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About the Denton Program

The Denton Program allows donors to use space available on
U.S. military cargo aircraft to transport humanitarian goods
and equipment to countries in need.

Overview

The Denton Program is a commodities transportation program authorized under Title 10 U.S.C. Section 402. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of State (DOS), and the Department of Defense (DoD) jointly administer the Denton program. The program provides the authority for DoD to use any extra space on U.S. military cargo aircraft to transport humanitarian assistance materials donated by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations (IOs), and private voluntary organizations (PVOs) for humanitarian relief. Since Denton is a space available program, it is impossible to predict when transportation will be provided; therefore, no guarantees can be made regarding completion of a donated humanitarian goods shipment.

As a donor, you should always keep in mind that the Denton program offers free transportation only on a Space Available basis. It cannot be undertaken at any cost to the U.S. Government other than the cost of the transportation itself. Before gathering supplies, you, as a prospective donor, should first contact USAID/Washington to determine whether the program is possible in the specific country. The USAID/Washington point of contact information is at the end of this discussion.

The following is a synopsis of the four stages of the Denton program and more detailed information and instructions are provided in the Section titled Denton Program Application:

• The donor must identify an in-country consignee and/or local contact/recipient, who will:
  • Secure the approval of the host government by arranging with a destination customs official to obtain either duty-free entry or provide tariffs for entry
  • Ensure compliance with all legal requirements in the destination country
  • Receive and take possession of cargo on arrival
  • Distribute cargo to the beneficiaries.
• All prospective donors must complete an application for U.S. military space available transportation.
• A destination country "Duty Free Certification" and a "Consignee Affidavit" must be obtained by you and forwarded to USAID/Washington before processing of an application will take place.
• USAID will communicate with the destination country to ensure the cargo will be accepted. Depending on the workload and responsiveness of the host government in the destination country, this process may take several weeks, perhaps months.
• USAID and DOS will determine whether the application is consistent with U.S. foreign policy objectives.
• Your application will be formally approved (or disapproved) by USAID/DoD and you will be notified.

• USAID will arrange for representatives of the U.S. government to inspect all the donated cargo, which must be stored at a single warehousing/storage site. The inspection team reserves the right to remove items from the inventory which, for reasons of safety or legality, may not be shipped under the Denton program. Time-sensitive cargo (e.g., medical supplies within 12 months of their expiration date and perishable food) cannot be accepted and will not be shipped.
• After inspection, the USAID-approved application will be forwarded to DoD to determine the feasibility for U.S. military space available transport. DoD’s approval (and internal tasking to arrange for transport) does not obligate the U.S. government to provide transportation of the donated cargo.
• Donors must package the items/commodities in compliance with U.S. military procedures and must also be able to store or pay for commercial storage until U.S. military transportation becomes available.
• DoD will contact you, the donor, when space becomes available for the approved cargo. At that time, you will be told when and where to deliver the cargo. The cost of this transportation is your responsibility.
• Cargo must arrive at the DoD-designated U.S. military departure air field/location within the timeframe dictated by the DoD. Early or late arrival or any non-compliance with these guidelines will result in the return of the cargo to the donor, at your expense.

• DoD will notify you of the estimated date and time of arrival in the destination country and you, the donor, must communicate this information to the consignee in the destination country. The consignee must take timely possession of the cargo and ensure it clears customs and other legal requirements.
• The donor must provide or pay all costs of any "in destination country" local storage or shipping charges.

• Expeditious removal of the cargo from the point of entry in the destination country is required.
• The consignee is responsible for timely distribution of the cargo to the targeted beneficiaries. All cargo must be distributed on a non-commercial basis, free of cost to the beneficiaries.
• You, as the donor, must submit a report to USAID/Washington within 30 days after the cargo is distributed, describing in detail how they were distributed, to whom, and how the supplies were used. Subsequent applications for shipment of humanitarian goods from donors who have not provided this mandatory report will not be processed.