Operation Enduring Freedom

OVER AFGHANISTAN -- Humanitarian supplies drop from the back of a C-130 Hercules.

With three American flags on board his F-15 Eagle, this pilot prepares for a mission. "I have two in the front of the canopy to represent my two kids and I carry one on me for my wife,"

A C-130J Hercules stands ready on the tarmac in Bagram Airfield. C-130s make up the bulk of the airlift mission at Bagram, being the only fixed-wing cargo airframe capable of landing on a dirt runway.

The view from the front of an A-10 Thunderbolts as it sits ousite its hangar at Bagram Airfield

An arial gunner (left), and flight engineer (right), watch the ground while patroling the skies in Afghanistan in an HH-60G Pave Hawk. Both are deployed from Kadena Air Base, Japan.

Beautiful mountains in Afghanistan are visible behind the old Russian Control Tower, known as the Crow’s Nest. The Russian Control Tower was built in 1976 during the Soviet Union's occupation of the region. Currently 28,300 U.S. troops are deployed to Bagram supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and NATO International Security Assistance Forces.

Airmen survey the airfield here after their C-17 Globemaster III taxis to a stop here.

Sun sets on an A-10 Thunderbolt II. With Night Vision Imaging Systems, or NVIS, goggle compatible single-seat cockpits forward of their wings and a large bubble canopy which provides pilots all-around vision, time of day means little to this aeronautical legend.

A C-17 Globemaster III, deployed from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., is loaded with cargo before its mission. While the C-17’s primary mission is to perform airlift and airdrop missions, it can also transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations when required.

An arial gunner for an HH-60G Pave Hawk sits behind his M2 .50 caliber machine gun during a flight. This soldier is deployed with the 33rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron from Kadena Air Base, Japan, and his job is to protect servicemembers on the ground providing aid to injured people. He loves his job because it allows him handle “many kinds of cool gadgets.”

Troops disembark from a C-17 Globemaster III. C-17’s carry a maximum of 170,900 pounds, and can land on runways as short as 3,500 feet.

On the last Monday in May, Americans celebrate Memorial Day. This day is especially important as we are reminded almost daily of the great sacrifices that the men and women of the Armed Services make to defend our way of life. So, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. - John F. Kennedy -

A view of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan from the Air Traffic Control Tower's catwalk after a recent rainstorm.

A storm rolls into Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, April 20. The 455th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, combat weather team, uses a variety of techniques to predict weather. They use of a Mark IV satellite and visual reference to determine type and severity of storm to better prepare personnel on BAF to maintain mission effectiveness. Rainstorms are frequent this time of year and have the ability to change the landscape to include rivers and streams. With the lack of drainage systems, floods occur regularly throughout the southeast region of Afghanistan. Precipitation in east and southeast regions is about forty centimeters per year.

Three C-17s sit on the flight line and await take off here. The C-17s are deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. (left), Charleston AFB, S.C. (middle), and McChord AFB, Wash. (right). The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. While the C-17’s primary mission is to perform airlift and airdrop missions it can also transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations when required.

A flight engineer on an HH-60G Pave Hawk scans the countryside while on a mission here. The Pave Hawks are used for Combat Search and Rescue, and have been operated by the U.S. Air Force since 1991, and is currently stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan.

Three C-17 Globemaster IIIs sit on the flightline waiting to be refueled and loaded with cargo. The C-17’s carry large amounts of supplies for airdrops and re-supply missions. The aircraft can also be used to transport medical patients. Two of the C-17s are deployed from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. The other aircraft is deployed from Travis AFB, Calif.

Tents house thousands of military people who have deployed to this undisclosed location in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

A view of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan from the Air Traffic Control Tower's catwalk after a recent rainstorm.

A-10 Thunderbolts sits outside its hangar at Bagram Airfield

C-17 Globemaster III drops off cargo at Bagram Airfield

The "gunner" leans out to check the M2 .50 caliber machine gun mounted on an HH-60G Pave Hawk while flying in Afghanistan. He is currently stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan.

Cargo being unloaded from a C-17 Globemaster III. The flexible aircraft provides rapid intra-theater cargo, airdrop, and aero-medical evacuation support throughout southwest Asia.

A-10 Thunderbolts taxi the runway at Bagram Airfield

Servicemembers assembled on the flightline to tour a C-130 Hercules, from the 43rd Airlift Wing at Pope Air Force Base, N.C. The C-130 was dedicated to the Combined Joint Task Force 82 in honor of the cohesion of the Air Force and the Army in Afghanistan and was put on display for servicemembers to view the aircraft.

Mountains in Afghanistan hide in the morning haze. The high altitude of the Hindu Kush mountain range creates a harsh climate ranging from more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer to below-freezing temperatures in the winter.