FORT RILEY, Kansas - The 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, conducted convoy security operations training with 1st Combat Aviation Brigade during operation Danger Focus May 13 in Fort Riley's training area.
Throughout the four-week field exercise, Soldiers of the 101st BSB moved the brigade support area three times to new locations. While moving the BSA, they conducted convoy operations training.
"While moving the sustainment assets, we integrated attack weapons team aircraft to secure our main bodies as they moved across the battlefield," Capt. Jake Lopez, 101st BSB operations officer, said. "Having the support of the AWT assists in convoy security and area security while the battalion established the BSA."
Even though the 101st BSB has a fire support officer and an engineer officer, the battalion is not allocated, through the Army organic indirect fire support, mortars, artillery weapon systems or engineer assets.
"Having personnel like the fire support officer and an engineer officer brings additional assets into the fight, allowing fires assets and protection assets into ensuring the BSA is secure," Lopez said. "Integrating those two enablers gives the battalion access to subject matter experts in the warfighting functions of fire support and protection."
The 101st BSB's fire support officer, 1st Lt. Jessica Deason, participated in the training with the AWT aircraft. The team conducted route reconnaissance and area security of the battalion's operations. Deason communicated with the aircraft providing task and purpose.
"The AWT made it a more realistic training and convoy movement," Deason said. "It allowed the convoy commanders to have an additional view outside of just driving from point A to point B."
Deason would also allocate the AWT to different convoy commanders, allowing convoy commanders to communicate with aircraft and participate in the training as well.
"We are a new team and the brigade support battalion doesn't usually have fire supporters," Deason said. "Our training consisted of instructing BSB company commanders to know what assets are available such as AWT."
This type of training helps prepare the battalion's troops for their upcoming rotation to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, in late July.
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