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CNN Live Today

Look at U.S. Soldiers in Operation Anaconda

Aired March 13, 2002 - 14:56   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Want to get back to Afghanistan now, where the battleground known as Shah-e-Kot is quiet today. Afghan fighters have helped overrun that area. Hundreds are said to be dead on the al Qaeda side. And Martin Savidge now, with the men who flew into Operation Anaconda.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 8:30 a.m., bound from Bagram. Here on board a Marine CH53 super stallion, one of the largest helicopters in the air. And in case you're wondering, we're headed for the front.

The role of this war bird though isn't to fight, but something far more vital in the ongoing battle against terrorism. We wind our way deep into the mountains and touch down, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Moments later the crew is running hoses and making connections. Within minutes, we're in business and the customers start flocking in.

You just landed at Operation Anaconda's FARP, forward air refueling point.

(on camera): Because of the distance to the battlefield, the cobra helicopters can't make it all the way and then have a lot of time on scene. So to take care of that problem, they have to refuel. Welcome to the gas station.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just picked the safest place we could find that's close to the objective.

SAVIDGE (voice-over): From here, the battlefield is three minutes away, just over those mountains. The FARP may not sell cigarettes or slushies, but then your corner gas station doesn't offer tow or hellfire missiles, plus .20 mm machine gun rounds.

Reloading the cobras is Lance Corporal Gerald Goldsmith's job.

SAVIDGE (on camera): You clean the windshield?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, we let the pilots do that.

SAVIDGE (voice-over): And should your chopper take too much flack, Lance Corporal Stewart Simpson is the mechanic on duty. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My role is a hydraulics mechanic on (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and cobras.

SAVIDGE: Security is tight. They're not worried about hold-ups, but hold-outs, of the Taliban and al Qaeda kind, who would love to put them out of business. And business is brisk. Like they always say, location, location, location.

But what happens when the gas station runs out of gas? No problem. They just take off and meet up with another high-flying refueler. In this case, a KC-130. It may not be self serve and you won't get green stamps. But at the FARP, it's service with a smile, and a little something more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Feels good. Glad we're out here doing this.

SAVIDGE: So the next time you're flying over Afghanistan, running on E and out of ammo, drop on by. For these Marines, the war on terror is a real gas. Martin Savidge, CNN, eastern Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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