Anja Niedringhaus / AP

Food supplies for US Marines hanging off small parachutes are dropped from a plane as a sandstorm is approaching outside Forward Operating Base Edi in the Helmand Province of southern Afghanistan, Saturday, June 4.

Air drops date back to World War II and have been used extensively in delivering supplies to troops in remote areas of Afghannistan to reduce the risk of troops encountering road-side bombs. Check out this video of an air drop by the RAF.