Armament advisor makes Afghans proud

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson
  • U.S. AFCENT Combat Camera
KABUL, Afghanistan (AFNS) --  Master Sgt. Raymond Rogers Jr. stands and watches two Afghan National Army Air Corps weapons loaders put new 12.7 mm rounds into the Yak-B Gatling gun of an MI-35 Hind E attack helicopter.

For Sergeant Rogers Jr., a 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron armament and ammunition flight adviser, the year he's spent supporting the Combined Air Power Transition Force effort to build a professional air force for Afghanistan has been richly rewarding.

"When I first got here, we had nine Afghans assigned to us, and they had no knowledge of how to execute this mission," said Sergeant Rogers, who is deployed from Seymour -Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. "To see these guys go from knowing nothing about loading weapons on these airframes to conducting the mission with me just standing here watching is something that fills me with pride."

With help from Czech Republic and Hungarian operational mentor and liaison team members, Sergeant Rogers trained 17 ANAAC soldiers on MI-35 and MI-17 weapons loading and unloading, armament storage, safety, weapons accountability, NATO standards and leadership skills.

"Sergeant Rogers has been a great mentor for us," said ANAAC Master Sgt. Abdul Wahid, a weapons loader. "He has shared his knowledge and helped us learn to put weapons on our aircraft to protect Afghans. He makes us proud."

Recently, ANAAC Mi-35 aircrews completed two milestones. First, they were employed to neutralize Taliban forces in the Baghlan Province, their first kinetic operation since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. The other was a mission where Mi-35 aircrews provided armed escorts to Mi-17 helicopters transporting Afghan National Army soldiers to a forward location.

"Both those missions required ANAAC weapons loaders to do their jobs the right way in order for those Mi-35 aircrews to be effective on the battlefield," Sergeant Rogers said. "This is what this deployment has been about for me, helping the Afghans take care of their nation's security and protect its citizens. To have a hand in helping out with that is something I will never forget."

With his tour winding down, Sergeant Rogers can't wait to see what the future holds for Afghanistan.

"This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life," the 20-year Air Force veteran said. "I can't wait to see how far they come in the next year or two. I can't wait to see what's next. The future looks bright for Afghanistan and I'm glad to have had a small part in that hopeful future."