![]() ![]() The 618th AOC has been the lead for centralized control of AMC airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation operations worldwide since its activation April 1, 1992. As Eighteenth Air Force's hub for global operations, the 618th AOC plans, schedules and directs a fleet of nearly 1,300 mobility aircraft in support of strategic airlift, air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation operations around the world. The tanks and associated equipment are taken by ship for the majority of the trip around the world, and airlifted the last portion of their journey into land-locked Afghanistan by Air Force C-17s.Īll of the airlift missions for the deployment are planned, tasked and command-and-controlled by the 618th Air and Space Operations Center's Theater Direct Delivery division at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. ![]() The M1A1 variant includes a 120 mm main gun, carries a crew of four, and weighs approximately 68 tons, according to an Army fact sheet.ĭeploying the tanks is accomplished by a combination of sealift and airlift assets. Army and Marine Corps personnel for ground operations. The term Abrams applies to a family of armored tanks used by U.S. ![]() "Whether we use tanks, or infantry on the ground," Colonel Lapan continued, "these are all tactics we use to defeat the enemy." we will continue to do combat operations to defeat the enemy." "Until the Afghan security forces are ready to take over lead for security. Dave Lapan, a Department of Defense spokesperson. "We're conducting full-spectrum combat operations today, we'll be doing it tomorrow, we'll be doing it next month," said Marine Col. Officials emphasized that the movement of the M1A1s to Afghanistan does not represent an escalation of the conflict there. The RC-Southwest region lends itself to armored operations with wide open areas and none of the mountainous terrain that characterizes Regional Command-East and the northern portions of Regional Command-South. Mills, commander of Afghanistan's Regional Command-Southwest, according to a Department of Defense release. The tanks were requested by Marine Corps Maj. 25), marking the first time U.S.-owned tanks have deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. An Air Mobility Command C-17 Globemaster III and its crew delivered the first of 17 M1A1 Abrams tanks to military forces in Afghanistan on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 618th Air and Space Operations Center Public Affairs. ![]()
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