KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — On an evening in late July, the 1484th Transportation Company, from North Canton, Ohio, touched down on KAF in a C-17 Globemaster III. The Soldiers from the Ohio Army National Guard unit walked off the plane ready to tackle their first mission.
In new surroundings with new people and a new climate, there were more than a few challenges facing a new unit arriving at KAF. The moon dust here in Kandahar billows up with every footstep and seems to hang in the air as if gravity does not apply to it. Everything on base is monotonous beige due to the dust blowing freely and covering everything that gets in its way. The smells of KAF, although unpleasant, are welcome, in a bittersweet kind of way, when returning safely from a successful mission.
Training with experienced units already months into their deployments allowed the Soldiers of the 1484th to learn the right procedures and have knowledgeable trainers answer their questions. The 1484th can attribute much of its success to its sister units for training the 1484th Soldiers to standard in the beginning.
The 1484th's maintenance section — crucial to supporting and maintaining the fight — improved the unit's operational readiness of vehicles and equipment to nearly 100 percent within just a few weeks of being on ground. Having previously earned numerous awards in the maintenance area, the unit's leadership knows the benefits of prevention over repair.
Within two weeks of being at KAF, the 1484th was no longer training with its sister units, instead running its own missions, with 1484th Soldiers manning the vehicles. The 1484th will soon become the senior transportation company in Afghanistan, and the Soldiers will continue to support the war fighter as well as train incoming units in the months to come. |
