Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Annia Rowe, 3rd Brigade Combat Team 25th Infantry Division, ADAM cell specialist...... read more read more
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By Col. A.T. Ball and Chief Warrant Officer Rusty Norris
25th Combat Aviation Brigade
"Cleared Hot," calls the Alpha Company, 2nd Brigade, 35th Infantry Regiment fires non-commissioned officer.
Seconds later, the whoosh of rockets from the Kiowa Warriors overhead and subsequent explosions are heard as rounds impact near the covered friendly position onto the insurgent stronghold.
"Damn, those were close sergeant!" yells the commander over the continuous small-arms fire.
"I've got it, sir," he responds. "They won't hit us."
This type of confidence and proficiency is obtained through extensive training and rehearsals between ground and air elements. The ability of these Soldiers to utilize attack aviation in extremely close quarters is a direct result of training received at the hands of the 3-25 Brigade Aviation Element cell. It is one example that demonstrates the value of the BAE in today's transformed BCT. Value added for the Combat Aviation Brigade as well, with the "best practices" learned by the 25th CAB over a year in combat captured here to share.
The BAE serves two masters. First is the Infantry Brigade Commander and providing him what he needs to accomplish his intent; but the BAE also works for the CAB Commander. The BAE must apply aviation in a manner that is doctrinally sound and sustainable for the supporting aviation unit. As the ground commander's resident expert on aviation capability, the BAE must advise him of the effects of all employment decisions and build systems to ensure the commander has continuous support from his direct support task force. No request from a commander is impossible to resource. The BAE should never say no. The answer is, "Yes sir, we can do that, but the cost of executing Course of Action A is this. I recommend that you execute COA B. You will gain the effect you desire and still have the ability to accomplish task C tomorrow night."
BAE/Air Defense Airspace Management Cell Integration is critical. Upon deployment to a tactical environment the merging of the BAE and ADAM cells into one section led by the Brigade Aviation Officer creates synergy. The expertise of the Air Defense officers and enlisted personnel in radar systems, management of the IBCT airspace below the coordinating altitude is extremely effective. Cross training of all Aviation personnel results in efficient airspace management and employment of all systems in the ADAM shelter to include Sentinel, integration of Air Force radar feeds and deployment of Tactical Airspace Integration System forward with the Brigade Tactical Command Post. Cross training of the 14 series personnel in aviation employment results in a split-based capability allowing forward deployment of a team in the Brigade Tactical Assault Command Post.
Learn to use your equipment (ADAM SHELTER). In theater, the BAE employs nearly every asset in the ADAM shelter daily. The TAIS is the primary tool utilized from the shelter. It is used forward when deployed with the Brigade TAC to clear fires and manage brigade airspace. It is configured to accept feeds from theater provided through sentinel equipment and Air Force radar stationed nearby for complete situational awareness. The 140A radar technician is worth his weight in gold. He will gain and maintain reliable connectivity for the airspace picture by tying into Division and Corps radar systems.
Tactical airspace in a developing theater is complex. The BAE is completely responsible for managing airspace below the coordinating altitude for the IBCT commander. At times you must tailor your airspace desires around the developing airspace constructs for the country. The BAE tactical warrant officer should be an airspace expert at levels up to and including Corps. The team must be experts at TAIS operation, artillery clearance of fires, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Restricted Operation Zones and special use permissive airspace developed in support of named operations. As a rule of thumb, know more about the airspace in the Area of Operations than the approval authority.
Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are a work in progress. Ravens fill the gap between available manned assets. The trend in theater is for SUAVs to fly in nearly the same place every day. It is far more efficient and safe to build enduring ROZs for execution of their flights that are distributed to all airspace users ahead of time than to execute immediate Raven requests that must be disseminated on the fly to airborne assets.
Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle attachments to the CAB work. Upon deployment to theater all TUAVs assigned to the IBCT were attached directly to the 25th CAB and placed in a Direct Support role to the BCTs. The CAB managed all administrative requirements, aviation standardization, safety and maintenance. The IBCT intelligence officer worked directly with the TUAV platoon leader and the CAB through the BAE for mission windows and tasking. The result was a TUAV feed in the Tactical Operations Center when and where desired by the IBCT with none of the aviation overhead being pushed to the IBCT. The TUAV platoon gained the expertise of trained army aviation safety, standardization and maintenance officers. This has proven to be a tremendous success with increased persistence in the battle space and significantly reduced accident rates.
A steady theme throughout all BAE operations must be a close working relationship with the direct support aviation commander. The BAE must understand the supporting commander's capability to sustain his force in order to properly apply the available aviation assets to the requested missions. The responsibilities entail an acute understanding of maintenance and the aviation unit's ability to surge or to sustain launch/recover/launch activities over time.
Learn to play well with others. Work directly with the S-2, Air Force Tactical Air Control Party, Chief of Operations and Fire Support officers. These relationships are defined by your interactions with your peers. Airspace clearance for fixed wing operations and shows of force, indirect fires, ROZs, no fire area execution and dissemination, aviation mission support during immediate requests and integration of UAVs with manned assets are daily tasks requiring exceptional teamwork. The officer who is most qualified and who brings the most assets to this fight is the BAO.
Aviation must send it's best and brightest to the BAO job. The BAE is defined by the personality of the BAO. Deploy with the Brigade TAC whenever aviation is employed in support of an operation. Manage aviation and airspace from the field and be the commander's go-to officer on all aviation related support. To remain relevant within the Infantry Brigade staff the BAE team has to help carry the ruck. Shoulder more than your share of the task, whatever it may be, but convince the commander through the results he sees from aviation support that your section manning is critical to his success.
The BAE concept is long overdue. This 12-man package is right-sized for continuous combat operations when the ADAM cell is combined with the BAE for tactical deployment with all personnel cross-trained in one another's tasks. It also allows backfill during split based TAC operations and facilitates rest and recuperation leave for the section. Senior Branch qualified majors who bring aviation credibility to a BCT staff make the difference in the integration of Army Aviation into the contemporary operating environment.
| Date Taken: | 10.05.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 10.05.2007 10:24 |
| Story ID: | 12723 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 1,174 |
| Downloads: | 633 |
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