[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The General Who Commanded from Oasis to the Miracle Operation

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Operation name ‘Miracle’. It is the official name of the military transport operation to bring local collaborators and their families who have worked with or supported projects of our government and institutions in Afghanistan to Korea.

The operation commander leading this mission was none other than Lee Kyung-gu (Brigadier General, photo), Deputy Director of International Policy at the Ministry of National Defense. He also led the ‘Oasis Operation’, which transported all members of the 34th Cheonghae Unit back to Korea after a COVID-19 outbreak.

On the 26th, Deputy Director Lee entered the country together with 377 Afghans aboard the aerial refueling transport aircraft (KC-330) and is currently under self-quarantine. In a phone interview with this paper, he sighed with relief, saying, “I feel proud to see 13 more Afghans arriving.”

He recalled, “From the moment we took off with 54 soldiers and 12 government officials for departure, we were engulfed in tension,” adding, “From 8 a.m. on the 24th until noon on the 25th, we spent a full 28 hours feeling like we were walking on thin ice.”

Initially, our government planned to use commercial flights to transport Afghan collaborators domestically, but after the Taliban, an Islamic militant group, seized Kabul on the 15th, the situation in Afghanistan became urgent, and the plan was changed to deploy Air Force transport aircraft. Accordingly, on the morning of the 23rd, the military dispatched a total of three Air Force transport planes to Pakistan, adjacent to Afghanistan: one KC-330 ‘Cygnus’ and two C-130J ‘Hercules’ aircraft.

Upon arrival, Deputy Director Lee immediately headed to Kabul Airport in Afghanistan with two C-130J transport planes. The Afghan collaborators were originally scheduled to arrive at the Kabul Airport entrance by 3 p.m. on the 24th. However, except for the 26 who arrived first, no others came. Those involved in the operation, including Deputy Director Lee, were anxious.

The Afghan collaborators appeared in three groups from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the 25th. With U.S. cooperation, they boarded six buses to come to Kabul Airport, but had to get off at a checkpoint about 400 meters away guarded by the Taliban. They quietly walked into the north gate of Kabul Airport.

Deputy Director Lee said, “I was so tense that I couldn’t even eat properly until all the Afghans arrived,” adding, “Only after they all appeared could I calm my mind.”

However, he had to remain tense again because most of the Afghans were families with many young children. He said, “There were infants under five years old and even three newborns born in August,” adding, “I was very worried whether the infants and newborns could safely endure the flight of over 9,000 km to Korea.”

He transported them first to Islamabad aboard the C-130J transport plane. He said, “We prepared for tactical maneuvers while leaving Afghanistan,” adding, “At that time, we were nervous that IS forces might fire surface-to-air missiles or Russian rifles at the transport planes.”

Deputy Director Lee credited the success of the Miracle Operation to the Air Force officers. He said, “Since most of the personnel were on the aerial refueling aircraft, young Air Force officers had to stand throughout the flight, and medical staff didn’t even have time to sit,” adding, “Thanks to them, we were able to successfully complete this operation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.