1st Battalion, 204th Air Defense Artillery Regiment Conducts Training Drills

Photo By Cpl. Justin Humphreys | Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 204 Air Defense Artillery Regiment, position an Avenger air defense system to protect the battalion's tactical operations center May 30, 2017 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California. (Mississippi National Guard photo by Spc. Justin Humphreys, 102d Public Affairs Detachment)  

FORT IRWIN, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

05.30.2017

Story by Spc. Justin Humphreys 

102d Public Affairs Detachment

FORT IRWIN, Calif. – The 1st Battalion, 204th Air Defense Artillery Regiment have been defending against simulated attacks during training that reflects real combat operations as the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi Army National Guard, pushes through their rotation at the National Training Center.
The 1-204th is an important supporting unit of the 155th ABCT, providing security and defense for units while convoying or stationary during missions.
The role of the 1-204th is to provide convoy security, air defense, and ground defense for units, said Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, a native of Brandon, Miss., and a section sergeant for Battery A.
While convoying into the field at the National Training Center, Avenger air defense systems were staggered throughout the convoy to ensure no simulated enemy threats would harm any of the unit’s Soldiers or vehicles.
“We have a list of aircraft that have been designated as hostile,” said Sgt. Mark Kilgore, a team chief for Battery A. “We’re protecting the units from those air threats.”
Although the tactical vehicle is called an air defense system, it is also equipped to protect against ground units and night attacks.
“During convoys we’re still providing air defense but we also have the 50 caliber machine gun so we can protect from ground threats too,” said Kilgore.
Being so versatile, Air Defense Artillery is beneficial to the 155th ABCT and the Army as a whole.
“The Army is looking at expanding SHORAD dramatically due to different threats around the world,” said Kilgore.
‘SHORAD’ stands for short range air defense, which is a term given to weapons that are designed to fight against low-altitude air threats.
The National Training Center is meant to build combat readiness and teamwork between units and individual Soldiers.
This training is beneficial because a lot of us haven’t done anything on this kind of scale, said Kilgore. Now we can take a lot of this stuff back to our units when we finish here and apply to our training for our younger guys that are coming in.

• Date Taken: 05.30.2017
• Date Posted: 06.01.2017 02:44
• Story ID: 235900
• Location: FORT IRWIN, CALIFORNIA, US
• Hometown: BRANDON, MISSISSIPPI, US
• Hometown: NEWTON, MISSISSIPPI, US