Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made a surprise trip to Afghanistan Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Here’s some behind-the-scenes details on the plane ride.<\/p>\n
A big logistical detail when it comes to doing these long trips is refueling, and figuring out where and when to do it.<\/p>\n
It happened several times during the course of the trip during the 14-hour flight. My understanding is Secretary Gates likes using this particular military aircraft because it offers the midflight refueling option, and he doesn’t have to stop in Ireland or some other location to fuel up.<\/p>\n
I was struck by seeing the refueling tanker so close to our plane. It felt like it was right on top of the aircraft. But the skill of the flight crews of both planes were sensational and it felt like it was totally under control, and not risking an accident.<\/p>\n
Secretary Gates also came back to speak to reporters on the plane\u00a0about his trip. He told us, “And one of the things I\u2019m interested in talking to President Karzai about is his thinking and his strategy and how to pursue those. The centerpiece of General McChrystal\u2019s strategy is putting the Afghans in the forefront. It\u2019s their country, it\u2019s their fight. We\u2019re there to help. And how the politics play out in the end, have to be an Afghan-led endeavor as far as I\u2019m concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is Gates’ first trip to the region since President Obama announced a surge in U.S. troops to the country. On this trip the defense secretary will be meeting with troops,\u00a0General Stanley McChrystal, who is the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.<\/p>\n