When given the command to board the helicopter, the soldiers from 1st Battalion marched single file up the back cargo ramp resembling alligator jaws. They strapped into two rows of red jump seats shoulder to shoulder. An M4 carbine was wedged between their legs. As the tandem rotors of the massive CH-47 Chinook whirled, the copter rattled as if falling apart. The CH-47 Chinook has been an Army workhorse for transporting troops and equipment since 1962. Modifications of the helicopter have been used during campaigns in Vietnam, Iran, the Falklands, Afghanistan and Iraq.
