COMMENTARY>>Kandahar Airmen airdrop supplies to troops, prepare for troop increase

By Staff Sgt. Angelique Smythe
451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Airmen of the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here dropped 56 containerized delivery systems over three different drop zones within Afghanistan from the same aircraft Jan. 27 to support Operation Enduring Freedom warfighters.

“It’s more bundles than we’ve ever been able to drop in one day,” said Maj. Joe Framptom, deployed from 41st Airlift Squadron, a 772nd EAS operations officer.

“We’re testing it to iron out any kinks, so we’ll be able to go full speed and do more airdrops like this once the new rigging facility opens up,” he said.

The Army 82nd Airborne Corps’ new rigging facility, soon to be open, is where Soldiers will build CDS bundles filled with equipment and supplies needed to be airdropped to forward operating bases within Afghanistan. CDS bundles may include Meals, Ready to Eat, water, fuel, ammunition and medical supplies.

It takes a joint effort as well as a total wing effort to resupply troops in the field. Once the bundles are built, Airmen from the air terminal operations center receive them from the Army to load onto a C-130J Super Hercules for delivery via airdrop.

Airmen from the operations and maintenance groups ensure mission success through keeping the aircraft operational and the sorties on time and on target.

“Basically, everyone in the wing -- the operations group, maintenance group and mission support group -- works together to get this done to support the Army,” Major Framptom said. “That’s really what we’re here to accomplish.”

The airdrops combat improvised explosive devices by keeping vehicles and troops off the roads and by allowing the Army to stage in places they wouldn’t otherwise be able to set up as some forward operating bases are inaccessible except by air. Some FOBs are also too big to be resupplied solely by helicopter.

Resupplying servicemembers in the field is a very important part of the mission for this team.

“It enables those guys to get out and do their mission, knowing their supply lines are secure,” Major Framptom said.

The test comes as a part of preparation for the increase of troops in the southern region of Afghanistan, as well as an increased demand for airdrop.

“The new rigging facility represents the increase in capacity to be able to resupply more Soldiers in the field,” Major Framptom said. “They built the new facility in order to rig more bundles and be able to support more airdrops in theater. This test is to see if we can actually handle the volume that’s going to be produced once that new rigging facility opens up.”

Before Jan. 27, the most number of CDS bundles the aircrew had ever dropped in one day was 40; two drops of 20 each. For their test, they loaded and airdropped 20 bundles, returned for another 20, and then an additional 16 for their final mission.

Each bundle weighed between 1,500 to 2,000 pounds. As the aircraft reaches the destination, pilots angle it upward with the rear door opened. The strap is cut and each bundle rolls as gravity pulls them out of the aircraft, and then their parachutes deploy.

“We’re expecting to see about a 250-percent increase in the number of airdrops we can support here,” Major Framptom said.

“We’ve had to go to Bagram (Airfield in Afghanistan) a lot in the past to load. With this new rigging facility, we’ll be able to load here, which means we’ll be able to get more supplies to our Soldiers faster.”