'Operation Formula Fly' delivers 70,000 pounds of baby formula to U.S. amid shortage
The first military flight carrying 70,000 pounds of baby formula is arrived in the United States Sunday amid a massive shortage nationwide.
It was not immediately clear when the formula would be available on store shelves. However, it was anticipated to be days.
"This is a great day for us here in the airport where we get a chance to not just do what we normally do which is move people and things, we're getting a chance to help American citizens who are in need of help. And you can always depend on us when you need us," said Lt. Col. Benjamin M. Taber.
The plane carrying the formula took off from Germany and is bound for Indianapolis. By the end of the week, around 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles worth of hypoallergenic formula are expected to arrive from Europe.
"Baby formula is a new one for us," said one military member. "We've moved vaccines, we've moved people."
The White House says commercial military planes will handle similar missions in the future. None, however, were available this weekend.
The shipments will assist with the immediate crisis. Last week, President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act, which will give formula makers priority for ingredients and resources.
Restrictions were eased on import and the nation's largest formula producer in Michigan which had been shut down over safety concerns. That plant is expected to reopen.
The shortage has forced countless parents to transition the products they traditionally feed their babies, resulting in a series of sicknesses and allergic reactions, specifically in three Southern states. Other babies also got sick after parents began to dilute what formula they did have with water, or even made their own.
"I couldn't believe it, we had to change the formula that we use for the baby," said Elizabeth Acosta, a local mother who, despite the changes, is still grateful that her son had just made the move from baby formula to toddler formula, which is a little bit easier to find. "It's not what he's used to. It had to be a transition to change to something else."
For Amy Irish, a foster mother whose baby has a medical condition, things are even more difficult.
"We're not able to go out and buy whatever is on the shelf," she detailed. "We are supposed to adhere to what they are prescribed, what we are told to give them. Since he does have a prescription i can't just change it."
Further help is on the way though, as the White House noted that over a million and a half bottles worth of hypoallergenic formula will be shipped over from Europe throughout the next week. President Biden has also invoked the "Defense Production Act," which eases import restrictions and gives manufacturers priority access to crucial ingredients.
