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Afghan Air Force assists Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

  • Published
  • By Capt. Rob Leese
  • 438th AEW PAO
MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan --  Members of the Afghan Air Force and Combined Air Power Transition Force advisors assigned to Mazar-e-Sharif transported Jarullah Mansoori, Afghan Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development aboard the Mi-17 transport helicopter during a two-day visit to several remote villages in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces on Aug. 6-7, 2010.

The AAF was tasked by the Ministry of Defense to transport the Minister within the region to meet with village elders and villagers and have an impact in developing the provinces. The Minister was picked up in the village of Taloqan on the morning of Aug. 5, 2010 and he attend meetings in Rustaq, Khor and Shar-e Bozorg, before being picked him up the next day and bringing him back to Taloqan. As they flew into the villages, over half the villagers and about forty children crowded around the helicopters to meet the Minister.

Lt. Col. Curtis Wichers, 438th Air Expeditionary Advisor Group Detachment 3 commander explains, "The terrain is unbelievable rough and very difficult to get any supplies into these places or any kind of help, so he was meeting with them to see what their highest priority needs were in terms of development and see what was practical for the Afghan government to provide for them."

Wichers continued, "I read reports about how some Afghans ... don't see any direct impact of the coalition forces, so for us to reach out to these places that were addressing and that in that situation and showing them that we do care as a nation and the Afghan government is doing everything they can to bring them aid and get them going on the right foot. It was very positive."

The Minister stated that there was no way that the Afghan Government could get to this location without helicopter support from the AAF. He was very appreciative and told the villagers that he was thrilled with the support provide by the Afghan air crews and the CAPTF advisors. Without Afghan air power, they would not be able to get to these locations and the Minister's mission would have failed.