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11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities

By Sgt. 1st Class Joel QuebecJune 29, 2012

11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
1 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Accompanied by 1st Lt. Mike Boos, far right, the interim commander of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion, Brig. Gen. Pete Quinn, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Heupel, center, of the 11th Aviation Command, make their way out to t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
2 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Pete Quinn, commander of the 11th Aviation Command at Fort knox, Ky., gets primary marksmanship instruction from Sgt. Brydon Parker before getting some door gunnery practice with Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion on Jun... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
3 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A CH-47 Chinook helicopter as seen from the back of another during the annual training of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion on June 21. The Fort Lewis-based unit was conducting various operations, including door gunnery and insert... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
4 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A view over the sights of an M240B machine gun mounted in the door of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. During annual training, Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., conducted gunnery practice in Boise,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
5 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A view over the sights of an M240B machine gun mounted in the door of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. During annual training, Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., conducted gunnery practice in Boise,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
6 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., conduct door gunnery practice during annual training in Boise, Idaho on June 21. The current weapon used is the M240B machine gun. Pictured is Brig. Gen. Pete... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
7 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., conduct door gunnery practice during annual training in Boise, Idaho. The current weapon used is the M240B machine gun. Pictured is Brig. Gen. Pete Quinn, com... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
8 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., conduct door gunnery practice during annual training in Boise, Idaho. The current weapon used is the M240B machine gun. Pictured is Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Heu... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
9 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., conduct door gunnery practice during annual training in Boise, Idaho. The current weapon used is the M240B machine gun. Pictured is Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Heu... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
10 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., conduct door gunnery practice during annual training in Boise, Idaho. The current weapon used is the M240B machine gun. Practice was also conducted with a pro... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
11 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Gunnery targets on an Idaho range simulate people next to a generic structure. Soldiers of B Company, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion got some practice firing the M240B door mounted machine gun from their CH-47 Chinook helicopters on June ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
12 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Gunnery targets on an Idaho range simulate enemy next to a generic vehicle. Soldiers of B Company, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion got some practice firing the M240B door mounted machine gun from their CH-47 Chinook helicopters on June 21 ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
13 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., conduct door gunnery practice during annual training in Boise, Idaho. The current weapon used is the M240B machine gun. Pictured is crew chief Sgt. Christophe... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
14 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Gunnery targets on an Idaho range simulate people next to a generic structure. Soldiers of B Company, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion got some practice firing the M240B door mounted machine gun from their CH-47 Chinook helicopters on June ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
15 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Gunnery target on an Idaho range simulates a generic pick up truck. Soldiers of B Company, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion got some practice firing the M240B door mounted machine gun from their CH-47 Chinook helicopters on June 21 during... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
16 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Gunnery targets on an Idaho range simulate people next to a generic structure. Soldiers of B Company, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion got some practice firing the M240B door mounted machine gun from their CH-47 Chinook helicopters on June ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
17 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Gunnery targets on an Idaho range simulate people next to a generic structure. Soldiers of B Company, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion got some practice firing the M240B door mounted machine gun from their CH-47 Chinook helicopters on June ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
18 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Gunnery targets on an Idaho range simulate people next to a generic structure. Soldiers of B Company, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion got some practice firing the M240B door mounted machine gun from their CH-47 Chinook helicopters on June ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
19 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Pete Quinn, commander of the 11th Aviation Command in Fort Knox, Ky., gets some "stick time" in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during a visit to B Company, 1/214 General Support Aviation Battalion. Quinn enjoyed a day of flight operations that... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
20 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Pete Quinn, commander of the 11th Aviation Command in Fort Knox, Ky., gets some "stick time" in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during a visit to B Company, 1/214 General Support Aviation Battalion. Quinn enjoyed a day of flight operations that... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
21 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Huepel of the 11th Aviation Command, sits on the back of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter with crew chief Staff Sgt. Gary True of B Company, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion, during insertion/extraction practice near Boise,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
22 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion take to the mountains of Boise, Idaho as they practice inserting and extracting airmen of the 24th Aviation Support Operational Squadron, Joi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
23 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion take to the mountains of Boise, Idaho as they practice inserting and extracting airmen of the 24th Aviation Support Operational Squadron, Joi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
24 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion take to the mountains of Boise, Idaho as they practice inserting and extracting airmen of the 24th Aviation Support Operational Squadron, Joi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
25 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion take to the mountains of Boise, Idaho as they practice inserting and extracting airmen of the 24th Aviation Support Operational Squadron, Joi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
26 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion take to the mountains of Boise, Idaho as they practice inserting and extracting airmen of the 24th Aviation Support Operational Squadron, Joi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
27 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, the Army Reserve and Idaho Air National Guard take to the mountains near Boise, Idaho on June 21. Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion practice inserting and extracting airmen of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
28 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, the Army Reserve and Idaho Air National Guard take to the mountains near Boise, Idaho on June 21. Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion practice inserting and extracting airmen of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
29 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, the Army Reserve and Idaho Air National Guard take to the mountains near Boise, Idaho on June 21. Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion practice inserting and extracting airmen of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
30 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, the Army Reserve and Idaho Air National Guard take to the mountains near Boise, Idaho on June 21. Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion practice inserting and extracting airmen of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
31 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, the Army Reserve and Idaho Air National Guard take to the mountains near Boise, Idaho on June 21. Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion practice inserting and extracting airmen of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
32 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, the Army Reserve and Idaho Air National Guard take to the mountains near Boise, Idaho on June 21. Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion practice inserting and extracting airmen of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
33 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, the Army Reserve and Idaho Air National Guard take to the mountains near Boise, Idaho on June 21. Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion practice inserting and extracting airmen of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
34 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, the Army Reserve and Idaho Air National Guard take to the mountains near Boise, Idaho on June 21. Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion practice inserting and extracting airmen of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
35 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Training for the mountains of Afghanistan, the Army Reserve and Idaho Air National Guard take to the mountains near Boise, Idaho on June 21. Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion practice inserting and extracting airmen of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
36 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Pete Quinn, commander of the 11th Aviation Command in Fort Knox, Ky., gets some "stick time" in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during a visit to B Company, 1/214 General Support Aviation Battalion. Quinn enjoyed a day of flight operations that... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
37 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., conduct insertion-extraction rehearsals during annual training in Boise, Idaho. The passengers were members of the Idaho Air National Guard's 24th Aviation Su... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
38 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., conduct insertion-extraction rehearsals during annual training in Boise, Idaho. The passengers were members of the Idaho Air National Guard's 24th Aviation Su... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
39 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Pete Quinn, commander of the 11th Aviation Command in Fort Knox, Ky., gets some "stick time" in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during a visit to B Company, 1/214 General Support Aviation Battalion. Quinn enjoyed a day of flight operations that... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities
40 / 40 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Pete Quinn, commander of the 11th Aviation Command in Fort Knox, Ky., presents a coin to one of the Soldiers of B Company, 1/214 General Support Aviation Battalion, after a day of flight operations that included door gunnery practice and i... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BOISE, Idaho -- As Company B, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion conducted their annual training in and around the mountains of Boise, Brig. Gen. Pete Quinn, commander of the 11th Aviation Command, stopped by to observe some of the training on June 21.

With hands-on leadership, Quinn didn't just stand by and watch, he also participated, as did Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Heupel. The morning's training consisted of door gunnery practice where the CH-47 Chinook helicopters flew along a firing range with silhouettes of enemy and generic vehicles, as well as actual junked cars, used as targets for the M240H machine guns mounted in each of the chopper doors. The pilot would call out the distance and direction to the firers who would in turn engage the targets with deadly accurate fire. An important part of B Company's wartime mission includes being proficient at aerial gunnery, which begins with individual qualification on aircraft weapon systems and builds upon those skills with unit collective training. "Training our Soldiers is a top priority and our units focus training on their wartime mission." Quinn stated. "The 11th Aviation Command prepares its Soldiers and units to deploy, fight and win in combat."

After the gunnery and a refueling stop, they were back in the air over the Idaho mountains practicing insertion and extraction of the Air National Guard's 24th Aviation Support Operations Squadron, Joint Tactical Aircraft Controllers to and from various landing zones. The Air Force JTACs' job is to direct air assets in support of various joint and special operations missions, which have become increasingly important during our most recent conflicts which have proven to be persistent and asymmetrical.

Quinn, who also had a chance to get some "stick time," was quite pleased with what he saw during his short visit. "I have always have been very impressed with the skills and professionalism of B Company," he said. "And watching their officers and non-commissioned officers in action during this training event only strengthened my belief that this unit can perform any mission asked of it, and with outstanding results."

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11th Aviation commander joins in gunnery and flight activities

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