Afghan airlift: Helicopters give U.S. forces an edge in Afghanistan - But it takes more than machinery to win a war

摘要

THE 120 SOLDIERS SEATED IN THE GRAVEL AT FORWARD Operating Base Zormat in eastern Afghanistan are all eagerly watching the sky. Early morning birdcalls give way to the steady thumping of rotors as two Chinooks slide into view, U.S. National Guardsmen seated at the controls, each helicopter's ungainly airframe held aloft by the beating of six 30-foot-long blades. The aircraft make wide arcs around a surveillance balloon floating over the base and then slide into parallel positions close to the soldiers. Rotor wash lashes the troops with brown dust and pebbles as the choppers settle onto the gravel landing pad.