SOUTHWEST ASIA –
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- Airmen of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here airdropped nearly 80,000 pounds of food and water through the Afghan sky Jan. 14 as part of humanitarian efforts in the region.
The supplies were pushed out the backdoor of a C-17 Globemaster III and the cargo landed at the feet of forward-deployed troops operating in Afghanistan's mountainous, snow-covered terrain.
Soldiers on the ground will share much of the food and water with Afghan people in the area as part of U.S.-led efforts to stabilize the country and bring democracy to the region.
"I think the best way we can do that -- and show them what America is about -- is to support them and give them the supplies they need," said 1st Lt. Joe Purcell, an 816 EAS pilot. "We're not here to occupy their country. We're here to help them rebuild."
In order to stabilize and reconstruct the country's infrastructure, supplies are needed in regions with hazardous terrain and at remote locations deep in the mountains.
"The dropping of supplies to our forward-deployed troops and the men and women they support at these operating areas is just one of the many ways airlift is reducing exposure to enemy threats and keeping drivers off dangerous roads," said Lt. Col. Scott DeThomas, the 816 EAS commander. "It's just another example of the full-spectrum capability of the C-17 -- anything, anywhere, anytime."
Mission leaders said the airdrop wouldn't have been a success if it wasn't for the Airmen who packed, loaded and unloaded the humanitarian cargo.
"They made it look easy," Lieutenant Purcell said. "Though it's definitely not easy."