RIGA, Latvia - Kicking off as the first rotational Combat Aviation Brigade deployed in Eastern Europe, 10th CAB, Task Force Phoenix, led by 3rd General Support Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, from Fort Drum, N.Y., display their skills as a team to download two Black Hawks and realign the blades into flying position at Riga International Airport on March 1, in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Operation Atlantic Resolve is a U.S. led effort in Eastern Europe that demonstrates U.S. commitment to the collective security of NATO and dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region.
The exercise is a demonstration of rapid deployment of U.S. forces and equipment in support of NATO interests. The Air Force C-5 aircraft carrying the Black Hawks left New York, where 10th CAB is based, earlier that morning and arrived at Riga approximately eight hours later, said Maj. Gen. Timothy Zedalis, Vice Commander, U.S. Air Force Europe and Air Force Africa.
"In the very near future, within about a couple hours, they will have the ability to actually fly and start conducting missions," said Brig. Gen. Timothy Daugherty, U.S. Army Europe Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3. "Indeed, two days from now, they already have a joint operation with our Latvian Allies to conduct military operations."
Soldiers transported the Black Hawks to a nearby hangar and diligently began to perform routine work. Working as a team, 10th CAB removed their equipment from the Black Hawk and reassembled parts of the helicopter from stowed to operational status.
In short, they demonstrated the exact reasons why Brig. Gen. Daugherty called 10th CAB a 'tremendous resource for the Army'.
Even as U.S. Soldiers did what was to them an everyday activity, it served as a display of U.S. capabilities and commitment for NATO Allies and Europe's collective security.
"Each individual country's strength is NATO, and the strength of NATO is each individual country," Brig. Gen. Daugherty said. "I think that we see, through the actions we have inside Europe right now, that the United States Army is fulfilling that commitment to NATO."
--------------
U.S. Army Europe is uniquely positioned in its 51st country area of responsibility to advance American strategic interests in Europe and Eurasia. The relationships we build during more than 1,000 theater security cooperation events in more than 40 countries each year lead directly to support for multinational contingency operations around the world, strengthen regional partnership and enhance global security.
Social Sharing