Over 500 dependents of military personnel in Japan arrived at Denver International Airport last week under a voluntary return to the U.S. under Operation Pacific Passage.
The dependants were leaving Japan after the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit the country on March 11.
At the Joint Repatriation Coordination Center at DIA, the effort was led by Army Col. Marc Hutson, the Defense Coordination Officer for FEMA Region 8, Denver Federal Center. Over 200 support personnel, including those from Team Buckley, gathered from military bases along the Front Range and other states, to support the operation. Many other support agencies–Denver International Airport, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and the USO among others lent a hand as well.
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