The last group of Tennessee National Guard airmen who were serving in Afghanistan returned yesterday. Since April, nearly 200 airmen rotated through the country to help distribute supplies for Army, Navy, and even NATO troops.
Jason Kirk, a 37-year old physical therapist from Nashville, was among the 30 men and women who returned yesterday. During his 60 day deployment, Kirk says he saw firsthand the dangers American troops face everyday.
“From January to the end of June we dropped over a half a million tons. Beans, bullets and water basically, and everything in between but that’s what they really need out there. There were a few times we’d airdrop emergency supplies while they were in firefights. Compared to what other people go through over there, we had it pretty easy. I’m not going to complain about being over there for two months.”
The airmen who returned yesterday are from Tennessee’s 118th Airlift Wing based at Berry Field in Nashville.
The 118th is still waiting to find out if it will be getting a new mission. The base’s eight C-130 planes are slated to be transferred to Kentucky and Illinois in about six years as part of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission report.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM