Soldiers and Airmen load three South Dakota Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters aboard a C-5A Galaxy aircraft Tuesday, Jan. 30, at Ellsworth Air Force Base in preparation for support to a humanitarian assistance exercise in Nicaragua. This joint operation between the U.S. Air Force and the South Dakota National Guard is in support of a humanitarian assistance exercises in Nicaragua known as New Horizons, which involves construction of schools, clinics, and water wells in countries throughout the U.S. Southern Command region. These humanitarian assistance exercises, which last several months each, provide much needed services and infrastructure, while providing critical training for deployed U.S. military forces. These exercises generally take place in rural, underprivileged areas. The helicopters loaded belong to Company C, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation, which is a South Dakota Army National Guard air-ambulance unit based in Rapid City. Approximately 125 Soldiers from the National Guard unit will be providing general aviation and casualty evacuation from Feb. 4 to May 6 in support of the exercise in Nicaragua. (South Dakota Army National Guard photo/Maj. Orson Ward.)