After providing exceptional service in Afghanistan over the past eight months, soldiers from Australia’s current Rotary Wing Group rotation have returned home for a well earned break and mandatory maintenance on their aircraft.
The task group and their two CH-47 Chinooks will return to Afghanistan early in the new year to recommence flight operations in support of International Stabilisation Assistance Force (ISAF) efforts – a deployment they have undertaken since rotations began in 2006.
Living up to their reputation as workhorses, the two Chinooks chalked up an impressive 860 sorties, transported more than 4,700 troops and moved in excess of 691,000 kilograms of supplies and equipment during 737 hours of flying assisting the efforts of the ISAF during the rotation.
Task Group Commander Lieutenant Colonel David Lynch said the effort of the team was highly commendable.
“On just about all the missions we flew this year supporting our coalition partners, our crews were fulfilling the role of Air Mission Commander, taking the lead and providing direction to the other Coalition aircraft involved in the missions,” he said.
A major contribution to the Rotary Wing Group’s sustained high performance was the role played by the maintenance crews who were responsible for keeping the Chooks in the air.