Looking back on Operation AEGIS: Corporal Mackenzie Birch’s Story

November 16, 2022 - Defence Stories

It has been over a year since Canadian Armed Forces aircraft transported evacuees out of Afghanistan. Operation AEGIS was the CAF’s contribution to Canada’s efforts to evacuate Afghans with significant and/or enduring relationships with the Government of Canada, along with their accompanying family members.

Corporal Mackenzie Birch, a Technician Crew Member on Op BOXTOP, the mission to bring supplies to Canadian Forces Station Alert in the Arctic, was quickly re-tasked in August 2021 to be positioned out of Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait to support the evacuation of eligible Afghans.

“When we were landing in Kabul, at around 100 feet, the air coming into the aircraft began to smell burnt,” shares Cpl Birch. “It was likely the smell of tear gas and crowd dispersal agents, and it hung in the air over the entirety of Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA). The next thing I noticed from my seat — with no windows but an ear to the radio chatter of the pilots — was the chaotic airfield they had to navigate. It took every seat in the cockpit to manage the radios and get us to the correct parking spot. Vehicles loaded with cargo and personnel were weaving between moving aircraft trying to make every minute of their time count. The clock was always counting down in Kabul, and everyone had a job to do.”

By the time the cargo ramp and door opened on the CC-177 Globemaster III, American personnel were ready to start offloading cargo, and Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) members were ready to start loading evacuees. “One thing that stayed with me for the duration of the mission was that no matter how fatigued the members of CANSOFCOM undoubtedly were, they always showed the utmost compassion and professionalism when someone who was weak or elderly needed assistance boarding the aircraft.”

“The Afghans who walked up the ramp of the Globemaster all looked exhausted, and for many it was only adrenaline that kept them moving forward. Most didn’t have any possessions to bring with them except for the documents that allowed them to leave Kabul. Those who did manage to bring their belongings usually had no more than a suitcase for an entire family, and some passengers were children.”

One flight that stands out for Cpl Birch is their second last flight into Kabul. “Our crew would fly into Kabul at night, and we would get back to Kuwait as the sun was rising. On the ground in Kabul, you could stand on the open ramp and watch tracer fire cross the sky, and on approach to HKIA, I could hear the pilots reporting much of the same. After landing, we were worried enough that we decided it would be prudent to inspect for any battle damage.”

After a thorough inspection and no damage was found on the aircraft, the evacuation began. The crew managed to fit over 500 people on board - the most Cpl Birch’s crew would take out in one flight.

When he landed in Kuwait, Cpl Birch could see the relief wash over everyone’s faces, “It was a flight that we will all remember for the rest of our careers, and we began to help the Afghan people disembark the aircraft.” Captain Elizabeth Campbell, one of the pilots, saw a small child carried by his mother, waiting to leave the aircraft. The boy was exhausted, and his face looked completely spent of emotion. Capt Campbell went out of her way to try and cheer up the child, making silly faces and whatever she could do, and she managed to get him to smile. “That moment of empathy was something I didn’t expect to be a defining moment of Op AEGIS, but a few months later it would become one of the most memorable.”

Cpl Birch’s final flight to Kabul happened just two days before complete withdrawal of the American forces. It also happened just shortly after the tragic bombing at Abbey Gate at HKIA, where 13 American service members and an estimated 140 civilians died. “I also wouldn’t feel comfortable if I didn’t mention the immense help of the American service members in Ali Al Salem,” shares Cpl Birch. “Their maintainers and ground operations personnel went above and beyond to help maintain our aircraft and support us — we were all flying the same mission. It didn’t matter which flag was on the aircraft, the machines were all working beyond their limits to evacuate as many people as possible before the withdrawal deadline.”
Our previous flight was nerve-wracking, but none of us hesitated in our desire to go back to Kabul if there was more that could be done. Upon arrival, the crew asked the ground controllers who they could take on this final flight, and were told “Marines.” Over 100 United States Marines fit onto the aircraft, many of whom were brothers and sisters with those who had been lost at Abbey Gate. “They were exhausted, and even before we took off I could see them slumped over on the cargo floor in a deep sleep as their bodies and kit supported one another,” Cpl Birch recalls.

“Op AEGIS happened quickly, and it was the most intense and rewarding experience of my life. As I got back to Trenton and resumed my normal life as an Aviation Systems Technician (AVN Tech), I tried to understand how Afghanistan now fit into my story,” explains Cpl Birch. “It eventually made sense when in December of 2021, I was tasked with going to fix an RCAF Globemaster broken abroad.” After boarding the civilian flight from Toronto to Vancouver, Cpl Birch noticed that the other passengers filing in reminded him of many of the faces that he met on Op AEGIS. Suddenly, he saw the child that Capt Campbell made laugh back in Kuwait. “It all felt too surreal for me to say anything, but as other talkative passengers engaged with these families, I learned that they were Afghan refugees headed to Vancouver to find their new homes.”

The child that looked drained of all emotion in Kuwait now was energetic and happily playing games with his family, on his way to his home in Canada. “It took a while, but that made me slowly realize that Afghanistan wasn’t my story; it was myself becoming part of the story of Afghanistan,” explains Cpl Birch. “The effort and sacrifice of thousands of Canadians and Afghans over the past 20 years is the story of Op AEGIS and the Fall of Kabul.” For many service members, Kabul brings about emotions of frustration and hurt, and those are emotions validated in the loss and sacrifice each individual carries. “I wish I could share the scenes of compassion I witnessed on Op AEGIS. The CANSOFCOM members helping the vulnerable and elderly, our loadmasters and Tactical Aircraft Security Officers working tirelessly to help the scared passengers, the medical team gently tending to those who needed it most, and so much more.”

“I wish I could share the optimism I felt when I saw that child headed to Vancouver to begin a new life with his family.”