'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 recounts the intense, exhausting, and emotionally charged experience of the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation, culminating in her piloting the final U.S. military flight out of Kabul.
The operation faced extreme challenges, requiring crews to make on-the-fly adaptations such as floor-loading passengers and utilizing VFR tactical departures to manage high volume, terrain, and constant security threats with minimal specific evacuation training.
Despite the immense pressure, C-17 crews demonstrated exceptional professionalism, skill, and a willingness to adapt, making crucial real-time judgment calls to safely evacuate approximately 124,000 people.
The experience had a profound and lasting impact on Wedan, reinforcing the vital, often overlooked, role and dedication of the airlift community and all airmen involved in the mission.

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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.