29-year veteran Army aviator lives for 'being in the game'

By Staff Sgt. John EtheridgeSeptember 9, 2014

29-year veteran Army aviator lives for 'being in the game'
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tom McClellan, the tactical operations officer and senior aviator for 1st Cavalry Division, Regional Command-South, conducts a class on aviation threats in Afghanistan Aug. 24, 2014, at Kandahar Airfield. McClellan conducted a... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
29-year veteran Army aviator lives for 'being in the game'
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tom McClellan, the tactical operations officer and senior aviator for 1st Cavalry Division, Regional Command-South, poses for a photograph in front of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Sept. 4, 2014, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanis... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
29-year veteran Army aviator lives for 'being in the game'
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tom McClellan, the tactical operations officer and senior aviator for 1st Cavalry Division, Regional Command-South, poses for a photograph in front of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Sept. 4, 2014, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanis... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (Sept. 9, 2014) -- A Hawaiian hula-dancing doll bobbled back and forth on the dashboard of the pick-up truck as it drove from the Regional Command-South headquarters to the rotary-wing side of the runway early one evening. It's a drive Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tom McClellan makes regularly since he's been stationed at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan; especially of late.

As the tactical operations officer and senior aviator for 1st Cavalry Division, RC-South, McClellan recently conducted threat classes for the pilots of Task Force Raptor, also known as the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, on threat to aviation, counter measures and combat tactics.

"I did 12 classes and trained about 400 pilots and crew in about 10 days," said McClellan about the training, which also included five classes at three other bases.

"The instruction that I gave in these classes was over very technical, classified, geeky kind of material which could potentially be very boring," said McClellan, a San Antonio native. He said that he's been doing these types of classes for so long that he's able to explain everything very easily and inject humor, which makes his classes enjoyable.

"Who knew missiles could be so fun," he said, talking about his classes.

According to Lt. Col. Michael Goudeau, officer in charge of aviation operations at RC-South, it's easy to get McClellan going about missiles.

"He's a missile guy. Anything about missiles and threat systems, he's always excited about it," said Goudeau. "If you ask him about an SA-7 or SA-14 (missiles) or anything like that, he'll talk for hours."

In his position, McClellan's main responsibility is to advise the commanding general on aviation matters. His other responsibilities include training pilots on the equipment and tactics for defeating enemy threats to aviation, any equipment and training to do with escape and evasion, and also for mission planning for the aviation units that fall under the command of RC-South. On top of it all, he's also a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot.

For the 29-year Army veteran, advising in Afghanistan comes naturally since he wrote the book on it. During his last deployment, which ended only about four months before his current one, McClellan wrote the aviation procedure guide for Afghanistan while assigned to International Security Assistance Force Joint Command.

Even though he was only home from deployment for a short time in his assignment with III Corps in Fort Hood, Texas, he voluntarily came along on this deployment with the 1st Cav. Div. Working for their higher headquarters, McClellan did his best to find a suitable officer for the 1st Cav.'s deployment to fill their vacancy but couldn't, and out of a sense of dedication to his career field he decided to fill the position himself, said McClellan.

"This is the main focus for the U.S. military, everything else is preparation," he said. "If this were a basketball game, being back in the States would be practice or be on the bench, but we're in the game over here. It's definitely better being in the game."

Goudeau, who deployed previously with McClellan about 10 years ago in Iraq, was eager to work with him again and said that this kind of professionalism is the norm for McClellan.

"He took his own personal considerations and put them aside," said Goudeau about McClellan coming on this deployment. "He took a step down from the corps level to the division level. His impact here has been remarkable."

Goudeau also spoke highly of McClellan's commitment to his team and fellow Soldiers.

"That's one thing about Tom: If he can have an impact and save Soldiers and put them at less risk, he'll do that," said Goudeau. "He always does what he needs to do for the mission but he always makes sure that the lowest Soldier in the section gets what he needs in terms of professional development."

For McClellan, even after five combat deployments, he's very positive about his military service and finds it a pleasure to serve.

"I enjoy being a Soldier and serving my country. I think it's a privilege," he said. "When people say thank you for your service, I don't look at it like I'm doing favors for somebody or that it's any kind of imposition. It's really an honor to do this."

As the pick-up truck made its way back to the RC- South headquarters, the hula-dancing doll on the dashboard continued its bobble dance as the Afghan sun set. The doll is a reminder for McClellan of his next duty assignment where he will trade in the desert sunset for a tropical sunset in Hawaii.

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Army.mil: Middle East News