USAF now has deployed its second rotation leadership for six of the 24 Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan, and airmen returning from the first rotation have tales to tell. Air Combat Command’s Capt. Rockie Wilson, RED HORSE program manager at Langley AFB, Va., who was the Qalat PRT civil affairs/engineer team leader, supervising about 40 airmen and 50 soldiers, told reporters at the Pentagon May 3 that his team covered 30 projects in 10 districts. These included such major construction projects as the 70-mile Qalat to Mizan and Mizan to De Afghan Roads, district irrigation in Shinkay, and the Tarnak River Bridge in Shahjoy. As we reported Friday, Wilson said that when he arrived in the province it had only one main paved road. During construction of the Qalat to Mizan road, he acknowledged that his team encountered improvised explosive devices, but he said his unit included explosive ordnance disposal specialists for just such problems.
Airmen scheduled to retire or separate early next year may have to wait a little longer for their official orders to do so, as the Air Force is running low on cash to cover moving expenses.