US airmen help pregnant Afghan mother deliver baby aboard Air Force C-17 evacuation flight

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U.S. airmen helped a pregnant Afghan mother deliver her baby in the cargo bay of a U.S. Air Force C-17 during an evacuation flight from the Middle East on Saturday, U.S. officials said. 

The flight had already taken off from an Intermediate Staging Base in the Middle East when the mother went into labor and began having complications, the U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command said. 

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The aircraft commander made the quick decision to lower the C-17's altitude to increase air pressure in the aircraft. The move helped stabilize the mother and save her and her baby’s life, according to officials. 

Airmen from the 86th Medical Group came aboard and delivered the child in the C-17’s cargo bay after the aircraft  landed at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany on Saturday. (U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command)

After the aircraft landed at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, airmen from the 86th Medical Group came aboard and delivered the child in the C-17’s cargo bay. 

The Afghan mother safely delivered the baby and both were in good condition at a nearby medical facility, officials said. (U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command)

The mother, who was on the flight with her family, and her baby girl were transported to a nearby medical facility and were in good condition, officials said.

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U.S. airmen have been preparing Ramstein Air Force Base to house thousands of evacuees arriving from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.

Over the past week, the U.S. has evacuated about 17,000 people, including 2,500 Americans, out of Kabul, according to U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Taylor, Reuters reported. The figure included about 3,800 people just over the preceding 24 hours, he said Saturday.

Fox News' Dom Calicchio contributed to this report.