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Special team of Soldiers drop supplies from the skies

Written by U.S. Army Sgt. Brent C. Powell 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division

Fort Campbell KY, 101st Airborne Division PatchPaktika Province, Afghanistan – With the constant threat of improvised explosive devices and insurgent attacks, as well as few usable roads and treacherous mountain passes, getting necessary supplies to troops at some of Afghanistan’s most remote posts and bases can prove both challenging and deadly.

In order to combat those threats and still accomplish the mission, a special team of Soldiers and civilians are working together at Forward Operating Base Sharana in a unique partnership.

The team uses a highly-effective and battle-proven method of resupply called low-cost, low-altitude air drops.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Carlos Gomez (right), noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Low-Cost Low-Altitude team, 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade., 101st Airborne Division, and U.S. Army Pfc. Adam J. Garza, LCLA team member and native of Corpus Christi, Texas, attached to Co. A, 626th BSB, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Div. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Brent C. Powell, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division)
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Carlos Gomez (right), native of Houston and noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Low-Cost Low-Altitude team, 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade., 101st Airborne Division, and U.S. Army Pfc. Adam J. Garza, LCLA team member and native of Corpus Christi, Texas, attached to Co. A, 626th BSB, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Div., attach parachutes to a pallet of food that will be dropped from an airplane to troops in a remote forward operating base. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Brent C. Powell, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division)

The technique involves attaching a variety of supplies to specially-designed parachutes, then dropping them out the back of civilian owned and operated airplanes to the troops below.

“Our mission is to provide support to all ground troops for the 3rd Brigade, as well as special forces and Afghan National Army Soldiers,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Carlos Gomez, native of Houston, and noncommissioned officer-in-charge, LCLA team, 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade., 101st Airborne Division. “The purpose is to supply the troops as quickly as possible in the least expensive and safest way.”

The process starts in a large hangar on FOB Sharana. Using a variety of ropes, straps, shrink-wrap and cardboard, Gomez and the other three Soldiers of his team securely fasten supply items to small wooden pallets.

Bottled water, food, ammunition, construction materials, weapons and weapon parts are some of the commonly dropped items.

Once the materials are properly packaged, the team attaches small black disposable nylon parachutes to the top of each pallet. The parachutes cost about $150.00 each and the number attached depends on the weight of the pallet.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Carlos Gomez, pulls a strap tight around a pallet full of meals that will be air-dropped to troops in remote forward operating bases. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Brent C. Powell, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division)
Staff Sgt. Carlos Gomez

“Each parachute can support about 350 pounds,” said Gomez. “Some of the pallets we use weight well over 400 pounds, so we’ll use two parachutes for those.”

After the team has prepared all the pallets for a mission, they use a forklift to load them onto a flatbed truck. Then they are transported to the flight line and loaded into the back of a Casa 212 airplane, piloted and crewed by civilians.

Each drop usually involves multiple aircraft, which normally carry between three and four pallets each, depending on weight and load dimensions.   

The method the team uses to drop the supplies is one that can give passengers quite a ride.

“The planes will usually drop down to about 150- to 200-feet, level out and then when they are over the drop zone, climb sharply,” said Gomez. “The steep angle and gravitational force assist in pulling the pallets out of the aircraft.”

Much like a static line that paratroopers use when jumping out of aircraft, the parachutes on top of the pallets are attached by a line to the inside of the airplane. When the pallets are forced out, the pressure on the lines causes the parachutes to open.

Although the process may sound relatively easy, the work that goes into it certainly is not. During the month of July alone, the team dropped more than 330 pallets; delivering supplies to about 32 forward operating bases.

“We have been doing these missions every other day and sometimes we do as many as 40 loads a day” said Gomez. “It’s physically demanding and it will definitely keep you busy. But it is well worth it.”

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Carlos Gomez, wraps tape around parachute cords to keep them from getting tangled. The parachutes are attached to a pallet of supplies that will be dropped from an aircraft to ground troops at a remote forward operating base. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Brent C. Powell, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division)
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Carlos Gomez, wraps tape around parachute cords to keep them from getting tangled. The parachutes are attached to a pallet of supplies that will be dropped from an aircraft to ground troops at a remote forward operating base. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Brent C. Powell, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division)

Even though the Soldiers put in a lot of hours, they seem to enjoy the challenging work. 

“It’s really great,” said U.S. Army Pfc. Adam J. Garza, LCLA team member and native of Corpus Christi, Texas, attached to Co. A, 626th BSB, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Div. “It keeps you busy, especially since there are only four of us. But time goes by fast, and it’s a good workout. The part I enjoy the most though is going out on the missions and being on the airplane. That part is very relaxing.”

Other members of the team seem to share Garza’s enthusiasm.

“I absolutely love my job,” said Gomez. “Seeing how happy the Soldiers on the ground are after the resupply makes me feel really good. It’s very rewarding.”

Although there is a lot of work, Gomez says the drops have a lot of advantages over traditional convoy resupply missions. 

“LCLAs are quicker and much less dangerous than convoys,” he said. “Plain and simple LCLAs save lives, time and money, and we are going to continue to do these as long as needed.”

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