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Airmen aid coalition ground forces one leaflet at a time

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael O'Connor
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing public affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  American Airman and the Australian Defence Force recently teamed up to deliver critical information to Iraqi civilians in southern Iraq.

Flying the C-130 Hercules, the 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, working in conjunction with Australians from Overwatch Battle Group (West)-4, conducted two one-day missions to drop 330,000 leaflets designed to solicit the help of Iraqi civilians to not harbor insurgents or bomb manufacturers.

"This is what the war is all about--finding the bad guys targeting U.S., coalition forces and innocent civilians," said Capt. MacArthur Hoglund, aircraft commander for the second leaflet air drop. "This mission was unique in that typically, we're transporting the Soldiers and Marines to and from the fight. This time, we were soliciting the help of civilians on the ground to help us catch the bad guy out there making the bombs."

Overwatch Battle Group (West) is a cavalry and mounted infantry battle group and forms part of Operation Catalyst, the Australian Defence Force contribution to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq. The battle group is comprised of more than 500 personnel based at Ali Air Base, Iraq, where it undertakes a security overwatch role for Al Muthanna and Dhi Qar Provinces as part of a larger coalition force.

Working with the Iraqi Government, the ADF continues to contribute to Multi-National Force - Iraq efforts to develop a secure and stable environment in Iraq, assist national recovery programs and facilitate the transition to Iraq self-government.

Commanding Officer of OBG (W) Lt. Col. Chris Websdane thanked the U.S. Air Force for their close cooperation and support for this task. "The Australian forces in Southern Iraq appreciate the assistance provided by our American partners," he said.

"These were highly successful airdrops that have helped us pursue our mission, which is to provide overwatch security in Dhi Qar and Al Muthanna provinces," added Colonel Websdane.

The C-130 aircrew members were excited about the opportunity to support the Overwatch Battle Group by showcasing one of the many capabilities of the 'Herc' which has been supporting ground operations since the latter part of the 1950s.

"It's imperative that everyone is on the same page and instinctively knows what Plan B is for whatever the situation is that might come up during the flight," said Captain Hoglund. "Everything we do in preparation is key to getting it right the first time, especially when missions like this only give you one chance to get it right."

The crew spent the better part of two days discussing a variety of 'what-ifs' that could come up during flight, said Captain Hoglund, such as dust storms, fuel or engine problem, shifting winds, being shot at, an in-flight-emergency or some other equipment failure that might impede the operation, as well as contingency plans and defensive tactics on the way to the pick-up point to pick up the leaflets.

"I've done passenger and cargo air drops before, but this was my first combat air drop for leaflets," said Staff Sgt. John Columbia, a loadmaster from Ft. Worth, Texas, deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. "I thought it was a blast. I learned a lot from this experience and from the others on the mission who've done this before." It felt great to be a part of this mission, not just because it was something new and different, but because it was rewarding to be doing something for the war fighters on the ground, in stead the usual transport of passengers and cargo, said Sergeant Columbia.

"The overall success of this mission is a demonstration of the cooperation and integration of coalition forces and their ability to execute," said Col. Gary Goldstone, 386th Expeditionary Operations Group commander.