A C-130 Hercules aircrew launched from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Bagram AB, Afghanistan, earlier this week to perform an airdrop of 24 55-gallon drums using low-velocity parachutes from less than 5,000 feet above the ground. The cargo—9,000 pounds of fuel—landed within 35 meters of the desired point of impact less than eight hours after the request from ground forces. The ground forces were supporting Operation Achilles, which is aimed at helping Afghanistan with reconstruction and economic development.
Clearing jungle and laying asphalt in tropical heat may not sound like fun to most people, but it’s a way of life for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) Airmen, who have spent the past year or so restoring World War II-era airfields on the Pacific…