Aerial Delivery team feeds the fight in Afghanistan

Courtesy Photo | Senior Master Sgt. Doug Walton, 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmaster, double-checks the cargo strap on a palette of supplies during an airdrop mission above Afghanistan. Walton is deployed from the 130th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard.  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

07.24.2007

Courtesy Story

Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO

By Navy Chief Petty Officer Eric Harrison
43rd Joint Logistics Command

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Given the ground transportation challenges in the rough terrain of Afghanistan, aerial delivery has stepped up and provided much-needed logistics support to the war fighters on the ground.

The aerial delivery section at the 43rd Joint Logistics Command acts as the hub between the troops on the ground, who need supplies to continue the fight; the commands in the rear, who manage the supplies; and the movement control elements that coordinate the airdrops to the Forward Operating Bases.

Chief Warrant Officer Frank Bowden, whose tenure as officer-in-charge of the JLC aerial delivery section began Feb. 2, said that communication and coordination among the key players is very important in aerial delivery because there are a lot of moving pieces.

"We get the requests from the FOBs, and then we forward them to all the agencies that have a hand in the process," the 23-year veteran Army rigger said. "We continually stay in contact with each other from beginning to end to make sure the order is met, packaged and delivered."

Air Force Lt. Col. Kevin Morris, chief of tactics with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron said the process is very much a joint effort.

"We are here to support the Army and we try to meet their delivery requirements, while balancing the threat of terrain and enemy ground fire," Morris said. "We have an excellent working relationship with the Army riggers and consider ourselves full partners in the aerial delivery process. We take pride in the accuracy and timeliness of our response to their needs."

Primarily, airdrops consist of ammunition, food and water, to the tune of more than 200 drops, weighing more than 2.5 million pounds, since the beginning of February. The 11th Quartermaster Detachment has had their hands on each of the more than 1,800 Container Delivery Systems of supplies delivered by air to troops and Afghans on the ground.

Chief Warrant Officer Joseph DeCosta, OIC of the 11th QM Det., said it has been a positive experience for his riggers to see that they have exceeded two-and-a-half million pounds, and every bit of it has been used to sustain the guys in the field. "It's the most rewarding thing I've done since I've been in the Army. It feels good knowing we're making a difference (in Afghanistan)," said the 12-year veteran.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being part of the aerial delivery mission in Afghanistan for Bowden is the humanitarian aid missions they are able to perform in addition to directly supplying Soldiers on the ground. Since February, the aerial delivery team has been able to perform 53 drops for a total of nearly 65,000 pounds of rice, beans, hygiene kits, school kits and other supplies for the Afghan people.

"It's good to help out the local population," said Bowden, who previously deployed to Afghanistan in early 2002. "It makes you feel good to see the kids and the looks on their faces. Some of this stuff they've never seen before."

In the end, Morris believes aerial delivery is critical for the FOBs and for successful missions in Afghanistan for Soldiers.

"It provides a great morale boost to the troops in the field and it has to be disheartening to the enemy to see us deliver supplies on a routine basis to the remote FOBs," he said.

In March 2007, the Aerial Delivery Team delivered 505 Container Delivery Systems to forward operating bases for a total of more than 685,000 pounds, both all-time records in Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 07.24.2007
• Date Posted: 07.24.2007 10:05
• Story ID: 11444
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF