A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal on April 25, destroying large swaths of the nation’s capital and the surrounding region. There have been at least 18 additional aftershocks reported and more than 2,000 reported dead. On Sunday April 26, a US Air Force C-17 departed from Dover AFB, Del. en route to Nepal, Pentagon Spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said in a statement. The C-17 is transporting some 70 personnel, including a USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team, the Fairfax County Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Team, and several journalists, with 45 tons of cargo. The C-17 is expected to touch down in Nepal April 27. As of Sunday, the Department of Defense reported 26 of its personnel and one C-130 were in Nepal already as part of a previously scheduled training exercise, and all personnel have been accounted for. On Sunday, earthquake aftershocks were continuing, the death toll stood at 2,400, and the number of victims buried under rubble remained unclear, according to reports from Voice of America.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.