It is a typical scene. Soldiers are at the ready with their weapons, palms sweaty hoping for a chance to prove themselves worthy of being called a warrior. But, this is no ordinary battlefield. The Soldiers hold no rifle, but with the click of a mouse they can release a momentous weapon that is much more powerful than a rifle. The Soldiers of the 94th Army Air Missile Defense Command are sitting at their respective computer screens ready to follow orders to launch a missile that will defend our positions against the enemies' rockets. For today though, this is just a test. The rockets will be fired by us and shot down by us to ensure that our ballistic defenses are capable under realistic operational conditions.
The 94th AAMDC was "involved at all levels" of the historic live fire test that took place in several locations thought the Pacific by the Missile Defense Agency October 24, 2012 Army Capt. Brendan McIntyre, Air Defense Artillery Fire Control Officer assigned to the Air Operations Center at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham said. He added that it was the 94th AAMDC's role to provide command and control oversight for the maneuver and to operate the equipment out at the Regan test site, as well as man the controls here in Hawaii.
Army Staff Sgt. Regina Leroy, Air Defense Artillery Fire Control Assistant, remarked that she felt that this test "provided a new motivation, purpose, and direction for them [Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen] because during your career, no matter how short or long, you spend the whole time training for these type of events, and to see and be a part of history really motivates you to know that what you are doing… it matters."
The PATRIOT system, manned by soldiers of the 94th AAMDC, detected, tracked and successfully intercepted the target with a PAC-3 interceptor.
The Patriot Weapon System, using the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3 missile, is the most mature hit-to-kill ballistic missile defense weapon system, providing simultaneous air and missile defense capabilities as the Lower-Tier Element defending U.S. deployed forces and allies. PAC-3, in tandem with THAAD, provides an integrated, overlapping defense against missile threats in the terminal flight phase. By transmitting precision cueing data to other Elements while simultaneously protecting system assets against short-range ballistic missiles, large-caliber rockets, and air-breathing threats, Patriot contributes to the entire system's situational awareness. Patriot's Upper-Tier Debris Mitigation diminishes excessive radar load and potential missile waste caused from upper-tier intercept debris.
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