Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joe Chacon (left), Staff Sgt. Robert Field (center), and Sgt....... read more read more
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - Oct. 18, 2015, marked the 10-year anniversary since the activation of the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command Headquarters at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. The "Sea Dragons" have provided 10 years of integrated air and missile defense excellence in the Pacific and continue to set the standard for air and missile defense in the United States Army.
Over the past year, the 94th AAMDC shared air and missile defense expertise and the profession of arms ethos to its joint partners and crucial IAMD allies. The 94th AAMDC Soldiers fostered partnerships with the local communities, other Army units, sister services and our allied nations. These relationships were strengthened while still finding innovative ways to build resiliency within the Sea Dragon ranks.
The year started with the 94th AAMDC headquarters relocating to the Pacific Air Force Headquarters Building on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam allowing the command to better integrate with the Pacific Air Force and the 613th Air Operations Center. The unit is assigned to United States Army Pacific and directly supports the United States Pacific Air Force.
The Sea Dragons were host to several high level military officials, including Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno; Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Daniel B. Allyn; Debra S. Wada, the assistant secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs); and the special assistant to the director of the Army staff, office of the chief of staff, U.S. Army, Maj. Gen. Robert P. Ashley Jr. All of the visitors received an overview on the significance of integrated air and missile defense and learned how the 94th AAMDC provides joint and combined theater air and missile defense to meet operational plan requirements and support the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific area of responsibility.
The command continued to train for its wartime mission by participating in multiple joint, combined and trilateral exercises with other branches of the U.S. armed forces and our allied nations. Training exercises included the U.S. and Japan forces four-day Fleet Synthetic Training - Joint exercise, the Republic of Korea annual combined and joint command post exercises - Key Resolve and Ulchi Freedom Guardian - as well as home-station training exercises on the air and missile defense planning control system.
The 94th AAMDC welcomed new commanders for each of its subordinate units, which include the headquarters and headquarters battery located here on Hawaii; Task Force Talon located on Guam; the 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment located on Okinawa, Japan; the 10th Missile Defense Battery located at Shariki, Japan; and the 14th Missile Defense Battery located at Kyogamisaki, Japan.
The Association of the U.S. Army once again sponsored the Land Power in the Pacific Symposium and Exposition, May 19 - 21, in Waikiki. This event allowed the 94th AAMDC commander, Brig. Gen. Eric L. Sanchez, to chair the "Air and Missile Defense Forum" panel, which focused on IAMD in a Multilateral Environment in the Asia-Pacific region.
The inaugural Pacific Theater Air and Missile Defender of the Year Ceremony held on Sept. 26 in Waikiki recognized outstanding air defenders from throughout the Pacific theater. The winners for the Army were the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command's Best Sensor Manager Crew consisting of Staff Sgt. Joe Chacon, Staff Sgt. Robert Field and Sgt. Thomas O'Neal IV.
On Oct. 31, the Sea Dragons assisted in the validation of a layered ballistic missile defense concept in a missile defense test, designated Flight Test Operational-02 Event 2a, a highly complex operational test of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), with a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery successfully engaging multiple targets cued by a family of sensors.
The 94th AAMDC commander's top priority is to emphasize the importance of the Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program. This year, the Sea Dragons started a quarterly SHARP Board to recognize the officers, noncommissioned officers and Soldiers who best represent the Army values and are willing to "Take a Stand" against sexual harassment and sexual assault. The Sea Dragon Soldiers were able to build resiliency through other events like the two-day workshops on Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and prayer breakfasts, such as the 9/11 prayer breakfast which featured Command Sgt. Maj. Bryant Lambert, U.S. Army Pacific command sergeant major, as the guest speaker.
The Soldiers of the 94th continued to volunteer in local communities and collaborated with local schools, like Linapuni Elementary, here in Hawaii, as well as other schools forward in Guam and Japan. The 94th AAMDC also hosted the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Observance ceremony at Fort Shafter, which highlighted the contributions of the Asian-Pacific Islander culture to our country and armed forces.
The Sea Dragons ended the year by holding their Winter Leader's Summit and hosting the annual St. Barbara's Day Ball, which featured retired Maj. Gen. Roger F. Matthews, former 94th AAMDC commander and USARPAC deputy commanding general, as the guest speaker.
The Sea Dragons of the 94th AAMDC are the "First Line of Defense" against an ever-increasing ballistic missile threat and remain "Focused Forward" to execute contingency operations at any time.
| Date Taken: | 12.30.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2015 17:07 |
| Story ID: | 185493 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 189 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 94th AAMDC Year in Review - 2015: 10 years of IAMD excellence, by LTC Troy Frey, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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