U.S. military sends humanitarian aid to Georgia

U.S. military transport aircraft began ferrying humanitarian aid into war torn Georgia today.

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft flew into the city of Tbilisi carrying medical supplies, shelters, bedding and other supplies, according to the Department of Defense.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said other flights will follow as the U.S. assesses the needs in Georgia and what type of assistance they can provide.

“That will be the first flight in; there are plans for another flight tomorrow as we continue to assess the wide range of humanitarian assistance options that we might be able to provide both in the immediate and long-term humanitarian capabilities," he said in a DoD press release.

A twelve person military assessment team will arrive in Georgia within the next few days and serve as a liaison between the U.S. Embassy in Georgia, the Georgian government, and U.S. European Command and other U.S. agencies.

Whitman said the aid shows the commitment to Georgia by the U.S.

“We’ve had a strong relationship with Georgia for many years now,” he said.

Georgia provided troops to the coalition forces in Iraq and have been a strong supporter of the war on terrorism.

Russia sent troops into Georgia earlier this week when Georgia sent their own forces into the breakaway province of South Ossetia. The Russians claim they sent troops to protect Russian citizens in the province.