Kandahar / Qandahar Airfield
Firebase Gecko
31°30'21"N 65°50'52"E
The Kandahar Airfield has a runway length of 3,200 meters/10,500 feet. Kandahar has Class C airspace 30 NM radius from the ARP, from the surface up to and including FL290 except the designated Kandahar Tower airspace. Coincident with the stand up of the Low Airway Structure, Class C airspace will change to 50NM radius from the TACAN from the surface up to and including FL290 except the designated Kandahar Tower airspace.
Located 15 miles from the city of Kandahar, this air field is one of the most remote, landlocked and desolate places the Army has ever tried to build a combat base. But it makes for a perfect hub for the coalition to go on missions into the mountains to battle the Taliban or perform reconstruction projects that range from digging a well for a village to setting the stage for national elections and ratifying a constitution.
As of late January 2002, there were somewhat over 4,000 US troops in Afghanistan, of which about 3,000 were at Kandahar airport, and about 500 were stationed at the air base in Bagram. As of early February 2002, a total of 3,600 soldiers were deployed at Kandahar. Of these, more than 1,600 were from the 101st division’s 3rd Brigade, 2nd Battalion [another 700 soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Battalion were based in Pakistan]. The rest were a combination of other US forces, Canadian troops and smaller contingents from other countries.
According to an October 29, 2003 AFPS story, Kandahar Air Field was in the process of undergoing improvements. The facility's Morale, Welfare and Recreation tent had moved to a larger, more convenient location past the hangar on Warrior Way. The gym had been moved from behind the post exchange to the same area as the MWR tent. A new PX Mini Mall was also being constructed, complete with a new alterations and embroidery shop. The base's gift shop was being also improved while a jewelry shop, sporting goods store, coffee shop and Hot Dog Shop were being opened. Further improvements were planned, including modular housing made of aluminum, complete with central air conditioning and heat, showers, toilets and refrigerators, and to feature four-man rooms.
The bombed out Kandahar International Airport in Afghanistan served as the home base for the more than 4,000 multinational troops who serve in the region.
During Operation Enduring Freedom IV, Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan hosted three transportation elements. The first element, the transportation cell from the 10th FSB Tactical Operations Center, consisted of a transportation lieutenant; two noncommissioned officers (NCOs) with military occupational specialty (MOS) 88N, transportation management coordinator; and two enlisted soldiers with MOS 88M, truck driver. The 88Ns were organic to the 10th FSB, and the 88Ms were attachments from D Company, 710th Main Support Battalion (MSB). Together, they coordinated inbound and outbound surface movements.
The second element, the central receiving point (CRP), was part of the FSB. The CRP had six stake-and-platform (S&P) trucks and three family of medium tactical vehicles (FMTV) trucks that were operated by 18 88M truck drivers who were attached from D Company, 710th MSB. A first lieutenant and a staff sergeant led the CRP detachment. This slice element was necessary because the FSB did not have an organic truck platoon. The CRP’s primary mission was to receive Air Force 463L and DHL pallets of materiel and deliver them to destinations at Kandahar Airfield such as the ammunition supply point, the class I (subsistence) facility, or the multiclass warehouse. (DHL is a commercial shipper that delivers high-priority items, mail, and fresh fruits and vegetables to Afghanistan.)
The third element was the movement control team (MCT). It consisted of a container management team, a rough-terrain container handler (RTCH) team, a team of load planners, and an air movement team, all of which were subordinate to the 330th Transportation Battalion based at Bagram Airfield. The MCT’s mission included joint movement center (JMC) request prioritization and container management. A JMC request is the document used by the joint movement center to prioritize, track, and ensure proper planning of cargo requirements. Since the MCT worked closely with the Air Force, it was collocated with the arrival and departure airfield control group.
All three of these transportation elements worked closely at Kandahar Airfield. Because of force protection concerns, Army transporters had few, if any, missions with their own assets outside the Kandahar Airfield perimeter. Afghanistan is still too dangerous a place for supplies to be moved by military ground vehicles. The Army did not use its own vehicles to deliver supplies because adequate military police support was unavailable and inadequate force protection would put soldiers in unnecessary danger and the delivery of supplies at risk. Therefore, local drivers delivered supplies to the forward operating bases (FOBs).
When the 10th FSB arrived at Kandahar Airfield, installation contractors were already providing life support services. Halliburton Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) contractors performed housekeeping missions ranging from laundry to base camp maintenance. Their mission gradually expanded to include preparing meals in the dining facility and operating the class I supply point. The purpose of this change was to free CSS soldiers for other, more pressing missions. The immediate impact was the return of soldiers attached to the 10th FSB to their original units. When the 10th FSB departed, KBR contractors operated the class III supply point, the multiclass warehouse, and other post facilities. However, the Army still was responsible for mission accomplishment because military personnel held accountable officer positions, and only soldiers performed missions outside the Kandahar Airfield perimeter, such as vehicle recovery.
Kandahar Airfield was originally a civilian air field. It has a beautiful terminal. The terminal was being refurbished in early 2005 from the days of the war, new glass in the windows, new interior, and the intent was that in a relatively short time, when those things are done, part of the airport will be open to civilian operations again. In addition to the terminal, which is an Afghan project, the Coalition did a complete renovation and rebuilding of the runway, so it will be used for civilian operations as well for many years to come.
The Coalition used Kandahar for civilian operations since 2003, and it was a primary location to support the flights for the Hajj. The Coalition sent out many Afghan citizens to Mecca from Kandahar and brought them back in. The Coalition supported that with security in cooperation with the Afghan National Army and tents to wait because the terminal is not done. But hopefully, by 2006 the terminal will be done and the Hajj flights will depart from the terminal.
US forces expected to move their operations from the northeastern half of Kandahar Airfield so the Afghan Government can develop commercial air service. As a result, the 10th FSB had to move its class III fuel point. This move required close coordination with the facility engineers; the airfield support task force; the Air Expeditionary Group Commander, who represented the Air Force; and installation contractors. After reviewing cost, safety, and time factors, the FSB determined that the best course of action would be to establish a bag farm and have fuel trucks, manned by installation contractors, transport the fuel to the aircraft, rather than to install a complex piping system. Vehicle refueling remained the same since the retail point was at the bag farm. The reconfiguration of Kandahar Air Field compelled a number of other movements that had secondary or tertiary effects on logistics support.
There was no specific timetable because of two things: one, the refurbishment of the terminal itself, and two, the refurbishment of the runway so it can support civilian operations. The Coalition had been in discussions with Ariana about when will it be ready to come in. They want part of the runway to be complete before they will start flying in their civilian aircraft. Pretty much when Ariana is ready to start flying in there, the airfield will be open to civilian operations, assuming the terminal is ready to support that.
The Coalition expects there will be some type of Coalition or ISAF force for some time to come. It is a very strategic base for operations in the south. It’s an important base also for the United Nations, the Red Cross Red Crescent, and many non-governmental organizations that support humanitarian assistance in the southern part of the country. So it is a complicated, very busy airport.
The intent is to separate the terminal and part of the airport to be solely for civilian operations. And as time goes on and security in the south gets better, and the humanitarian assistance is not required as much, the Coalition expects the footprint and facilities to continue to shrink, and more of the air field will be turned over to the government of Afghanistan for civilian operations.
| Videos of airstrikes on a SA-3 SAM site and a SA-13 SAM site, used during DoD news briefing of October 16, 2001 |
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| Click on the small image to view the video | ||
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| The footage above was released by the DoD on October 16, 2001. They show an SA-3 SAM site and an SA-13 SAM site. The two sites provided air defense coverage of Kandahar airfield. They were struck on October 15, 2001. | ||
| Pre- and post-strikes aerials of Shinshand Airbase used during DoD news briefing of October 12, 2001 |
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| Click on the small image to view a larger version | ||
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| The images above were released by the DoD on October 12, 2001. They show fighter aircraft visible in the bermed area of the airfield. The craters in the runway were made on day one of the air campaign. The aircraft were struck on day two and three of the air campaign. | ||
