Photo By Rob Strain | Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Mellinger, the Multi-National Force-Iraq senior...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Sgt. Robert Strain
1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The Multi-National Force-Iraq's senior noncommissioned officer visited the troops here to recognize the efforts of several of the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Air Cavalry Brigade's AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter pilots Jan.19.
Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Mellinger recognized four pilots from 1st "First Attack" Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, who destroyed several rocket tubes near a northeastern neighborhood of Baghdad in November.
The pilots were Chief Warrant Officer William Ham, a standardization instructor pilot; Chief Warrant Officer Steve Kilgore, the brigade's master aviation gunner; Chief Warrant Officer Mark Villanueva and 1st Lt. R. Smith Griggs, who are both pilots with Company B.
While returning to Camp Taji after an aerial patrol mission, the four pilots witnessed several rockets being fired from rocket tubes near Sadr City.
According to Villanueva, the pilots relayed what they saw to their headquarters and the ground units in the area, and received clearance to fire on the rocket tubes. They destroyed the tubes and were also able to kill several of the insurgents involved.
Mellinger presented three of the pilots with coins in recognition of their work in that incident. The fourth pilot, Kilgore, is attending a conference at Fort Rucker, Ala., and will receive his coin when he returns.
"There are a couple groups of Soldiers that have definitely earned their keep over here, and they are the [military police] and aviators," Mellinger said.
After presenting coins to the pilots, Mellinger wrapped up his visit by touring the brigade's area of operation.
| Date Taken: | 01.19.2002 |
| Date Posted: | 01.22.2007 12:21 |
| Story ID: | 8879 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 477 |
| Downloads: | 270 |
This work, Pilots Recognized for Destroying Rockets, by Rob Strain, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
