Photo By Staff Sgt. Johnathan Hoover | Al UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar – Soldiers from Bravo Battery, 5th Battalion, 52nd Air...... read more read more
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By 1st Lt. Taylor Andrews
Tactical Control Officer, Bravo Battery, 5-52 ADA BN
AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar – The 5th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery “Team Deuce” Regiment, assigned to 11th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Brigade, Task Force Spartan, has maintained their combat readiness since taking over the mission from 2nd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, on Jan. 14.
The “Team Deuce” Battalion constantly trains and maintains their proficiency in air missile defense operations by conducting rigorous monthly evaluations.
Operational readiness exercises (OREs) are all-inclusive evaluations of a specific air missile defense crew. These evaluations assess the crew’s site accountability, maintenance standards, assumption of higher alert state, air battle management and reload operations.
At any moment, the battalion standardization team can show up to a crew’s Patriot site unannounced to conduct an ORE. The element of surprise can be a bit overwhelming, but it is important the crew is always prepared to execute an evaluation at all times.
The crew changeover process is vital to mission readiness because it is a tool that helps crews communicate situation awareness, equipment statuses, and mission essential information at the beginning and end of each 24-hour shift. Site accountability is one of the most important topics covered during the changeover process.
“The battery’s readiness is dependent on every single member of the crew – starting with the Entry Control Point (ECP),” said Spc. John Howard, the tactical control assistant for Crew 1, Bravo Battery, 5th Bn. “Their job is to maintain site security by validating and reporting all personnel entering the site to the Battery Command Post (BCP).”
As the ECP maintains site accountability in conjunction with the BCP, the BCP is also responsible for providing a communication link to the higher air missile defense echelon: the battalion Tactical Operation Center (TOC).
During heightened alert states or evaluations, such as transition to war exercises or OREs, the TOC will publish an order to the BCP and Engagement Control Station (ECS) directing the crew to posture their equipment and conduct the proper procedures.
The ORE begins with an alert state assumption. The crew must meet the timeline to power up launchers and configure the ECS in accordance with the published order. To best prepare for this part of the evaluation, the crew practices flawless communication with the hot crew. The hot crew is a team soldiers responsible for configuring the launchers.
Following the alert state assumption, the crew will be evaluated on the maintenance standards. The battalion standardization team reviews all the paperwork and ensures that all equipment is properly accounted for and maintained. In order to successfully pass this portion of the evaluation, the battery must adhere to the battalion maintenance standard operating procedures. It is imperative that crews conduct daily preventative maintenance checks and services to ensure equipment maintains “fully mission capable” status.
Once the maintenance inspection is complete, the ECS and BCP prepare to execute an exercise air battle. Although the prescribed air battle is designed to simulate three days of various enemy aerial attacks, the crew will fight a high-intense, forty-five minute air battle in order to prove their knowledge and expertise in air battle management. The air battle tests the crew’s ability to execute proper engagements according to the right techniques, tactics and procedures.
To maintain proficiency in air battle management, the ECS and BCP will execute air battle exercises during specific training blocks. Some exercises include joint participation from the TOC, information coordination central, and other adjacent units, while others are fought internally on the ECS’ troop proficiency trainer program.
The last segment of the ORE is the reload; the same hot crew who conducted the alert state assumption is also accountable for missile reload.
Within a limited time, the crew must safely remove two empty canisters from a launching station and replace them with four weighted ‘dummy’ canisters. Communication, attention to detail and teamwork is vital to their success as a crew.
“Reloading requires a lot of attention to detail and knowing how to react quickly,” said Spc. Alexis Padilla, a launcher crew member of Bravo Battery. “For my crew, we train step-by-step and learn each other’s responsibilities so that we can work as a cohesive unit during our missile reload drills.”
OREs are one of the primary tools that test the abilities of crews to conduct effective air missile defense operations. Each crew must work together and maintain their individual responsibilities in order to sustain their certification. More importantly, OREs prepare crews to protect lives and defend assets down range.
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.27.2018 07:56 |
| Story ID: | 270707 |
| Location: | QA |
| Web Views: | 274 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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