FORT SILL, Okla. (June 18, 2015) -- The high-level of readiness necessary to deploy on short notice is rarely validated through real world execution - unit readiness is often affirmed only through exercises and simulations.
B Battery, 4th Battalion, 3rd Air Defense Artillery, or ADA, recently was called upon to deploy critical equipment to Kuwait within seven days of notice. In essence, it put its money where its mouth is.
After a windstorm left a forward-deployed unit's equipment non-mission capable in early May, the B "Bandits" were tasked with ensuring their equipment was fully functioning, getting it loaded onto an aircraft and then traveling with it across the world, all within a week.
"Reading the initial report, my understanding is that a large thunderstorm went through Kuwait and knocked over protective equipment at the site, which caused damage to critical equipment," said Capt. Matt Ludemann, B Battery commander.
With its equipment destroyed, the unit in Kuwait was left incapable of carrying out its mission. It was imperative to get fully-functional equipment to them as soon as possible.
"The reason they chose us is essentially because we are scheduled to go there in a few months," Ludemann said. "We have been trained and ready to go for the last six months, so it was just a matter of getting our equipment out there a little sooner than expected.
"We had to overcome several challenges to get there in a timely manner," he said. "It was our first weekend back after having just spent the previous six weeks conducting a field exercise. We had to conduct maintenance operations and software upgrades, all while working with our higher headquarters to coordinate for the transportation of the equipment."
B Battery was just one of the batteries in the battalion, which stood ready to deploy at a moment's notice. The battalion had just come off of six months in which it was in the role of the Contingency Expeditionary Force, a rotating task that places the responsibility on select battalions to quickly deploy air defense assets within a seven-day window.
"Prior to this no-notice call, Bravo and the 'I Strike' Battalion had completed a comprehensive gunnery certification. To go from the field, through recovery operations and prepare our Patriot weapon system for joint inspection and loading on a C-5 in less than seven days is a pretty incredible accomplishment," said Lt. Col. Todd Schmidt, 4-3rd ADA commander. "It was made possible by hardworking Soldiers, great NCOs [noncommissioned officers] and engaged leaders across the unit."
4-3rd ADA will deploy soon, and Schmidt said this early call to deploy is a true indication, the 'I Strike' battalion is ready to go.
"The mission proved the battalion's warfighting, training and deployment readiness - all top priorities of our 32nd [Army Air and Missile Defense Command] commander," Schmidt said.
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