U.S. Air Force crew member lowers a hitch during cargo onload operations inside his C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft from the 62nd Airlift Wing, McChord Air Force Base, Wash., during Operation Unified Assistance at Utapao Air Base, Thailand, on Jan. 9, 2005. More than 18,000 U.S. military personnel are providing humanitarian assistance in Southwest Asia after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered devastating tsunamis that killed over 250,000 people in the region. (USAF PHOTO by STAFF SGT. Sarayuth Pinthong) (Released)