New helicopter squadron at KAF

430 "Silver Falcon" Tactical Helicopter Squadron replaces 408 "Goose" Squadron:

Helicopter force 'absolutely saved lives' in Afghanistan

More than 2,400 hours in the air. Some 6,000 passengers ferried. Hundreds of thousands of kilograms of cargo moved.

Such are the numerical achievements of the Canadian Helicopter Force that recently completed its first five-month tour in Afghanistan [more here].

But in the mind of a recently returned deputy commander, the real success of the aircraft lies in a number that can't be counted -- Canadian soldiers spared by taking them off the deadly roads of Kandahar Province.

"It absolutely saved lives," said Maj. Rodger Lerminiaux of the Edmonton-based 408 ("Goose") Tactical Helicopter Squadron.

"If that equipment and those people hadn't been moved by us, they would have had to go by road. Everybody is aware of the (improvised explosive device) threat over there, so taking those people off the roads is a huge benefit to the battle group and the mission itself."

Lerminiaux, who served as both a pilot and deputy commanding officer for the historic deployment, spoke Tuesday at the Edmonton Garrison about his experience.

As the inaugural Canadian group to operate helicopters in Afghanistan -- known as a "roto zero" assignment -- Lerminiaux and his team spent a lot of hours at the start of their tour preparing the choppers for the desert, training crew members and setting up a digital operations centre.

But once the six Chinooks and eight Griffons were operational, they made an immediate difference, Lerminiaux said.

Besides helping troops avoid roadside bombs, landmines and Taliban ambushes on the ground, the helicopters allowed battlefield commanders to more frequently reach forward operating bases, he said. Moreover, the air support seemed to provide a psychological boost to the mission.

"Instead of an eight-hour convoy, you are talking about a 30- to 45-minute ferry flight from one location to the other," he said. "And the presence of the helicopters overtop of our troops, I believe that gives them a certain level of confidence and also acts as a deterrent in many instances to the opposition."

The arrival of the aircraft has been widely anticipated for years by Canadian troops, who often relied on choppers from other NATO countries such as the United States and Britain.

Improving Canadian air power in the region was also a key recommendation of last year's report to Parliament by former MP John Manley.

In response, Canada bought the six CH-147 Chinook helicopters from the United States. They can carry up to 12,270 kilograms of cargo or 33 troops and their equipment.

The eight Griffons are smaller, escort aircraft that can also be used for reconnaissance and surveillance [and taking it to the enemy].

The Canadian air wing's first official mission occurred on Jan. 6 when two Griffons transported a group of soldiers to a forward operating base.

Then in early March, a Chinook made history by becoming the first Canadian helicopter to take part in an air-assault mission. The aircraft joined British forces on an assignment to disrupt Taliban compounds.

Capt. Melissa Snook, a maintenance and engineering officer, said a constant problem is the desert dust that can erode the rotors.

"Sand gets everywhere, it gets in the components and makes extra maintenance for us," she said.

The 408 squadron handed over command on April 22 to the 430 "Silver Falcon" Tactical Helicopter Squadron based in Valcartier, Que.

That group is expected to see a massive influx of American air power into Kandahar Airfield, yet those added planes, helicopters and unmanned aerial drones shouldn't change the Canadians' assignment.

Photo:

An armed Canadian CH-146 Griffon helicopter refuels at Kandahar Airfield, as a Canadian CH-47D Chinook (left) and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter hover in the background Friday Feb. 20, 2009, in Kandahar. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Murray Brewster)