News>Feature - Airmen perform leaflet drop over Afghanistan
Photos
Tech. Sgt. Kevin Letz watches through a C-130 Hercules window during a leaflet drop mission in October over Afghanistan. Sergeant Letz watches for enemy activity using night-vision goggles to ensure the safety of the crew and aircraft from possible enemy attack. Sergeant Letz, a 40th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmaster is deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo)
Airman 1st Class Jacob Medina (left) and Senior Airman William Moody throw boxes containing leaflets from a C-130 Hercules during a nighttime airdrop misison in October over Afghanistan. Airmen Medina and Moody are 40th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmasters. The mission for the 40th EAS crew was to drop 300,000 leaflets over Afghanistan to give the local population a general warning to avoid the enemy. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo)
1st Lt. Jon Waldroup (right) discusses the leaflet drop mission details with Tech. Sgt. Kevin Letz in October at a base in Southwest Asia. The C-130 Hercules crew dropped 300,000 leaflets over an area of Afghanistan. Lieutenant Waldroup is a 40th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron navigator and Sergeant Letz is a 40th EAS loadmaster. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo)
Staff Sgt. Amanda Murdock documents C-130 Hercules maintenance forms during a brief refueling stop in October in Southwest Asia. The aircraft crew dropped 300,000 leaflets over an area of Afghanistan. Sergeant Murdock is a 40th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron flight engineer. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo)
Senior Airman William Moody sets up static lines on board a C-130 Hercules to help rip open boxes of leaflets in October in Southwest Asia. The aircraft crew dropped 300,000 leaflets over an area of Afghanistan. Airman Moody is a 40th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmaster. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo)
by Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
11/14/2007 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- Senior Master Sgt. Jerry Bohl and Tech. Sgt. Kevin Letz watched with night-vision goggles through opposite troop doors on board a C-130 Hercules for any indication of enemy fire during a recent leaflet drop mission over Afghanistan.
As the pilots maneuvered their way through the mountains of Afghanistan, Senior Airman William Moody and Airman 1st Class Jacob Medina raised the troop door, revealing the mountains close below as they prepared to drop 300,000 leaflets to the ground below.
Sergeants Bohl and Letz, and Airmen Moody and Medina are 40th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmasters, and their mission was to warn Afghans to avoid the enemy.
"These types of missions are just as critical as any other," said Lt. Col. Michael Zick, the 40th EAS commander. "By warning the local population to stay away from the enemy, we keep them out of harm's way as the ground forces push forward to engage and defeat the enemy. This displays our dedication to the well being of the Afghan people, while also affirming our commitment to ridding them of the enemy threat to Afghanistan."
Earlier in the night, the C-130 crew members performed several actions to prepare for their mission. Hydraulic systems whined and engines roared as the propellers cut through the air creating a deafening tone and causing the cargo craft to rumble. The load crew continued to monitor hydraulic and pneumatic systems for any errors as the aircraft taxied toward the runway for takeoff.
"We perform constant checks of the aircrafts system during the entire flight," Airman Moody said.
"Ensuring the aircraft is functioning properly and safely is always important," Sergeant Bohl said. "But with this mission, the area we are flying in and the maneuvers the pilots will be using, the safety and functionality are of an even greater importance than ever. Not only are we avoiding any possibility of the aircraft going down, we are also avoiding going down in an area the enemy is known to operate."
"Normally we transport people or cargo throughout the area of responsibility," said Maj. Ken Ostrat, assigned to the 40th EAS. "This mission gives us a chance to directly affect the lives of noncombatants in a conflict area."
The crew made one stop along the way to refuel their aircraft and load the leaflets, packed in cardboard boxes so the leaflets will easily disburse over the intended areas. During their stop, the crew set up static lines that would pull the boxes open as they were thrown from the aircraft.
"Leaflets can be used to send many different messages to a variety target groups," Colonel Zick said. "In this case, they were being used to give a general warning to the local populace to stay away from the enemy, so we can avoid injuring innocent civilians during planned operations."
Once the leaflets were set up and the aircraft fueled, the mission continued on as the C-130 pilots steered the aircraft toward the runway and awaited an all clear from ground forces.
Once the all clear was received, the crew continued on their mission.
As the aircraft flew over the intended drop zone and the green light was given, the crew tossed the boxes out one after another. Each ripped open and the leaflets fell to the ground like snow.
Once all the boxes were thrown, the pilots turned the aircraft around and headed back home. Mission accomplished.
