10th Combat Aviation Brigade adds value to ground forces' training in Germany

By Spc. Thomas Scaggs, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade JournalistApril 13, 2017

10th CAB Grafenwoehr 1
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from A Company, 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, arrives Thursday at the pickup zone at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany. The aviators were taking part in a joint-training exercise with Soldiers from 3rd Squadron... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
10th CAB Grafenwoehr 2
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Scott McGowan, a UH-60 Black Hawk crew chief with A Company, 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, delivers a safety briefing Thursday to Soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany. The exercise helped... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
10th CAB Grafenwoehr 3
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, rush to board a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from A Company, 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, during a joint-training exercise April 6 at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany. By training together ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
10th CAB Grafenwoehr 4
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, quickly exit a CH-47 Chinook helicopter from B Company, 3-10 General Support Aviation Battalion during a joint-training exercise April 6 at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany. By training together ear... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

VILSECK, Germany -- Aviators from 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, and 3-10 General Support Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI), provided air-assault capabilities to Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, during training Thursday at Grafenwoehr Training Area.

The use of UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters to move ground troops during an exercise provided real-world movement technique capabilities to an ongoing defensive training being executed by 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

"This helps build our interoperability by us working with 2nd Cavalry Regiment," said Capt. Trevor Roberts, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot with A Company, 2-10 Aviation. "We're going to be supporting these same Soldiers during Saber Junction, so this ultimately enriches that mission as well."

By involving aircraft support, ground troops not only practice the proper procedures for loading and offloading aircraft in a controlled environment, but they are able to understand the sequence of events needed to call in the lift assets.

With ground troops and air capabilities working in tandem, doing training that mimics real-world scenarios, aviators and Soldiers both experience a growth in their knowledge base and expertise.

This leads to greater success during the larger exercises planned as part of Atlantic Resolve and future conflicts in which the U.S. Army may find itself.

"This allows us to project our combat power much more quickly than we can on our Strykers," said Capt. Russell Tabolt, 3rd Squadron "Lightning Troop" commander. "Although we love our Strykers, and we use them to their maximum potential, you can't drive a Stryker as fast as you can (fly) a Black Hawk or a Chinook."

After the troops left the pickup zone, they arrived quickly at their landing zone and rushed to their fighting positions.

The helicopters departed, but the 2nd Cavalry Regiment Soldiers' day was far from done. They would complete a nine-kilometer ruck march, facing various training scenarios along the way, before returning to Vilseck.