Photo By Staff Sgt. Ruth McClary | Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Hintz (center), of C Company, 1st Battalion, 131st...... read more read more
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two birds digest approximately 5,000 pounds of federal equipment, Sept. 3, at the Mecklenburg Police Academy in preparation for emergency situations during the Democratic National Convention and surrounding areas in Charlotte, N.C.
FBI agents practiced loading equipment onto two Black Hawk helicopters piloted by North Carolina National Guard soldiers from C Company, 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation Regiment— also known as the “Kill Devils”— as a quick-response back-up contingency if emergency vehicles were unable to reach certain areas.
“This is a familiarization exercise,” said Capt. Darryl Scoggins, a pilot with C Company. “The aircrafts will be loaded and we will fly to Concord Airport, land, and then return. It’s a high risk for us because there aren’t any seats. We will also make one test run at night too.”
“Hopefully, we will fly out [today] and not have to fly again until we go [back to Salisbury],” Scoggins added, alluding to his hopes for a quiet week with little need for emergency response.
A large Ford F-250 truck hauling a trailer, a couple of dark-colored SUVs and a huge cargo truck pulled into the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Academy lot facing the two gutted birds.
Approximately 40 FBI agents, wearing ninja-green jumpsuits complete with sewn-in knee pads, popped out of the vehicles, each grabbing locked boxes and duffle size bags, lining them up on the lawn in front of each bird. The Black Hawks, which usually holds 11 passenger seats, were empty. The plan was to get the equipment loaded within 15 minutes in response to a call.
During this practice run, the main focus was not on speed but on efficiency; getting the boxes loaded securely so that the agents could also fit into the bird. Each bird carried approximately eight agents per run.
The aviation pilots and crew chiefs helped the agents latch down the equipment and found ways to maneuver the boxes so that all of them fit perfectly together; leaving room for the agents to sit on and around them for transport.
“Working with the North Carolina Guardsmen was a seamless transition from our aircraft to theirs,” one agent said. “They were exceptionally professional and easy to work with.”
After a safety brief, the agents packed in like sardines in a can and the first crew flew out to the Concord Airport and landed back at the Academy approximately 15 minutes later. The crews switched out as the propellers continued to whirl and the choppers flew out again.
The whole load-out response scenario, from start to finish, lasted nearly two hours. Although the aviation unit and the FBI trained in different branches of the government they soon learned that their training is so similar in theory that they were all on the same page.
“If I’m proficient in what I’m doing and you are proficient in what you are doing, it takes very little prep time to make things happen,” one agent said. “These are all good lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan.”
| Date Taken: | 09.03.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2012 15:26 |
| Story ID: | 94595 |
| Location: | ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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