Denton Program Delivered Aid Payload Donated By U.S. NGOs

Members of four nonprofit non-governmental organizations (NGOs) came to Soto Cano Air Base in Comayagua, Honduras, in mid-November to retrieve about 90 tons of relief aid of food and medical supplies delivered through the Denton Program.

The Denton Program is a Department of Defense humanitarian assistance transportation program that moves cargo donated by U.S.-based NGOs to countries in need. Over the past year, Soto Cano has received 41 shipments through the Denton Program representing about $2.8 million in food and aid supplies.

The donated cargo is flown to Soto Cano because it is the only DoD-operated airfield in the region that can support the C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft. Members of the 612th Air Vas Squadron, Joint Task Force-Bravo, assisted with offloading and storage of the cargo while waiting until the relief NGOs can pick it up for distribution.

The November 7 delivery was flown from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and consisted of 12 pallets of food and 9 pallets of medical supplies and equipment in addition to other basic necessities. Much of this load was destined for the island of Roatan, where the only public hospital burned to the ground in April 2024.

Brian Smith, COO of Helping Hands for Honduras said, “Today’s pickup is roughly 30 tons, and this is the 15th pickup I have been involved in. Over time, we have built relationships throughout Honduras that allow us to tailor our deliveries and ensure medical facilities receive the items they specifically need. This is a huge undertaking, and I am thankful to Soto Cano (AB) and its service members who make it all possible.”

FMI:  www.af.mil/