Photo By 1st Lt. Tracci Dorgan | Soldiers of the 151st Aviation unit in the South Carolina Army National Guard conduct...... read more read more
MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. – Members from the 1st Battalion of the 151st Aviation, A Company, 2nd Battalion of the 149th Aviation, and 264th -268th Engineer Detachments, South Carolina Army National Guard, conducted a gunnery exercise Sept. 17-19. The main objective of the weekend was to actively train all members of the aviation battalion for a real-world mission, as well as train the 2/149th and the engineers in fire control.
A Forward Arming and Refueling Point was set up at McEntire. There, members refueled and loaded the Apache AH-64 helicopters with the munitions needed to complete the training mission. Once loaded, the Apaches flew to Poinsett Range in Wedgefield, S.C., where they engaged simulated targets.
At the range, the 2/149th and the engineers were ready for their part of the mission. Their job was to put out any fires started by the ammunition. Both units were given short notice of the mission, said Lt. Col. Jakie Davis, commander of the 1/151st. It is a new regulation of the range to have firefighters on site.
Chief Warrant Officer John Ranson, a pilot in the 2/149th, flew the UH-60 Black Hawk. His crew put out a number of fires using the Bambi Bucket, a specialized bucket suspended on a cable used to deliver water for aerial firefighting.
“The rockets shot from the Apaches would come apart and set the grass and the woods on fire.” said Ranson. “We did 12 water dumps over the two-day training.”
When Sgt. Andrew Centella, readiness non-commissioned officer for the 264th-268th ENG DET., received the request to support the mission, Centella said he and his crew were more than ready to support the 1/151st. They brought out a fire engine and a tanker. “Our trucks had no problem getting to the spot fires started by the munitions. We were also able to put out a few brush and grass fires.”
“Everything went well,” said Centella. “Our guys love the opportunity to do their job.”
Sgt. Andy Goza, flight operations sergeant with the 1/151st said, “This training is how we would operate in a FARP while deployed.”
In the tactical command post, where they provide forward command and control for missions outside the forward operating base, Goza tracked airspace management and communications. He was part of the coordination element between the aircraft and the rear detachment.
Spc. Damion Van Camp, a weapons and electric systems technician with the 1/151st said, “This was good training. It was a refresher on everything we have already been trained to do. I learned that it is very important to have everything ready when the helicopter arrives so there is no confusion.”
According to Maj. Jay McElveen, operations officer for the 1/151st, 24 Apache AH-64 helicopters trained throughout the weekend. The unit ran two shifts for both the day and night flights, so everyone had a chance to train.
“In a gunnery exercise like this, you exercise the different muscles of the battalion. Every section had their job to do, from the personnel planning the details and cooks keeping the soldiers fed to the helicopter maintainers, loaders, fuelers and pilots. Everyone played an important role,” said McElveen.
McElveen added in conjunction with the gunnery exercise, there was also a communications training mission. The communication section ran a secure network the entire weekend reaching from the rear detachment to the Poinsett Range. There were three sites to enable communications over the extended distance between the rear operations and the range.
“We found things that worked out well, and we found things to improve upon each day,” said McElveen. “This was the last major exercise for the battalion to work together between now and the spring. It was very helpful in preparing for our upcoming deployment.”
Davis added, the cooperative effort of all sections made the mission happen. If it weren’t for the support personnel and the people behinds the scenes, the Apaches would have never left the ground.
“This was an outstanding event,” said Davis. “It was great preparation for the aerial gunnery qualifications in the spring and to prepare us for our upcoming deployment.”
| Date Taken: | 09.20.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.30.2010 08:59 |
| Story ID: | 61087 |
| Location: | EASTOVER, US |
| Web Views: | 305 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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