Some quick thinking by U.S. military pilots may have saved the life of an Afghan woman and her newborn after the woman went into labor mid-flight during an evacuation mission.

The C-17 was headed to a U.S. base in Ramstein, Germany — where many evacuees have been taken — when the woman went into labor and began having complications.

The pilots made a decision to descend to a lower altitude, which in turn, increased the plane’s cabin pressure and helped stabilize the woman, and according to U.S. Air Mobility Command, saved her life.

Air Mobility Command
Once the plane landed, Airmen from the 86th MDG boarded and helped the woman deliver a baby girl in the cargo bay of the C-17.

Photos taken on the runway show the new mother on a stretcher surrounded by troops.

Air Mobility Command
The woman and her baby were taken to the local U.S. military hospital and are in good condition.