Photo By Sgt. Jonathan Thibault | Aircrews from 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th Combat...... read more read more
FORT CARSON, Colo. - Two brigades worked together to carry sustainment supplies and maneuver Soldiers around the battlefield, to become more proficient in their mission capabilities, Sept. 23-25 on Fort Carson.
Aircrews from 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, and Soldiers from 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., conducted sling load and air assault operations together for the first time during 3rd ABCT's field exercise.
"We conducted sling load and air assault training with 3rd ABCT for two big reasons," said Capt. Joshua A. Meyer, operations officer, 3rd AHB, 4th Avn. Reg.
"The first reason was for certification of standard aircrew proficiencies. The second reason was to create free-flowing communication with their ground forces. It takes a lot of team effort from ground and air crews to conduct these types of operations."
Sling load operations play an integral role for ground commanders with units in confined areas unreachable by ground vehicles, said Meyer.
"Although we are an assault battalion, sling loading is still a standard task for all of our aviators. It helps for quick resupply to units and rapid repositioning of equipment," said Meyer.
Capt. Robert Mitchell, commander, Company A, 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd ABCT, said it takes less personnel and it is safer to sling load equipment and supplies.
"I have a variety of highly motivated Soldiers from different logistical job specialties under my command," said Mitchell. "It is great to build their competencies in aerial movement operations."
Sgt. Thomas Streb, petroleum supply specialist and sling load specialist, Company A, 64th BSB, helped train fellow Soldiers to sling load supplies safely and to standard.
"This is the fi rst time a lot of our Soldiers have real-time sling load training," said Streb. "Today our sling loads consisted of ammo and meals-ready-to-eat in containers. We hope to learn how to sling other items in the future to better our sling load proficiency. We are grateful to be able to work with 4th CAB aircrews because we can't get training like this every day."
A mass air assault of Camp Red Devil was a major highlight of the combined training between 4th CAB and 3rd ABCT Soldiers.
"This was our first air assault training," said Meyer. "The air assault was a combined effort between 3rd AHB, 4th Avn. Reg., 4th CAB and 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd ABCT. We did many rehearsals and went through the procedures many times together. Air assaults exist to help ground tactical commanders move Soldiers to accurately secure a mission objective."
"It was nice to validate and execute the mission plans that both units worked hard on," he said. "We will continue to support the ground commanders and conduct air assault training with them as requested to make all of us more mission-capable."
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.07.2014 14:58 |
| Story ID: | 144516 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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