacities for 20 years. He commands the 757thth Airlift Squadron, out of Youngstown, and in Southwest Asia commands the 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, 386th Expeditionary Operations Group. A Democrat, he served in the House of Representatives in 2009 and 2010, losing his reelection bid to Rep. Jim Renacci, a Republican who has since been reelected. Since then, Boccieri has worked in the private sector. But his Air Force Reserves duties have translated to long stints on overseas deployments, leaving little room for other work. This is his 11th deployment altogether and his seventh in the region, he said. He has been gone from Ohio since May and will probably be home in four or five weeks, he said. He has missed birthdays for four of his five children, and an eighth grade and kindergarten graduation. His fellow airmen and women have likewise missed major family milestones. Im just happy to serve with such fine Americans from Northeast Ohio and other surrounding states who spend time away from their families, and missing all the things you do back home, birthdays, recitals, etc., Boccieri said. I miss Ohio, and I cant wait to get back to the state and my family, he said. Its an honor to continue to serve. I think that people who have the ability to serve also have the duty to serve. As for whether he might run for public office again, Boccieri said, Perhaps some day. But I would have to ask the commander in chief. And in this case its not the president. Shes my wife.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 21:24:07 +0000
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