6-52 ADA shows they are "Always Prepared" during Field Training Exercise

By Spc. Kendrix Lima, 6-52 ADAMarch 7, 2014

Fires field training
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Austin Wecker (right), fire control crew member with Battery A, 6-52 ADA, warns Sgt. Ronald Jean-Batiste, who is role-playing as a civilian on the battlefield, to keep clear from their operations center during the Iron Resolve field training exe... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Field medical care
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Training for battlefield medical care
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Soldiers from 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery participated in the "Iron Resolve" Field Training Exercise, Feb. 18 -27 across the ROK.

Part of a larger 35th ADA Brigade exercise, Iron Resolve marked the first time that the battalion's command and control operations deployed along with the Patriot missile batteries.

Deploying command and control elements brought on new challenges for the Iron Horse Battalion, including communications difficulties that the Soldiers worked around the clock to overcome.

"It was the first time 6-52 [ADA] had moved their [command and control] operations [to an area] without any pre-existing infrastructure or communications setup," said Sgt. Rafael Roca, an engagement controller with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery. "It was a real challenge getting everything up and running."

With the early technical issues solved, the Air Defenders carried out their air and missile defense mission, successfully completing crew evaluations and demonstrating their combat readiness by defending their sites from simulated enemy attacks.

The early difficulties only made the training more realistic, said Roca.

"In a war-time situation not everything is going to go according to plan," Roca said. "You have to work through it."

The second week of Iron Resolve overlapped with Key Resolve, a combined and joint annual command post exercise that allows allied forces across the ROK to hone their war fighting skills.