BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (August 8,2008) –  Four MI17 helicopters, flown by Afghan Air Corps pilots , simultaneously landed at separate locations in the Jowzak area, Parwan and Kapisa province, as the first ever Afghan-led air reconnaissance ensued, July 23.

The recon mission was led by Afghan National Army Lt. Col. Aghagul Khalili, the 3rd Kandak, 3rd Brigade commander with the 201st Corp, in an effort to clear the area of suspected enemy occupation and to meet with local elders to discuss projects needed in the area.

Each helicopter carried nearly 20 service members from the ANA’s 201st Corps 3/3 BDE, including the ANA’s Marine Corps advisors – commonly referred to as Embedded Training Teams (ETTs).

“ETTs are there to steer planning,” said Marine Capt. Robert L. Gambrell, the 201st Corps assistant operations and air officer. “This was an all-ANA-led operation. [The US] has assets that [the ANA] doesn’t have, such as modern navigation equipment and so forth.”

With the help of the ETTs and their equipment, this mission went smoothly, said Khalili. The planning process was also a break through.

“They were able to bring in some of the ANA Air Corps guys to go through planning steps,” said Gambrell. “They sat around a sand table and the 3/3 Kandak guys briefed [the air corp] on the plan they wanted to do and the Air Corps went through what they could do, adjusting the plan just a little.”

In past missions, planning was lacking, Gambrell said.

“So, the fact that they came over and planned all this stuff and did a combined planning process was very good for all of us involved,” explained Gambrell. “This is the first time Air Corp has done this to the best of my knowledge, and it got the pilots a lot of training and the mentors were very happy about that.”

Before they could utilize the helicopters, landing zones had to be established.

Advanced recon unit drove as far as they could toward Jowzak, unloaded and travelled on foot the rest of the way up a 1,000 foot vertical climb, which took them the rest of the way over the mountain. Once over, they set up a landing zone on the area where the mouth of the Jowzac bowl is located, enabling sevice members passageway.

Coalition forces lauded the ANA for their progress.

“I have been working with them since March,” said Marine 1st Sgt. Jason W. Bunch, an ETT that was pulled in with the mission as extra support. “This is the first time they were able to use their own assets to accomplish a mission, and they did it safely. I think they did a great job working through the problems that came up, stayed calmed and corrected all mistakes they did make. Only good things can come from it.”

The troops returned with not only a sense of accomplishment, but with the experience that they need to become the stronger army they are working their way to become.