`Eagle Fury' heavy drop a first in Afghanistan
by 1st Lt. Cory Angell
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Feb. 19, 2003) -- Parachute riggers have dropped a total of 38,088 gallons of fuel to the Forward Area Refueling Point in support of Operation Eagle Fury in the Bahgran Valley, Afghanistan.
"The significance to the drop is that until this point there has not been a heavy drop in Afghanistan or in support of Operation Enduring Freedom," said Warrant Officer Peter Lautzenheiser, the air drop systems technician and platoon leader of the riggers in Company E, 782nd Main Support Battalion, attached to HQ Company A, 307th Logistical Task Force.
"To the best of my knowledge, the last time any fuel was air dropped, certainly by the 82nd Airborne, if not by the entire Army, was in Vietnam."
The 82nd routinely practices heavy drop mission, but this is the first combat drop in years, said Lautzenheiser.
Among the challenges the soldiers faced were the weather and loading the massive bundle for the drop.
"Back at Bragg, they have the heavy drop rigging facility, where they have all the equipment needed to rig," said Lautzenheiser.
Lautzenheiser explained how the soldiers were affected by the rain without the benefit of a large facility.
Parachutes cannot be allowed to get wet so the soldiers were forced to pack when the rain would subside.
This caused their work to start and stop. They also had to arrange for special transportation of the bundles to the aircraft.
The Air Force was not able to drive right up to the rigging area, causing them to switch the load over from one piece of equipment to another, even over a short distance, Lautzenheiser explained.
"The 82nd knows how to fight by jumping in and airdropping any equipment they need to sustain their mission," said Lautzenheiser.
"We're hoping to get more combat missions like this. It's what we came here to do."
(Editor's note: 1st Lt. Cory Angell is with the 109th Public Affairs Detachment.)
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