Army aviator 1st Lt. Joseph Lanham, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI), observes Soldiers as they load the cannon on the AH-64 Apache helicopter he is piloting Aug. 13 at Wheel...
An AH-64 Apache helicopter from A Company, 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade makes its way to the "Hot Pad" for fuel and ammunition before conducting a combined-arms live-fire exercise Aug. 13 at Wheeler-Sack Army Ai...
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Aug. 20, 2015) -- Aviators from A Company, 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, were in the skies over Range 44 last week while conducting a combined-arms live-fire exercise with ground forces from the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
The training exercise, designed to enhance air-to-ground operations between aviators and ground forces, offered a rare opportunity for 10th CAB attack personnel to engage targets with training munitions, outside of semiannual aerial gunnery windows, while simultaneously capitalizing on training opportunities with 10th Mountain Division (LI) ground units.
"Our mission as attack pilots is to support the ground force commander," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Mason, tactical operations officer for A Company, 1-10 Aviation Regiment. "Training exercises like these allow our pilots to interact with the ground forces in real time during simulated training scenarios, which is a critical part of our mission success."
Typical aerial gunnery exercises for 10th CAB attack aviators are executed in a manner that affords each flight crew the same opportunity to conduct their qualification tables with other aviators playing the role of the ground force over the radio. This was not the case in last week's training.
"We were integrated into a phased fire plan that initiated from pre-designated support by fire positions with phased 120 mm, 81 mm and 60 mm mortar fire," said 1st Lt. Joseph Lanham, an AH-64 Apache helicopter pilot from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th CAB. "When all the mortar tubes went cold, the ground forces conducted their breach and we were called in to destroy an enemy technical vehicle."
The exercise, which culminated Sunday night, provided a realistic training opportunity for some of 1-10 Aviation Regiment's junior aviators with limited experience communicating with ground forces in a dynamic real-world environment.
"We have some junior pilots who have limited experience talking to the ground forces in real time," Mason said. "Training exercises like these provide them with the invaluable skills necessary to successfully conduct real-world operations."
Although the concept of air-ground integration may seem simple on paper, it is far from it during real-world training scenarios.
"Integrating air assets into the overall operation can be a challenging and complex task for all involved," Mason said. "I believe 2-87 Infantry, as well as our own attack company, have both benefited greatly from these training exercises."
Soldiers of 1-10 Aviation Regiment will conduct their battalion aerial gunnery in September and will draw from lessons learned from the combined-arms live-fire exercise to enhance the brevity between aviators and the ground forces they will be called upon to support in future operations.
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