A C-130 aircrew on a cargo-hauling mission in Afghanistan had to land on an abandoned airstrip near Shindand, Afghanistan, when the Hercules developed engine trouble. The spot is just 70 miles from the Iranian border. The aircrew arranged for a repair team to bring a new engine and assorted equipment from Bagram Air Base and make an initial assessment while they waited additional help from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the C-130’s deployed wing at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. Capt. Teresa Sullivan reports that the combined group of mechanics replaced the malfunctioning engine, which had a cracked tail pipe and a damaged firewall around the engine diffuser, and tested the engines, wrapping up work shortly before sunset. The broken Herk is back on the job.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.