WE TAKE OFF IN 48 HOURS

It was 15 August 2021, and the fall of Afghanistan's capital Kabul to the Taliban sent shockwaves around the globe. When Vice President of the United States (US) Ms Kamala Harris visited Singapore a week later, Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong offered the US one of the RSAF's aircraft to assist with the evacuation of those stranded in Afghanistan.

LTC “W” was a Branch Head at Air Plans Department and had been CO 112 Squadron — home of the RSAF's newly operationalised A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) — before that. He received a text from the Campaign HQ informing him that he had been nominated National Contingent Commander for in-theatre operations. And he had only 48 hours to assemble the team and logistics for the mission. While LTC “W” knew that the mission was urgent, he had not expected the deployment to be so immediate. He had to coordinate the mission details with the Americans, run through the operational schedule and security plans, and assemble the task force immediately. Together with the current CO 112 Squadron LTC “C”, LTC “W” began to gather the people he needed to make the mission a success. As a former CO, he was confident that the subject matter experts could be counted on to formulate the plans.