(Local's Grandson Involved as) US Forces Begin Delivering Aid to Colombia After Deadly Earthquake

The man in front is Ethan, grandson of Bonita resident Patty Bell Usher. He is a loadmaster for the Mississippi Air National Guard | Click on image to enlarge

Air Force cargo planes began flying supplies into Colombia over the weekend, after a massive earthquake devastated large parts of the country and killed at least 285 people.

U.S. airmen are helping to move resources into the country, as the State Department, which is leading the response, announced a humanitarian assistance program. The first plane, an Air Force C-17 Globemaster, arrived in Bogota overnight on Aug. 14. Another C-17 landed in Medellín on Sunday, with airmen unloading pallets of supplies, according to U.S. Southern Command.

According to the State Department, military planes are transporting supplies from a prepositioned warehouse in Miami. Cargo flights are departing from Homestead Air Force Base in southern Florida. The first plane carried water as well as hygiene and shelter supplies to be given to relief groups on the ground. A second flight brought Starlink kits to help restore Internet access following the quake.

Task & Purpose | August 17, 2026

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