80,000 Leaflets Distributed Over Taliban-Occupied Area
The US Air Force tells ANN the 746th
Expeditionary Airlift Squadron conducted a leaflet drop over
Afghanistan last week in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The squadron -- based out of Dyess Air Force Base, TX -- dropped
80,000 leaflets on an area known to be inhabited by the Taliban in
an effort to send specific messages, according to the Air
Force.
"We dropped 6-by-4 inch leaflets," said Capt. Keith Englin, a
746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-130 Hercules pilot and
mission commander for the flight. "In this case, it was over enemy
territory."
For crew members, this latest assignment was a change of pace.
Their usual job is dropping supplies to troops on the ground.
"(The leaflet drops) are different from what we normally do,
because we're not talking to anyone on the ground," Captain Englin
said. "Instead of hitting a specific spot like we normally do (with
a standard airdrop), we're trying to hit a one kilometer
radius."
The leaflets read, "The ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces)
and ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) are ridding
Helmand of the foreign Taliban" on one side and "The Taliban are
commanded by foreigners who seek to destroy Afghanistan. There is
no honor in fighting alongside the enemies of Afghanistan" on the
other.
"In this case, we were trying to get a message to the Taliban --
their efforts are hopeless. We want them to know they're better off
going home before they end up dead," Captain Englin said. "It sends
a message to get people to comply peacefully before you have to use
force."
This type of mission requires joint cooperation between the Army
and the Air Force.
Army ground units will contact Air Force units to request a
drop, which, in turn, performs the drops on the area of
responsibility.
"It was a good experience, and a good joint effort," Captain
Englin said. "The (soldiers) sometimes fly along with us to help us
throw out the boxes. And also, it's good for them to see how it
gets executed."
Capt. Phillip Postell, the 746th EAS C-130 pilot of this drop
mission said that, overall, the leaflet drop was successful because
the Taliban is reading the message and deciding their fate.
"In the end, it was an excellent performance by people across
the entire AOR to get the mission finished," he said.
(ANN salutes Senior Airman Clark Staehle, 379th Air
Expeditionary Wing)