An Air Force crew from Dyess AFB, Tex., last week dropped some 80,000 leaflets over Afghanistan, targeting known Taliban-inhabited areas. The last such drop—30,000 leaflets—was part of Operation Achilles in March. The Dyess C-130 aircrew made the drop at the request of the Army. The leaflet has two messages, one on each side: one tells the reader that Afghan National Security Forces and International Security Assistance Forces are targeting the Helmand region to rid it of foreign Taliban; and the other explains that “the Taliban are commanded by foreigners who seek to destroy Afghanistan.”
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.