The 451st AEG provides a persistent and powerful airpower presence in the Afghanistan area of operations. The group’s Airmen provide world-class close air support, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, command and control, personnel recovery and airborne datalink capabilities whenever and wherever needed. The group operates the A-10C Thunderbolt II, the HH-60G Pave Hawk, the E-11 BACN and the MQ-9 Reaper at Kandahar airfield.