Page 48 - DFCS NEWS MAGAZINE 2020-1

Col. Gregory A. Roberts, USAF (Ret.)
Flying a Russian MI-17 Helicopter, Rescues 1,092 Afghan Civilians in 48 Hours By Lew Jennings
USAF Gen. Edward A. Rice, Jr. mentioned in his remarks “you will recognize and I think appreciate that this mission that took place over two days, also has a place in Air Force history.” He presented then Lt. Col. Gregory A. Roberts the Distinguished Flying Cross for Valor on November 9, 2011, for leading a mission where Roberts and his crew were credited with 1,092 people being rescued and his two-helicopter flight would rescue a total of 2,089 during historic flooding in Afghanistan
It would turn out to be the largest single-event rescue mission by two helicopters ever accomplished by the US Air Force.
On July 27, 2010 a large monsoonal weather system moved over Afghanistan bringing embedded thunderstorms and dropping huge amounts of rain in the northeastern provinces. Within 24 hours, over eight inches of rainfall had been recorded at Jalalabad airfield in Nangarhar Province. The Kabul and Laghman rivers rapidly rose to above flood stage, trapping many civilian villagers throughout the area and the surrounding mountains.
The calls for rescue came into the Afghan Ministry of Defense in Kabul and were passed on to the Afghan Air Force’s Kabul Air Wing Commander, Brig. Gen. Mohammed
Barat. General Barat, who had been flying Russian made MI-17 helicopters with U.S. Air Force advisors, called on the advisory squadron commander, Lt. Col. Greg “Boomer” Roberts for assistance with the rescue mission.
The squadron had just received two upgraded “V5” MI-17 transport helicopters featuring automated rear cabin ramps, internal rescue hoists, Garmin 430 GPS and instrument displays and a host of systems and safety improvements. These two V5’s were selected for the mission with Roberts designated mission leader and aircraft commander of “705” with General Barat as his copilot. Roberts selected his executive officer, Lt. Col. Bernard “Jeep” Willi as aircraft commander of “702” with Major Mohammed Assan
as his copilot.
As no Afghan crews had completed training on the V5’s, U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Kevin R. Fife volunteered to be a hoist operator and was assigned to Willi’s number 705 as the designated hoist helicopter if required. Squadron Flight Surgeon USAF Lt. Col. Jimmy Barrow also volunteered for the mission and was assigned to 705.
After a mission briefing with all the crew members, explanation of the major differences between the V5’s and older MI-17s, reviewing weather, crew member responsibilities and combat search and rescue c(CSAR) checklists, the flight of two launched on what would become the largest two-ship helicopter rescue mission in U.S. Air Force history.
USAF Gen. Edward A. Rice, Jr., Commander of Air Education and Training Command (L), congratulates Lt. Col. Gregory A. Roberts after presenting him the Distinguished Flying Cross for Valor on November 9, 2011 for leading a rescue mission flying a MI-17 Transport Helicopter credited with saving 1,092 lives in 48 hours during devastating flooding in Afghanistan in 2010.
48 / DFCS News Magazine / SUMMER 2020