HIGH, HOT and HEAVY: THE CH-47 CHINOOK IN COMBAT ASSAULT OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN Chapter 3 OPERATION ANACONDA WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED WITHOUT THE CH-47 air assaults were helicopter landings by hundreds of US troops “US Army-style key…the at strategic locations in the Shahi Kowt Mountains were pulled off almost flawlessly on D Day,” Colonel Frank Wiercinski explained. Wiercinski was commander of the 101st Airborne Task Force the air assault force for Operation ANACONDA which took Rakkasan, Division’s place during March 2002 south of Gardez in Paktia used Chinooks because of Province. “We the was needed to get to the HLZs fast with a lot of altitude…the lowest HLZ 8,500 feet…we he later recounted, adding CH-47 was the helicopter of had just put in troops,” “the choice…we new 714 engines, had up to 35 troops with full combat loading [per incredibly powerful…we aircraft].” TF went on to conduct fourteen combat air assaults in support of ANACONDA. Rakkasan Lieutenant Colonel James Marye, commander of Task Force the US Army composite Talon, aviation unit in Afghanistan that actually flew the air assault missions, was equally complimentary of the Chinook, noting other airframe was capable of providing lift for that “no large a force at that altitude to achieve mass on each Chinook was the assault HLZ. “The platform of choice for that type of operation where massing large numbers of troops on a specific
HIGH, HOT and HEAVY: THE CH-47 CHINOOK IN COMBAT ASSAULT OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN Chapter 3 OPERATION ANACONDA WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED WITHOUT THE CH-47 “US Army-style air assaults were key…the helicopter landings by hundreds of US troops at strategic locations in the Shahi Kowt Mountains were pulled off almost flawlessly on D Day,” Colonel Frank Wiercinski explained. Wiercinski was commander of the 101st Airborne Division’s Task Force Rakkasan, the air assault force for Operation ANACONDA which took place during March 2002 south of Gardez in Paktia Province. “We used Chinooks because of the altitude…the lowest HLZ was 8,500 feet…we needed to get to the HLZs fast with a lot of troops,” he later recounted, adding “the CH-47 was the helicopter of choice…we had just put in new 714 engines, incredibly powerful…we had up to 35 troops with full combat loading [per aircraft].” TF Rakkasan went on to conduct fourteen combat air assaults in support of ANACONDA. Lieutenant Colonel James Marye, commander of Task Force Talon, the US Army composite aviation unit in Afghanistan that actually flew the air assault missions, was equally complimentary of the Chinook, noting “no other airframe was capable of providing lift for that large a force at that altitude to achieve mass on each HLZ. “The Chinook was the assault platform of choice for that type of operation where massing large numbers of troops on a specific
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