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“1000s of Hands” Project: 774th EAS Capt. Boston McClain

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Cierra Presentado
  • 455th AEW Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRIFELD, Afghanistan --  Capt. Boston McClain III, 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-130J Super Hercules pilot, conducts combat missions in the Combined Joint Operating Area-Afghanistan, and is responsible for transporting passengers and mission essential assets to various forward operating bases throughout Afghanistan.

McClain, who is deployed from Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, has flown various missions to different FOBs to include Jalalabad, Kandahar, Kabul and Mazar-e Sharif. When delivering cargo, he delivers things such as medical supplies, food and ammunitions to troops at smaller FOBs. McClain’s mission is important here because he is able fly his aircraft into locations that other aircraft, such as the C-17, may not be able land in.

“Without the C-130J here the mission would be impacted quite a bit due to the fact that we’re one of the main intra-theater airlift and troop supply movement assets out here. There’s so much this aircraft is capable of that other aircraft may not be able to support. We’re able to get into a lot of locations that other aircraft like the C-17 can’t get into,” McClain said. “It may take us a little longer to get there, but there aren’t too many places we can’t go or equipment we can’t carry.”

McClain is part of the “1000s of Hands” of the 455 AEW Airmen who are crucial to the wing’s mission to generate and sustain air power on the combat frontier of Afghanistan’s NATO’s Resolute Support mission and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. The ‘1000s of Hands’ project highlights Vulture Airmen who have a hand in delivering a blanket of steel, technology and courage to protect the force in the field and support Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.