Air Force continues vital missions at NATO-run Kandahar

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Ryan Mattox
  • Air Force News Agency
SAN ANTONIO (AFNEWS) --  Even though NATO took operational control of Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan, last August, the Air Force still maintains a presence at the base.

After Kandahar was turned over to NATO, the Air Force continues to play an important role in the war on terrorism and the joint environment.

The biggest mission for the Air Force is to maintain the airfield and control aircraft.

Every day aircraft from a variety of nations arrive at the airfield and it is Airmen who are responsible in making everything at the airfield to run as smooth as possible. Airmen here see many types of aircraft on a daily basis from search and rescue aircraft to Predators at Kandahar and it is their job to ensure they arrive and depart safely from the airfield.

"We have come a long way in creating a safe environment for aircraft arriving and leaving the airfield," said Col. Steven Bullard, 451st Air Expeditionary Group commander.

Another mission the Air Force has at Kandahar is search and rescue. The Air Force is the main asset in the area for this type of mission. In case they are needed by anyone in the area, Airmen involved in search and rescue remain on alert 24 hours a day.

The Air Force also brings several unique assets to Kandahar. One of those assets is the MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The primary mission of the predator is force protection.

"We provide air coverage for our ground forces and coalition forces operating in the Kandahar area," said Capt. John Williams, a Predator pilot at Kandahar.

Airmen make up a small percentage of the troops at Kandahar, but their capabilities play a big part in mission success and they complete them as a team.

"We are the leader in the joint fight, we not only maintain the airfield but we set the standard for conducting operations at Kandahar," Colonel Bullard said.

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