Photo By Master Sgt. Opal Vaughn | Spc. Gerardo Rodriquez, an Apache fueler and Sgt. Daniel Ketchmark, an armament...... read more read more
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By Spc. Opal Vaughn
14th Public Affairs Detachment
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq - A new attack force has arrived at Forward Operating Base Warhorse located in Diyala, Iraq, Dec. 11.
The 110th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, better known as the "Tiger Sharks," have already begun to take flight with their distinct Apache attack helicopters, but not without the assistance of their ground troops, who keep the mighty birds a flight.
"My unit handles any missions as far as the forward arming and refuel point is concerned," said 1st Lt. William Tveten, platoon leader for Echo Company, 110th ATK Reconn. Bn. "But we are mainly an attack reconnaissance battalion in support of 1st SBCT, 25th Inf. Div. for air support. Our pilots go out and do reconnaissance missions, improvised explosive device detection and counter insurgency."
An Apache attack helicopter is the Army's primary attack helicopter which was first used in combat in 1989 in the U.S. military action in Panama. The AH-64 Apache, which is a successor to the AH-1 Cobra, is a versatile aircraft which can be maneuvered during the day or night or in adverse weather conditions. The Apache also carries a healthy mixture of rockets and fixed armament on the outer body of the aircraft. So keeping this aircraft in flight is an important mission for the Tiger Sharks.
Running the FARP for Warhorse is not the only job the Tiger Sharks are tasked with, according to Escondido, Calif. native, Pfc. Kevin Dunn, a mechanic with Hammer Heads Company, 110th ATK Reconn. Bn. "I'm an Apache repairer," said Dunn. "I also inspect the Apache aircraft for flight operations and ensure they are mission capable. If an Apache helicopter is broken, then I fix it all up and make it fly again."
Dunn is just one of the many Tiger Sharks working hard to keep the Apache attack helicopters in flight. Spread across Iraq, each aviation brigade has been broken down into battalions in order to support the fight in Iraq. "Each aviation battalion has its own mission, dependent on the type of aircraft they support," said Olympia, Wash. native, Sgt. Willard Van Dalsen, the section sergeant aviation fueler with the Road Warriors Company, 110th ATK Reconn. Bn.
"For us, we're an Apache battalion so we're trained to focus on Apaches but we are cross-trained to handle several types of aircraft if need be," Dalsen continued. "We are a multinational attack force. We've worked on local Iraqi national aircraft, Black Hawks, Chinooks, any type of aircraft we can pretty much handle."
There is a lot of history behind the Tiger Shark name which is the name of the battalion as a whole, according to Tveten and Dalsen. Based out of Hunter Army Airfield, located in Savannah, Ga., the Tiger Sharks derive from a long history dating back to the war in Vietnam.
"Our unit has been around since Vietnam," Tveten stated. "We've been called by many names, including the Flying Tigers, but the Tiger Sharks have always remained. We went from Bragg, to Stewart, to Hunter and now we will reside at Drum once we get done with this deployment and reassigned under 10th Mountain," Tveten stated.
Regardless of where the Tiger Sharks stand, Tveten is adamant about keeping with heritage. "Even though we will belong to 10th Mountain and have moved from our home in Georgia, we will still maintain our Tiger Shark heritage.
| Date Taken: | 12.12.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 12.12.2008 02:36 |
| Story ID: | 27562 |
| Location: | BAQUBAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 745 |
| Downloads: | 489 |
This work, Tiger Sharks: Aerial attack force, by MSG Opal Vaughn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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