Coalition aircraft deliver humanitarian aid in Afghanistan

  • Published
  • By Capt. David Small
  • U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules based in Southwest Asia delivered more than 50,000 pounds of civil assistance cargo to Afghans during four airlift missions May 18 to 30 supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Coalition aircraft airdropped more than 6,000 pounds of humanitarian aid bundles near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on May 30. These air drops were part of the larger civic assistance program Combined Joint Task Force 76 that officials initiated to run concurrent with their maneuver operations.

“As coalition ground forces interact with the local people, they are constantly on the lookout to improve (the citizen’s) health and welfare,” said Army Chief Warrant Officer John Robinson, battlefield coordination detachment plans officer. “The air component has been extremely supportive in pre-positioning both aid bundles and aircraft to quickly meet the needs of the ground component. Afghans, particularly women and children, benefit from this vital assistance.”

On another mission, coalition aircraft delivered more than 15,000 pounds of needed supplies in the Oruzgan Province on May 24. This delivery assisted the efforts of the Lashkar Gah provincial reconstruction team in the Baghran Valley, officials said.

This team’s visit is significant to that area, because it has been a traditional stronghold for the Taliban until recently when leaders there pledged support for the government of Afghanistan, an Army Task Force Bayonet spokesman said.

Coalition aircraft also delivered two loads of humanitarian supplies totaling nearly 30,000 pounds May 22 near Jalalabad, Afghanistan, and pre-positioned several bundles May 18 of civil assistance and humanitarian aid within the theater to quickly provide needed resources, officials said.

These airdrops are important to engaging the Afghan people and it is vital that their contents are available for quick delivery, CWO Robinson said.

In recapping one of these airdrop missions, Lt. Col. Michael Minihan, 745th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron commander, said it was a monumental effort.

“In the C-130 community, airdrop -- combat airdrop -- is the crown jewel,” he said. “Think about all the moving parts, all the potentials for breakdowns and all the people that touched this mission. Think about the young crew flying (more than) 1,000 miles to the drop zone and arriving on time, almost to the second, and delivering the goods. It's simply amazing.”

Each load of humanitarian assistance contains items like food, water, blankets, school supplies, tools and other items to aid Afghans.

More than 100,000 pounds of humanitarian aid cargo has been delivered to Afghans since October, according to U.S. Central Command Air Forces records.