Photo By Sgt. Aaron Gott | The 28th Combat Aviation Brigade completed its third Aviation Training Exercise on...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT RUCKER, Ala. — The 28th Combat Aviation Brigade completed its third Aviation Training Exercise under the observation of the 166th Aviation Brigade (Training Support) on March 31 at Fort Rucker, Ala. The exercise served as the final training event before the 2500-Soldier unit deploys to Iraq.
During the 10-day operation, the 28th CAB exercised command and control over a simulated battlefield using state-of-the-art equipment only available at the Aviation Warfighter Simulation Center at Fort Rucker.
The 166th Aviation Brigade, the First Army — Division West unit responsible for training all Reserve Component aviation assets, selected the exercise objectives and supporting collective training tasks. The unit also provided the Observer Controller/Trainers to mentor and evaluate the battalions and CAB headquarters.
The Directorate of Simulations at Fort Rucker's Aviation Warfighter Training Center provided the facility and technical support for the exercise, while 1st Brigade, 75th Training Support Division provided role players for Higher, Adjacent, Lower, Supporting and Support units. Col. George Brinegar, Deputy Commander of Operations for First Army — Division West, served as Exercise Director.
Eight of the 20 ATXs held at the simulation center each year are for Reserve Component units. The exercise focuses on the Military Decision Making Process and the staff's proficiency in its Tactical SOP battle drills and battle tracking. The 28th CAB conducted two ATXs in the months before activation as part of a pre-mobilization training plan designed by the 166th Aviation Brigade to reduce the length of Reserve Component mobilizations.
Throughout the exercise, the 28th CAB command and staff utilized the Blue Force Tracker system to gain a common operational picture of the battle. Instead of tracking live aircraft movements, the tracker was fed data from Reconfigurable Cockpit Training Devices operated by 28th CAB pilots, as well as computer-created flights from the Aviation Semi-Automated Force system.
The evaluation consists of seven exercise objectives driven by its mission essential task list. According to Maj. Brett Criqui, Aviation Operations Officer with the 166th Aviation Brigade, the 166th selects supporting collective tasks from the Combined Arms Training Strategy, replacing the Army Training and Evaluation Plan manuals previously used to develop training plans. "The 166th Aviation Brigade is in a unique position to apply the tasks to deploying units and provide feedback to the CATS Project Manager," he said.
Col. Paul Ambrose, commander of the 166th Aviation Brigade, and his subject matter experts developed two new collective training tasks after they identified the need to implement addition training tasks necessary to evaluate a combat aviation brigade. The ATX provides an opportunity to validate the new tasks before submission to CATS.
The 166th Aviation Brigade designed the key event of the exercise to test the 28th CAB's ability to plan a brigade-level air assault mission involving two Iraqi infantry battalions. The mission required coordination with the ground tactical commander role-played by the 1/75th. The CAB staff conducted a slough of briefs, meetings and rehearsals common to the operations they will conduct in Iraq and essential to the success of the mission.
According to Lt. Col. Lee Medley, commander of the 1-351st Aviation Battalion, the exercise focused on the headquarters because its subordinate battalions were evaluated during the Mission Readiness Exercise last month. However, three of them played a crucial role in the ATX.
"The battalions did an excellent job supporting the training objectives through detailed planning, analysis and rehearsals," said Medley, whose unit oversaw the 28th CAB's 2-104th GSAB, "battalion commanders were completely nested in the plan, allowing near flawless execution of the air assault."
Of three combat aviation brigades in theater, the 28th CAB will provide air support to Multi-National Corps — Iraq. A March 30 visit Robert Smiley, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs underscored the importance of the unit's mission and the mobilization training necessary for its success. He observed the ATX, discussed the CAB's training and readiness with the senior leaders involved with the exercise and met with CAB Soldiers.
The Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Combat Aviation Brigade includes Soldiers from Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Michigan. It will spend its nine-month deployment at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2009 17:13 |
| Story ID: | 32288 |
| Location: | FORT RUCKER, US |
| Web Views: | 976 |
| Downloads: | 831 |
This work, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade Completes Capstone Training Exercise, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
