US airmen helped three Afghan women give birth to babies after going into labor during an evacuation flight from Kabul in the past week, US army General Stephen Lyons, said on Monday.
Army Gen. Lyons, head of US Transportation Command, told reporters that he is aware of three babies born to Afghan refugees during the evacuation effort, though there may be more than that as he is unaware of since he does not have "a formal tracker," he said.
The most well-known of the three babies was a baby girl born on Saturday when a band of US Air Force crew members and medical experts helped an Afghan woman deliver her baby aboard a C-17 transport jet at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. An Afghan woman gave birth aboard a US Air Force aircraft that flew from the Middle East to Ramstein Air Base in Germany that is being used as a transit post for people being evacuated from Afghanistan.
On Sunday, the military's Air Mobility Command tweeted that the mother began having complications during the flight Saturday. "The aircraft commander decided to descend in altitude to increase air pressure in the aircraft, which helped stabilize and save the mother's life."
The story is "really exciting," Lyons said. "I mean I really appreciate the news reporting on the baby being born as that flight came into Ramstein. As a matter of fact, there's actually been more than that, so it's just an incredible, incredible operation ongoing, you know, just impressive work by our great airmen."
During the Pentagon briefing today Joint Staff Deputy Director for Regional operations Army Maj. Gen. William 'Hank' Taylor confirmed that 16,000 passengers left Kabul in the last 24 hours.
"As of this morning, within the last 24 hours, 25 US military C-17s, three U.S. military C-130 and then a combination of 61 chartered commercial and other military flights departed Kabul," said Taylor.
"The total passenger count for those flights was approximately 16,000, of that number. The U.S. military transported just under 11,000 personnel."
Taylor also confirmed that five flights arrived at Dulles International Airport with approximately 1300 passengers. "At this time for military installations as well as Dulles International are receiving Afghans as they come into the United States," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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