"The AU wanted to move the civilian police into theater as quickly as possible, said Brigadier General Richard Mills, who is overseeing the operation from the United States European Command (EUCOM) in Stuttgart.

"Once we were notified, a plan went into action to rapidly transport them, space available, with the ongoing deployment of the second Rwandan military battalion." said Mills.

As part of a larger NATO effort, the US is airlifting three battalions of Rwandan troops and cargo to Darfur by mid-September.

The AU plans to increase its presence in the region to more than 7,700 personnel by September.