Old Glory flying high - Final Frame - American flag on food drops over Afghanistan - Brief Article

Airman, Dec, 2001

The symbol of America's resolve in the war on terrorism is flying high. The Stars and Stripes was aboard the first Air Force C-17 Globemaster Ills that dropped food over eastern Afghanistan. The crew folded the flag when the cargo plane refurned to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, after the mission. The aircraft, based out of Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., dropped more than 35,000 humanitarian rations to Afghan refugees.

The sortie was the first combat airdrop for the C-17. The crew used the new tri-wall delivery system to drop the food from high altitude, also a first.