Maj. Paul Anderson in the cockpit of his
C-130 Hercules on Nov. 17.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Graveland
Posted on 11/24/2007 10:05:55 PM PST by Clive
KABUL, Afghanistan - Maj. Paul Anderson has probably seen more of Afghanistan than most people in the country, although he usually sees it from 6,400 metres above the ground.
"That is the main and only highway between Kandahar and Kabul," he says, pointing at the tiny line of cars and trucks barely visible from the cockpit of his Hercules C-130 transport plane.
The view out the window closely resembles a giant, coloured three-dimensional map. There is little to break up the monotony of sand and mountains except patches of green in some of the deeper valleys, the occasional silver thread of a river and a rare expanse of white cloud.
"I think Canada's north will eventually look like this if they continue with all the mining that is going up there right now," he noted.
While ground forces get the lion's share of attention in Canada's military mission here, the job done above the ground can be equally important and just as dangerous.
The hulking C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. You could almost consider it a semi-trailer with wings. There are more than 40 models and variants of the Hercules serve with more than 50 countries.
With its rear loading ramp and door, the Hercules can accommodate a wide variety of oversized cargo, including everything from utility helicopters and six-wheeled armoured vehicles to standard loads of cargo and military personnel. In an aerial delivery role, it can drop loads up to 20,000 kilograms.
It's the airdrops that are the most satisfying part of the job for Anderson.
"We'll drop anything the army needs, any coalition member anywhere. We'll gladly drop bags of rice to the ANA at their forward operating bases. We'll drop stuff to Americans, we've dropped lots of ammunition and that sort of thing to guys who can't take the road for fear of the IEDs," said Anderson. "We try and take the risk away from those guys and we've done lots and lots of resupply over the last 16 months."
"It uses most of our skill set to do that. We love doing it because it is the most rewarding thing to realize you are making a difference to the boots on the ground."
Although the risk of enemy attack for these flying behemoths are slight, there is danger any time one flies into a war zone.
"I had a couple of mountain drops last year where we were flying into some blind valleys dropping to American special forces. It was very interesting drops... not particularly dangerous on account of the enemy although we were flying over enemy territory," Anderson remembered.
"However when you're down low in the rocks, cumulus granite probably has a kill rate of 100 per cent," he chuckled. "So you really gotta know what you're doing. At this time of year the weather and the rocks combine to give you a lot higher risk than the enemy for us."
The C-130 continues to be the workhorse of the Canadian forces. Capable of short takeoffs and landings from unprepared runways, it was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation and cargo transport aircraft.
The versatile aircraft has been used in a variety of other roles, including airborne assault, search and rescue, aerial refuelling and firefighting.
Maj. Paul Anderson in the cockpit of his
C-130 Hercules on Nov. 17.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Graveland
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I — and, I believe, most Americans — see the US/Canada differences of opinion as a squabble between siblings. We bicker over this, bicker over that, but the love is not in doubt.
Canada took a different position from the US on Iraq. Canadian forces have done more than their share in Afghanistan. As they did, on a far larger scale, at Normandy.
Some Americans start squealing when our allies differ from our position by a jot or tittle. Those people are best ignored. Most Americans know our friends, and most Americans stand, alongside you, “on guard for thee.”
If this is a true story with actual quotes where is the “eh?” at the end of each statement?
What are you talkin’ aboot eh? Eh, we don’t actually talk like that.
The word is “about”. Not “aboot”...
Next thing, you’re going to tell me the capital is Ottowa...
At least we keep the word down to two syllables, as opposed to the three must of y’all seem to like : a/ba/yut VS a/boot.
LOL
Eh? I’ll give you “aboot” to the arse. ;) See why we use it now? :D
OK, but why do you pronounce "route" (meaning a road, course, or way for travel from one place to another) as if it were "rout" (meaning a disorderly retreat or flight following defeat)
It is a wire service article which I took from the Sun Media web site.
I did credit Canadian Press and Sun Media in the Source line.
OOPS, the penny just dropped. Thank you for posting a link.
I had forgotten to enter the link to the Sun Media source. I will ask the moderator to add it.
“cumulus granite probably has a kill rate of 100 per cent,”
Now I don’t care who you are, that there’s funny.
I pronounce it both ways “rout” and “root”. Meh...depends on the context.
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