NATO-led base vital to mission in Afghanistan

Published Jan. 15, 2011
By Senior Airman Melissa B. White
451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, the largest NATO base in the world, is strategically located in the heart of Taliban country.

The airfield, which is NATO-run with a U.S. Air Force general officer sitting at the top of the chain of command, supports military units from 20 nations, including the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing.

"The capabilities we provide for the base enable missions outside the wire to be effective, and we ensure access to requests for close air support, (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), aerial resupply, medical evacuations and strategic airlift," said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Kendall, commander of KAF. "Inside the wire, we make sure we're taking care of the people who are working every day in this counterinsurgency campaign. We do anything and everything with our assets to help other units, especially those coming in from outside the wire, by providing them safety, quality facilities and dining, and recreation so they can have that little extra taste of home."

The airfield serves as a forward support base, air port of debarkation, and is a tactical entity in itself providing safety, security and logistic support and garrison command to 20 nations. Including contractors, more than 40 different nationalities are represented on the base which has a total population of nearly 30,000 people.

"This base was originally designed for 7,000 people, and we've nearly tripled that, which perpetuates a lot of safety issues," said Master Sgt. David Czerwinski, COMKAF Headquarters ground safety officer, who hosts monthly meetings to address safety hazards with units on base. "There are a lot of safety concerns with the movement of cargo and personnel. COMKAF has put a high priority on the safety of everyone. We're attempting to separate armor from flesh to make it safer for our pedestrians on the base who are constantly walking by the armored vehicles."

Safety is a priority of everyone on the COMKAF HQ team, ensuring everyone on the base is able to complete the mission. However, security also plays a vital role on the airfield which generates more than 5,000 aircraft movements on a weekly basis.

"We're making sure people are out there and doing their mission with the best resources while also keeping the base safe and enforcing force protection standards," said Staff Sgt. Syrron Williams, 451st Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and COMKAF Flightline Security program manager, who said this is his first time working in a combined-force environment. "It's the best of times in the worst of times. There are a lot of challenges out here, but it's great seeing all the forces coming together to push the mission forward."

While there may be plenty of Airmen scattered throughout the COMKAF HQ to help support the base operations, the general doesn't look at the base from an Air Force perspective.

"I feel like I've been preparing for this job my whole life ... in actuality, I represent NATO, not the Air Force," said General Kendall. "It's important, though, to have an air-minded leader here because everything starts and ends with the runway. Being in this position also allows me to see the growing U.S. presence here while also seeing the issues and challenges that come with it."

In addition to overseeing the safety, security and well-being of everyone on the base, the general also oversees all airfield operations including allied and civilian operations, with the exception of Afghan operations, while also making sure force protection standards are enforced throughout the installation. He related his position of installation commander as being similar to the mayor of a city.

With COMKAF HQ being the main unit in control of the base, the staff and leaders are appropriately located within the building on base that has one of the biggest stories to go with it: Taliban's Last Stand. The building was hit with a coalition bomb in December 2001 while overthrowing Taliban forces. The hole in the center of the building still remains this day along with the blackened ceiling and walls - serving as a constant reminder for everyone who works there and for everyone who crosses through there upon arrival to KAF.

"It always provides the reminder of how all this started ... when this began, why this began, and what we have left to accomplish," said General Kendall of Operation Enduring Freedom, who thinks the building deserve some historical recognition.

"It's an honor to be in this positions and I thoroughly enjoy working with everyone as we work hard on promoting success and partnership with the Afghan forces. I look forward to the day when they are in control of this facility, this airfield - that's when we'll see the results of our efforts and sacrifices."