Cheers to a Successful Year

The 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, accomplished much in 2010 during its first full calendar year in existence, said the wing’s commander, Brig. Gen. Paul Johnson. The unit, which stood up on July 2, 2009, supports a range of missions from airlift to close air support to rescue and intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance. It grew in 2010 to nearly 2,000 airmen and now operates seven different aircraft. Among their accomplishments, 451st AEW airmen activated a new aeromedical evacuation squadron, bedded down the MC-12 ISR platform, and teamed with Slovak troops to erect a new passenger terminal for the entire airfield. Collectively, the wing flew 37,000 sorties in 2010, supporting more than 1,000 troops, and saved close to 2,000 people on rescue missions. “The men and women of the 451st AEW continue to amaze me and exceed expectations on a daily basis,” said Johnson. (Kandahar report by Melissa B. White)