I don't think any other mission could be this rewarding for us. We have large American flags painted on both sides of all of our Chinooks. When we land in these villages the people point to the flags and let us know how grateful they are that we have come to help.

We'll see how that plays out. But, for right now, we have a robust mission and are loving every minute of it.

Every mission that we fly is at max weight and max capacity. If you can name it, we have probably hauled it. Baby formula. Tents. Roofing materials. Medical supplies. Flour. Grain. Construction materials. The list goes on and on. We have hauled hundreds of tons of cargo and it shows no signs of letting up.

The thing we had a lot of requests for is American flags. Everyone wants those. We're out of them now but we're trying to get more as quickly as possible.

It has been a beautiful thing to see, the flags draped on balconies and cars, faces painted, the red and green of our cloth everywhere, ... I hope the Portuguese can keep the spirit up and lend it to their everyday lives.

I was proud to see those American flags. I wanted them to wave them high so that everyone -- including the news helicopters -- could get the message that they love America, they're a part of America.