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Arming point key to Afghan airpower dominance

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Justin Weaver
  • 438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  The Kandahar Air Wing reached a milestone May 15 with the opening of the Afghan Mi-17 weapons arming point - a key step towards delivering airpower dominance to both the 205th and 215th Afghan National Army Corps.

"Having the arming point allows the Afghan Air Force to load munitions on aircraft for in-flight use, a critical capability for training and combat missions," said Tech. Sgt. Rachel Youkey, 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group munitions air advisor and a native of Granby, Colo. "The arming point is a safe place designated for loading explosives onto aircraft, in this case, 57mm rockets."

Having a safe location to load and arm the rockets is critical for the AAF to conduct their missions.

"Previously, NATO personnel were responsible for coordination and loading rockets on AAF helicopters," said Youkey. "AAF troops were not able to assist due to their stringent safety limitations preventing them from loading with engines running; which was the only way to do it before we were able to get the arming point built."

The new arming point allows Afghan pilots the ability to fly Mi-17 armed escorts and provide close air support. Additionally, the establishment of the arming point hands over complete control of the mission to the Afghans - from the AAF weapons and ammo troops at KAW loading the Afghan weapons on Afghan helicopters to the aircrew conducting the Afghan missions.

"This is a huge step forward for AAF in their journey toward self-sufficiency," said Youkey, who enjoys the challenge of her job. "Our role is to advise and assist AAF forces at Kandahar Air Wing, to help them build mission capabilities while increasing their safety, security and technical expertise. We want them to find their own way, to make things work in a way that makes sense to them, by providing an experienced voice in their decision making process."

Youkey admits the hardest part of her job is avoiding taking the "easy road."

"Things that are important to the American culture are not the same as what is important in the Afghan culture," she said. "It takes significant effort to refrain from jumping in and getting the task done. You have to remind yourself that it is about the process, not necessarily about completing a task."

"It's rewarding when my Afghan counterparts do well on their own, because I know their success means I'm doing exactly what I need to do," said Youkey. "The days when things click and work goes smoothly are hard earned. When it happens it's a deep breath and a great sense of shared accomplishment. It is all about Afghans doing: being able to do, having the equipment to do, and then doing it on their own"