29th Combat Aviation Brigade conducts gunnery training

By Capt. Stephen JamesAugust 31, 2017

29th Combat Aviation Brigade conducts gunnery training
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29th Combat Aviation Brigade conducts gunnery training
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FORT SILL, Okla. - The 29th Combat Aviation Brigade is an Army National Guard organization consisting of over 1,200 Soldiers from across the United States. It is scheduled to deploy later this spring to the Middle East, where it will perform an array of missions aimed at promoting security and stability in the region. The 29th CAB also has the mission to foster vital military partnerships with other countries in the region.

Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 29th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 149th Aviation Regiment and 449th Aviation Support Battalion (ASB) conducted deployment training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, from Feb. 17 to March 2.

The successful aerial gunnery training included aviation maintenance, airfield management and Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) operations.

In the aerial gunnery training, helicopter crewmembers engaged targets from a UH-60 Black Hawk or CH-47 Chinook using the M-240H machine gun. The crewmembers fire at targets while the helicopter is moving and while it is at a stationary hover.

Gunnery training provides crewmembers a way to hone their skills in aerial marksmanship and also has the advantage of expanding crew coordination, said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Austin Kornov, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot from Company A, 2-149 GSAB.

For many members of the 29th CAB, this was aerial gunnery exercise was their first time working together, and there were various levels of experience amongst crewmembers.

"This was my first time shooting out of a moving helicopter," said Spc. Bryce Alvarez, a UH-60 Black Hawk crewmember from the 2-149 GSAB.

Preparation for this training was important, as Soldiers practiced firing the M-240H in a simulator before firing their weapons on a range, said Alvarez.

The training increased the proficiency and the confidence of 29th CAB Soldiers, which will only help later on.

"Looking towards the future, we are afforded the flexibility of crew chiefs and medical crew chiefs the ability and confidence to operate M-240H, if needed," said Kornov.

For the helicopter crewmembers, this event allowed for valuable practice that can't be replicated anywhere else.

"Aerial gunnery training is useful for identifying targets and knowing the limits of our weapon systems for protection of the aircraft," said Sgt. Kevin Campbell, a crewmember from Company A, 2-149 GSAB.

Gunnery also provides crewmembers a chance to improve their reaction time, said Campbell.

As Soldiers from 29th CAB face uncertainties on their deployment to Iraq, they will rely on their experience at the range.

"Training went well, we had the opportunity to go to a range that we were unfamiliar with and had new units to work with," said Kornov.

After improving their gunnery skills and solidifying their team here at Fort Sill, the 29th CAB will be ready to accomplish any mission they are given.

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