Rising from the Rubble

It's 11:30 a.m., and Banda Aceh airport, once a sleepy, two-flight-a-day aerodrome that consists pretty much of just a pair of large sheds, is as busy as an international hub. Two large Malaysian Sea King helicopters lumber down the runway and into the sky. As a parked Chinook from Singapore fires up its engines, two Australian army Hueys swoop in a few feet off the ground and sideslip into their designated parking slots. Troops in a grab bag of uniforms hurry back and forth to German, Russian and privately hired helicopters in various stages of loading relief supplies and passengers. Low...

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