Story by Capt. Matt Summey
1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, S.C. National Guard
NAVAL AIR STATION FALLON, Nev. - The South Carolina Army National Guard’s 1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB) is continuing to be a leader in the AH-64D Apache helicopter littoral warfare arena by recently sending four aviators to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC). Littoral warfare refers to water operations around the sea shore.
“Being able to operate with the Navy is essential in littoral warfare,” said Maj. Brian Pipkin, executive officer of the 1-151st ARB. “Overwater operations could be the key to future military success.”
For three days, aviators from the 1-151st ARB, along with a representative from U.S. Army Central, trained and collaborated with the U.S. Navy’s Rotary Wing Weapon School (SEAWOLF). This training event was designed as part of a joint effort to advance communication and understanding between Army and Navy rotary wing assets conducting joint littoral warfare.
“In today’s world, everything is joint,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Austin Norris, standardization pilot for the 1-151st ARB. “In order to be successful, we need to be able to reach outside our own organizations.”
“Tapping into the Navy’s knowledge about littoral operations is essential in developing Army Tactics” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joel Gooch, instructor pilot with the 1-151st ARB. “Sharing our capabilities with theirs creates a great team.”
U.S. Navy Rotary Wing Weapon School instructors shared advanced briefs on current Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance (SCAR) tactics designed for protection of U.S. Navy vessels in confined waters. In return, standardization instructor pilots from the 1-151st ARB shared AH-64D Apache helicopter capability briefs for all students and instructors, and spent time with Navy weapon school instructors discussing possible future tactics and techniques for integrating U.S. Army attack aviation into SCAR tactics.
“Being part of a team with the Navy is essential,” said Pipkin. “By training together, we’re not only bettering our units, we’re advancing the entire joint operation.”
The 1-151st ARB aviators participated in two separate SCAR mission briefs by Rotary Wing Weapon School students, and observed live-fire SCAR training missions while riding along in the back of Navy MH-60R helicopters.
Lessons learned through the unique partnership between the 1-151st ARB, U.S. Navy Rotary Wing Weapon School and U.S. Army Central continue to contribute to joint littoral warfare technique and procedure development. Instructors from the U.S. Navy Rotary Wing Weapon School plan to travel to South Carolina this summer to continue their joint partnership with the 1-151st ARB and advance Army/Navy rotary wing collaboration.
“This isn’t a one time and we’re done type of mission,” said Norris. “We’ve formed a partnership with the Navy that will continue on well into the future.”