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KAW and TF Thunder perform 1st joint operational air assault mission

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jamie Humphries
  • 438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
KABUL, Afghanistan --  Called "Operation Sand Hill Crane," Kandahar Air Wing and the U.S. Army's Task Force Thunder conducted their first-ever joint air assault mission together recently.

Officials explained Sand Hill Crane's goal was to insert specialized teams into strategic locations where reintegration leaflets would target Taliban fighters making their way out of Kandahar province. The mission was supported by Task Force Thunder OH-58D and AH-64 helicopters as well as two UH-60 Blackhawks and an Afghan air force Mi-17 helicopter.

In order to carry out the mission, OH-58D and AH-64 helicopters were used for over watch and security while UH-60M Blackhawks and Mi-17 flew a three-ship formation enabling U.S. Army Pathfinders and the Afghan National Civil Order Police to infiltrate multiple locations around Kandahar Air Field.

The first day was designed to conduct the leaflet drop and facilitate police units handing out literature to the people in villages in hopes they'd contact Taliban members and work reintegration efforts. This was a two day operation where the specialized teams and AAF crews carried out multiple insertions and extractions to accomplish their mission.

"This is the first air assault mission conducted with TF Thunder and the Kandahar Air Wing," said Lt. Col. Fred Koegler of the 441st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron. "The mission was absolutely successful."

Planning for the two-day mission began early this week with teams from TF Thunder, 441st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron and AAF participating.

Two teams of AAF instructor pilots, flying air crew chiefs and one engineer prepared for the mission with help from their coalition counterparts in the 441st.

According to officials, the teams routinely train in an effort to increase their capabilities and interoperability in the unit before conducting any operational mission. TF Thunder and Kandahar Pathfinder Detachment both work with their respective counterparts and have advanced to conducting training together to build their capacity as security forces.

"This is a great example of multiple teams working together to complete a very important mission," said Tech. Sgt. Jason Sitzes, flight engineer and adviser evaluator. "Our Afghan air force partners worked hard with us to ensure success and we couldn't have performed this mission without their dedication."

Task Force Thunder comprises the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade and its subordinate battalions, which are deployed from Fort Campbell, Ky., along with MEDEVAC additions from Alaska and Germany, Chinook assets from the Hawaii National Guard and Australia, and the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Regiment, from Fort Hood, Texas.