Posted on Jun 7, 2023
For those of you who served in OEF, did you fly your last leg to your provincial reconstruction team in a Sherpa or similar aircraft?
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My Civil Affairs Battalion (426th CA BN, Upland, California) was flown in by commercial jet to Kyrgyzstan. We were then flown by a C-17 into Afghanistan. From there, our teams were reassigned to different bases throughout Afghanistan. After a couple of days, we were flown to the Provincial Reconstruction Team FARAH province Afghanistan in an aircraft similar or like to this one. I cannot recall exactly.
Did any of you fly to your final destination in this Army Sherpa aircraft? The aircraft was civilian contracted and the pilot was definitely over 60 years old. It reminded me of the CIA 1960s and '70s Air America. The cockpit did not have a cockpit door.
Two soldiers who served with me could not recall what aircraft we flew in, but this aircraft looks like the type. You had one seat at each window and a cargo area that you would load from the back. I don't remember if it had this tail section so I'm asking Rally Point members who served in Afghanistan if they recall contractors flying them to their respective forward operating bases on aircraft like these?
It was propeller-driven like this and very noisy. I doubt the aircraft was pressurized.
I did fly an ISAF flight (weekly Taxi) C-130 transport that would fly to Farah to Khandahar, Bagram, Kabul, Herat and back to Farah. I also saw Turbo Prop DC-3s at Farah. I just wanted those reading this to know I know my aircraft but for some reason, I did not take pictures of this aircraft before boarding or after landing in Farah, Afghanistan.
I have a video of a Canadian ISAF flight that took us to Khandahar for a Civil Affairs project we were working to get approved. I will post it in the comments.
Did any of you fly to your final destination in this Army Sherpa aircraft? The aircraft was civilian contracted and the pilot was definitely over 60 years old. It reminded me of the CIA 1960s and '70s Air America. The cockpit did not have a cockpit door.
Two soldiers who served with me could not recall what aircraft we flew in, but this aircraft looks like the type. You had one seat at each window and a cargo area that you would load from the back. I don't remember if it had this tail section so I'm asking Rally Point members who served in Afghanistan if they recall contractors flying them to their respective forward operating bases on aircraft like these?
It was propeller-driven like this and very noisy. I doubt the aircraft was pressurized.
I did fly an ISAF flight (weekly Taxi) C-130 transport that would fly to Farah to Khandahar, Bagram, Kabul, Herat and back to Farah. I also saw Turbo Prop DC-3s at Farah. I just wanted those reading this to know I know my aircraft but for some reason, I did not take pictures of this aircraft before boarding or after landing in Farah, Afghanistan.
I have a video of a Canadian ISAF flight that took us to Khandahar for a Civil Affairs project we were working to get approved. I will post it in the comments.
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
I was in prior to OEF but several of the vets I've spoken with mentioned the aircraft and the Army Sherpa was one of those
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LTC Stephen Conway
It was very austere and noisy. I wish I would have taken a picture of the aircraft but I think that's the one I flew in. Our civil Affairs teams were less than 10 people so it's possible we all flew in just one of those to get to our final destination.
https://nps.edu/web/ccs/farah
LTC Trent Klug Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin MAJ Ron Peery 1SG Russell Scott
https://nps.edu/web/ccs/farah
LTC Trent Klug Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin MAJ Ron Peery 1SG Russell Scott
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LTC Trent Klug
LTC Stephen Conway They can goplaces other air frames can't. It's a good little workhorse.
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I flew several flights in the Sherpa in Iraq and I believe Afghanistan as well. We had to stay pretty low because it wasn’t pressurized, I want to say less than 12k feet. I traveled to a lot of locations in those AORs. It was a small plane that only fit I think around 20 or so troops max. Interesting flights for sure!
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Good evening LTC Stephen Conway. Excellent post. Thank You for sharing this. I recall when 2-2 INF deployed in 2010 We took a commercial flight to Kyrgyzstan. Then We took a C-17 into B.A.F. From B.A.F. We took a Chinook into the Ghazni Province at F.O.B. Four Corners. From F.O.B. Four Corners We took a convoy to C.O.P. Miri.
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