U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jay Simmons, a flight engineer with the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, loads up a canister with 7.62mm ammo in preparation for a flight aboard an Afghan air force Mi-17 helicopter, Kabul International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan. Oct. 8, 2011. The helicopter was going on a flying mission somewhere in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Smith)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Afghan air force airman Abdul Gahar, a crew chief, mans his M240 machine gun as he looks out over the Afghan country side while flying in an AAF Mi-17 helicopter, somewhere over Afghanistan. Oct. 8, 2011. The helicopter was flying from Kabul to Jalalabad. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Smith)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jay Simmons, a flight engineer with the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, guides Afghan National Army soldiers towards an AAF Mi-17 helicopter, Forward Operating Base Fenty, Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Oct. 8, 2011. The soldiers were being transported from one FOB to another. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Smith)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jay Simmons, a flight engineer with the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, refuels an Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopter at Forward Operating Base Bostick, Afghanistan. Oct. 8, 2011. The helicopter was refueling after flying personal to FOB Bostick. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Smith)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Afghan National Army soldiers file onto an Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopter at Forward Operating Base Bostick, Afghanistan, Oct. 8, 2011. The soldiers were being transported to another FOB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Smith)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jay Simmons, a flight engineer with the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, looks out over Afghanistan from an Afghan air force Mi-17 helicopter, Oct. 8, 2011. Simmons was flying a resupply mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Smith)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

Performing the 438th AEW Mission

Published Oct. 12, 2011
By Capt. Jamie Humphries
438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Airmen from the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron recently performed a series of missions in conjunction with airmen of the Afghan Air Force aboard three separate Afghan Mi-17 helicopters in various locations throughout Afghanistan recently.

Officials at the 438th AEW say the Mi-17 is perfectly suited to the needs of Afghanistan. Its original design was optimized for Afghanistan's high, rugged terrain and blistering summer temperatures. Afghans have flown variants of these aircraft for the last 30 years.

The Mi-17 fleet provides the AAF with a wide variety of mission capabilities to include Presidential/distinguished visitor transportation, medical and casualty evacuation, battlefield mobility, basic cargo airlift, reconnaissance, rotary-wing training and close air support.

Afghanistan's Mi-17s are interoperable with allied and current coalition service systems. There are 77 other nations world-wide that currently employ the Mi-17, including coalition partners Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.

The Mi-17 has a service life of 25 years with overhauls every 2,000 flying hours. With normal projected attrition, the legacy aircraft will require recapitalization starting in 2014.

The 438th AEW's mission is to set the conditions for a professional, fully independent and operationally-capable Afghan Air Force that meets the security requirements of Afghanistan today ... and tomorrow.