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U.S. Air Forces Central

Tech. Sgt. Kevin M. Owens, (left) a loadmaster from the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, jokes with fellow aircrew members during a bus ride to their C-17A Globemaster III Jan. 20, 2010, at a forward operating base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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First Lt. Austin S. Tally, a C-17A Globemaster III pilot assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, heads toward his aircraft prior to a cargo-transportation mission Jan. 20, 2010, at a forward operating base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Senior Airman Anthony E. Fuller (left) and Tech. Sgt. Kevin M. Owens, both C-17A Globemaster III loadmasters assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, troubleshoot malfunctions in a C-17As loading ramp Jan. 20, 2010, at a forward operating base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Senior Airman Anthony E. Fuller, (right) a loadmaster assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, and fellow Airmen prepare a C-17A Globemaster III to transport 95,000 pounds of cargo to Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2010, at a base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Tech. Sgt. Kevin M. Owens and Senior Airman Anthony E. Fuller, both C-17A Globemaster III loadmasters assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, go through prefight checks on the ramp prior to loading cargo for an airlift mision Jan. 20, 2010, at a forward operating base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Senior Airman Anthony E. Fuller, a loadmaster from the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, waits to perform pre-flight checks aboard a C-17A Globemaster III Jan. 20, 2010, at a forward operating base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Tech. Sgt. Kevin M. Owens, a loadmaster assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, inspects a howizter as loading crews bring it aboard a C-17A Jan. 20, 2010, at a base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

(From left) Tech. Sgt. Patricia Lapp, and Senior Airmen Danielle Bolia and Lee Ciokiewicz, assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, secure a U.S. Marine Corps vehicle on board a C-17A Globemaster III bound for Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2010, at a base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

U.S. Army Soldiers prepare for takeoff aboard a C-17A Globemaster III bound for a forward operating base in Southwest Asia, Jan. 20, 2010. The aircrew and aircraft are assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Tech. Sgt. Kevin M. Owens, a C-17A Globemaster III loadmaster assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, guides a driver into the C-17 Jan. 20, 2010, at a base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Tech. Sgts. Kevin M. Owens, Patricia Lapp and Senior Airman Kareen Brown inspect U.S. Marine Corps vehicles loaded into a C-17A Globemaster III, Jan. 20, 2010 at a base in Southwest Asia. The vehicles are part of a 95,000-pound cargo load being transported to a forward operation base in Afghanistan. Sergeant Owens is assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron while Sergeant Lapp and Airman Brown are assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Tech. Sgt. Clarence Marshall (left) and Senior Airman Lee Ciokiewicz, both assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, secure a U.S. Marine Corps vehicle in the back of a C-17A Globemaster III Jan. 20, 2010, at a base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

A C-17A Globemaster III parked on a flightline in Southwest Asia. Airmen inside, assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, conduct preflight checks prior to an airlift mission bound for Afghanistan Jan. 20, 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Tech. Sgt. Kevin M. Owens, a loadmaster from the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, observes a C-17A Globemaster III engine start-up and relays his observations to pilots using hand signals Jan. 20, 2010, at a forward operating base in Southwest Asia. The cargo transport mission is bound for a forward operating base in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez) )

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Tech. Sgt. Kevin M. Owens, a loadmaster from the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, conducts a preflight check on board a C-17A Globemaster III and watches for obstructions and hazards on the flightline as the pilots taxi for takeoff, Jan. 20, 2010, at a forward operating base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Capt. Christopher J. Lawler, a C-17A Globemaster III pilot assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, prepares for takeoff prior to a transport mission Jan. 20, 2010, in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

First Lt. Austin S. Tally, a C-17A Globemaster III pilot assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, scans the horizon during a transport mission to Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

An aerial view of Southwest Asia from the cockpit of a C-17A Globemaster III during a cargo transportation mission to Afghanistan Jan. 20, 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

A C-17A Globemaster III aircrew unloads 95,000 pounds of cargo at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2010. The aircrew is assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

A C-17A Globemaster III aircrew unloads 95,000 pounds of cargo at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2010. The aircrew is assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

A C-17A Globemaster III aircrew assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron step on a crew bus after a 13-hour cargo delivery mission to a forward operating base in Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2010. (U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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Operation Enduring Freedom

Tech. Sgt. Kevin M. Owens, a C-17A Globemaster III loadmaster, and 1st Lt. Austin S. Tally, a C-17A pilot, both assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, play a game of foosball in their unit building following a 13-hour cargo transportation mission Jan. 20, 2010, at a base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

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C-17 Airlift mission in Afghanistan

Published Jan. 26, 2010