Contingency response team prepares airfield for Italians

  • Published
  • By Capt. Catie Hague
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  In fewer than 45 days, tanker airlift control element Airmen will achieve what some may deem impossible.

This 47-person team, primarily deployed from the 621st Contingency Response Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., is preparing nearby Herat for more than 300 Italian troops as they lead the international security assistance force and eventually the entire western region of Afghanistan, officials said.

“For this particular tasking, we’re supporting two C-17 (Globemaster III) sorties every day,” said Maj. Mitchell Monroe, the element’s operations officer. “We also assist the Italian aerial port in servicing coalition C-130 (Hercules) that land at Herat’s airport.”

They bring aircraft in, unload them, load whatever they need and send them on their way, he said.

So far, there are about 70 Italians at Herat, with more than 200 scheduled to arrive by the end of May, officials said.

“As soon as the last of the C-17s brings the new (Italian) leaders and the cargo needed to support their mission, we’re out of here,” Major Monroe said.

To prepare the airfield for the transfer of authority, the element uses specialists from a variety of combat support career fields.

The element is made up of three main area: command and control, aerial port and maintenance, Major Monroe said.

“Depending on the tasking, we can also deploy with experts in intelligence, (Office of Special Investigations), security forces, medical, finance, weather and contracting,” he said.

This element includes one finance noncommissioned officer and eight security forces Airmen -- a supplement to McGuire’s eight-person force -- from Travis AFB, Calif., as well as a full, four-person medical element out of MacDill AFB, Fla.

The medical team is made up of a flight doctor, medical technician, public health professional and bioenvironmental engineer, said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Manny Naval, the element’s flight doctor.

“Our job is to not only provide medical care for the TALCE team on the ground, but also prepare the incoming main party on what to expect regarding regional medical concerns,” he said.

Medics have seen only minor injuries so far, but the drastic changes in temperature have brought on some colds, said Capt. Gwen Boleware, the element’s bioenvironmental engineer.

“Within the first 36 hours of our arrival in Herat, we went from temperatures of 101 degrees and 30 knots sustained wind to April’s all-time low of around 30 degrees,” said Lt. Col. Mike Smith, element commander.

“Despite operating under some extreme conditions,” he said, “we’re honestly thrilled to be here and to be playing such a vital role in the establishment of the Italian lead.”

The element, which arrived in the beginning of April, expects to be “mission complete” within the next 30 days, officials said. And by early this summer, the 38-nation assistance force plans to assume responsibility from the U.S. for the security of the western portion of Afghanistan. (Some information courtesy of www.estripes.com)