1/18/2024 0 Comments Marine ais![]() ![]() Although the Air Force spearheaded the effort, more than 2,000 Marines were also involved on the ground, Marine Corps Times previously reported.Ī Texas native, Haunschild enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2004. troops in Kabul led an evacuation of more than 124,000 at-risk Afghans and U.S. “They did a phenomenal job for what they had to work with,” he said. But Haunschild stressed his appreciation for the work the individual Marines and other U.S. The evacuation of Kabul remains controversial as a matter of strategy and policy. Kevin Haunschild is now the senior air traffic controller at Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron on Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C. In interviews with Marine Corps Times, Haunschild was humble about his own accomplishments and extremely proud of his Marines’ work. Zackary Dahl, the officer in charge of the element, previously told Marine Corps Times. “That’s a long time to control aircraft, especially with the amount of aircraft that was coming in and out of the airport,” Capt. 17, 2021, the Marine air traffic controllers worked, with just a tailgate-style tent to protect them from the sun, in 12-hour shifts. Once 10 more troops from Marine Air Control Group-28 flew in on Aug. Those first two nights, they came under gunfire multiple times, Haunschild recalled. ![]() Over the coming days, Haunschild and the other Marines from his detachment monitored the skies nonstop, except for occasional short naps. Haunschild received the medal for his actions as Marine air traffic control mobile team leader with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 in Afghanistan. Robert Barbaree III, left, commanding officer of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station New River, pins a Bronze Star onto Master Sgt. Because it was from an unknown source in a crowd filled with civilians, Haunschild said, they couldn’t return fire. On the drive back, their truck was sprayed with small-arms fire. Haunschild and a soldier wove their way through the crowd, bringing body armor to the civilian and taking him back to their truck. Later that day, Haunschild had to rescue an Afghan air traffic controller who was stranded with important radio equipment in a crowd of people that included both Afghans desperate to flee and some members of the Taliban. They attached straps to the plane and towed it off the runway. That day, an Afghan plane with a blown tire had to abort its takeoff, obstructing the runway, according to a news release announcing his Bronze Star.Īlong with three other service members, Haunshchild jumped into a pickup truck while Afghans were running out of the aircraft. ![]() Two days later, the Taliban took over the city, plunging the airport into chaos. In January, Haunschild received a Bronze Star for his efforts coordinating air traffic - and for his quick thinking and leadership in rescuing a civilian contractor.Īt first, only four Marines from the air control detachment arrived in Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. And they succeeded, handling about 110 flights per day with no aircraft mishaps. ![]()
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