11 December 2014 – The first woman Commander General of the US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) in Hawaii, General  Lori J. Robinson, hosted a luncheon on November 19 for members of the Consular Corps of Hawaii including the Philippine Consul General Gina Jamoralin. Gen. Robinson, a fourth star general, has been recently appointed to head the US Pacific Air Forces, making her the first woman to lead the major air command.

Consul General Jamoralin personally conveyed the deep appreciation of the Filipino people for the critical role played by PACAF in humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. She added that the immediate response provided by the Pacific Air  Forces airmen helped in timely delivery of humanitarian response  in the early critical days  especially in isolated  disaster-stricken areas accessible only by air. The joint humanitarian action and the excellent  military-to-military cooperation between the two countries underscored  the importance of the Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty, Consul General Jamoralin added.

The US Pacific Air Forces also praised the Philippine Air Force for its  leadership and cooperation during “Operation: Damayan” , a joint HADR operation by the United States and the Philippines in response to Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. As part of the joint and combined international relief effort, Pacific Air Forces deployed nearly 300 airmen and cargo aircraft including C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules to transport those affected civilians to safe locations and to deliver critical relief supplies. An advance team of PACAF airmen was immediately deployed to Manila from November 09  to assess the airfields  and to support air and ground operations  throughout the region.

The Pacific Air Forces is headquartered in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. END