JTF Wings links ground forces in OEF

Marines from 3rd Bn., 6th Marines, rush to their security positions after inserting from an Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter in the Wusbin Valley May 28. One of the unique aspects of JTF Wings is the combination of different branches of the military working together to provide aviation support. (Photo by Lance Cpl. John E. Lawson Jr.)

By Sgt. Frank Magni
17th Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (6/18/2004) — For ground forces spread throughout Afghanistan, one aspect remains constant – if they are getting supplies, transportation or close air support, chances are it is coming from a rotary wing aircraft.

While mountainous terrain and unimproved roads make ground travel a slow process, Combined Joint Task Force-76 relies heavily on the support of Joint Task Force Wings.

Controlling all conventional-force aviation operations within Afghanistan, JTF Wings is made up of U.S. Army active duty, Reserve and National Guard units, as well as two Marine squadrons. Using its variety of aircraft to support the entire gamut of Operation Enduring Freedom missions, the 2,000-person task force is constantly engaged in operations.

“We first give the ability to lift Soldiers and equipment and deliver them anywhere they are needed in the battlefield,” said Lt. Col Frank W. Tate, JTF Wings operations officer. “We move the bulk of supplies from the major hubs (airfields) to the smaller fire bases.”

Primarily using the Army CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Blackhawk and the Marine CH-53 Sea Stallion on “ring flights,” aircraft are linking the forward operating bases with troops, transportation, supplies and even medical aid.

“We have nine aircraft that conduct medical evacuation operations everywhere in the country,” said Tate. The MEDEVAC unit balances between the needs for military and civilian casualties.

JTF Wings commander, Col. B. Shannon Davis, said the MEDEVAC mission not only saves lives, but also shows the local population we care about them. “We transport injured Afghans every day and have saved many lives in the process.”

Tate said the support JTF Wings provides also extends into the combat arena. In fact, air assaults and close air support are operations the task force conducts almost daily.

“We have both Army and Marine Corps attack helicopters that provide close combat attacks in support of our infantry and Marines on the ground,” said Tate.

But using Army AH-64 Apache and Marine AH-1 Cobra helicopters does more than provide firepower to the ground forces. Many times it keeps the peace, said Davis.

“The AH-64 is quite an intimidating platform,” he said. “When the (anti-Coalition militia) see it out there, they know that aircraft being in the air is so mobile we can cross any ridgeline, we can cross any river at a moment’s notice. Many of (the ACM) have seen the business end of this aircraft, so when the AH-64 is in the area it really brings a calm to things.”

With nearly half of JTF Wings made up of U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard troops, effectively supporting ground forces required extensive preparation before coming to Afghanistan.

“That is a significant number (of U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard),” said Tate. “It made the training leading up to coming here very important.”

Training for the mission in Afghanistan is essential because, in many ways, the conditions in Afghanistan are some of the most challenging in the world, said Tate.

“Joint Task Force Wings’ primary challenge is not the enemy, the primary challenge is the environment,” he said. “This is a tremendously difficult environment to fly in because of the high altitudes, high temperatures and high winds. In addition, you have the heavy dust conditions as well.”

He said with the increased heat and increased altitude, rotary wing aircraft have decreased power and capabilities than the same aircraft at sea level. With this in mind, training then focused on a condition aviation personnel call “high, hot and heavy,” said Tate.

JTF Wings, without the luxury of all its components being stationed in the same location in the United States, came together at Fort Rucker, Ala., for one segment of training. There, pilots were instructed by subject matter experts on the conditions they would face in Afghanistan. They also used flight simulators to better prepare them for this deployment.

Pilots also attended a high-altitude aviation training school in Gypsum, Colo., run by full-time Colorado National Guard pilots. HAATS is specifically designed to train military pilots for methods in managing their aircraft’s power.

“At the school, pilots use vanilla aircraft that are much less powerful than the one they use daily,” said Davis. The aircraft lacked many of the navigational instruments found on updated military aircraft.

“You have to use all the elements and skills you have been taught over the years to make successful approaches and landings,” he said. “The point of the school is, if pilots can fly these low-powered aircraft in high altitude conditions, they can fly the more powerful aircraft we have to a much safer degree.”

Aside from the collective training, many of the units prepped in their local areas.

With a high percentage of Joint Task Force Wing’s units coming from the 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, those units took to the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island of Hawaii. With an altitude over 6,000 feet, a warmer climate, heavy wind and dust, the conditions closely matched what pilots would encounter in Afghanistan.

Tate said some of the Task Force’s continued success comes not from the preparation by the units, but by the military as a whole.

“The military recognized years ago that (all the services) had to start working together,” said Tate. “Here in Afghanistan you are starting to see the benefit of years of joint preparations. More common terminology, more common systems and more common equipment allow us to work together without the major hiccups.”

He said Army and Marine aircraft flying in the same formations is offering advantages to JTF Wings.
“We don’t have the power alone, as one force, but together we can get any mission accomplished, anywhere,” said Tate.

He said the Marine CH-53s provide longer flight time than any other aircraft in the task force. “They can carry more fuel and also have the ability to do air-to-air refuel. That gives a capability that we would otherwise not have.

“They also come heavily armed with .50 caliber machine guns which allows them in some cases to go without an attack helicopter escort,” he said.

As JTF Wings continues its mission in Afghanistan, Tate said success will come from not only the pilots, but all of the service members supporting their mission.

“There are a lot of challenges for the maintainers with all the dirt that blows into the aircraft, it is very difficult to keep it fully functional and operational,” said Tate.

Command Sgt. Maj. Alfred Alexander, JTF Wings command sergeant major said all Soldiers are aware of the mission and its challenges.

“They know that we cannot let the environment inflict damage on us,” said Alexander. “Already I have seen that the Soldiers have integrated well to the conditions.”

Although it is early in their mission as a joint task force, Davis said he has seen nothing but success.

“I think we all know that we play a vital role to the success of CJTF-76 mission,” he said.

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