'Thunderstorm of the Worst Case'

An Air Force C-17 Pilot Recalls Leading the Last Formation of the Afghanistan evacuation.

Kimberly Johnson

Monday, January 24, 2022 at 10:13 AM ET

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U.S. Air Force C-17 pilot Major Kirby Wedan [Courtesy: US Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Major Kirby Wedan piloted the final U.S. military flight out of Afghanistan, concluding an intense and exhausting Noncombatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) for all personnel involved.
The evacuation presented unprecedented operational challenges, requiring crews to rapidly adapt to chaotic conditions like airfield overruns, implement "floor-loading" for evacuees, and execute complex tactical flights from Kabul's high-elevation airport.
The experience left a profound and lasting emotional impact on Wedan and her fellow airmen, highlighting the extreme stress of the mission while reaffirming the critical importance and dedication of the cargo air community.

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Editor’s Note: On August 30, 2021, the last round of U.S. military airplanes filled with troops and civilians departed Kabul, marking the end of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. During the Noncombatant Evacuation Operation (NEO), military flights evacuated an estimated 124,000 people from Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force C-17 pilot Major Kirby Wedan led the last formation of aircraft out of Afghanistan. Here is her story of that day, lightly edited and as told to FLYING.

I guess, like any exercise I’ve trained for, it all started kind of the day prior. We had a brief for all the crews, we had a bigger picture operation brief, and then the C-17-specific brief for the crews executing, and then everyone was sent to crew rest, just like every other exercise that we’ve trained for.