911th Airlift Wing joins Afghanistan evacuation

Joe Napsha
Friday, Aug. 27, 2021 8:52 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 27, 2021 8:52 p.m.

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Courtesy of Air Force Reserve

C-17 Globemaster III aircraft assigned to the 911th Airlift Wing sit on the flightline at the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, last year. The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area.

The 911th Airlift Wing based at the Pittsburgh Air Force Reserve Station has joined in the evacuation of refugees in Afghanistan.

It’s an airlift operation that senior government officials are calling one of the largest in history.

The region’s Airlift Wing was one of at least eight Air Force Reserve units from across the United States that are involved in the evacuation of refugees from the Kabul airport, the Air Force Reserve Command said in a statement Friday.

The news release did not specify how many airmen and aircraft from the 911th in Moon Township are in Afghanistan, but said there were about 73 Reserve aircrews and hundreds of maintenance, security, medical and support personnel who have been deployed.

Among the 17 Reserve aircraft flown to assist in the evacuation are C-17 Globemaster IIIs. The 911th Airlift Wing had C-17 Globemaster IIIs on its base as recently as April 2020.

In many cases, Air Force Reserve airmen are blended into crews, mixing active duty soldiers with National Guard and Reserve, the Air Force said.

A Facebook post of the 911th Airlift Wing included photos of the operation.

A public affairs officers for the 911th Airlift Wing could not be reached for comment Friday night.