FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. -- Imagine piloting a multi-million dollar aircraft without ever stepping foot into a cockpit. Sound impossible' It isnAca,!a,,ct for five Fort Huachuca, Ariz. noncommissioned officers. Staff Sgt. Mathew Barnard, Staff Sgt. Jason Irwin, Staff Sgt. Jason Palm, Staff Sgt. James Shaw, and Sgt. 1st Class Brian Minor were hand selected from a board of Army aviators to enter into training here that allowed them to become pilots of the Warrior-A unmanned aircraft system.
The Warrior-A UAS is piloted via Aca,!A"stick and rudderAca,!A? which allows for the aircraft to manually take off and land. Once in the air, the flight of the Warrior-A UAS is monitored and controlled on a series of screens by the launch and recovery pilot, an aircraft operator and a payload operator.
The Warrior-A UAS is unique in that it is as large as a regular airplane and can remain on the battlefield significantly longer than a typical Scout or attack helicopter while reporting battlefield developments. There are currently 13 of these $6.5 million dollar aircraft in various locations around the world.
According to Capt. Shane Boyd, commander, Company C, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Battalion, there are currently less than a dozen Army aviators who fill the role of LRE pilots. Because the demand for this asset has increased with U.S. forces split in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Army chose to allow a limited number of enlisted operators to train as pilots for this aircraft.
This is a historic event for the Army, as it is the first time since World War II that the Army has produced enlisted pilots. For that reason, Boyd said these five NCOs will join a select few in Army history. Aca,!A"This is a major milestone not only for the Army but for Army aviation,Aca,!A? he added.
All of the graduates are former Shadow UAS operators, and have been deployed with Warrior-A detachments. During training they mastered such skills as integration with other air traffic, basic piloting skills and air traffic control communication, he said.
The five NCOs graduated Friday at Libby Army Air Field in Hangar 1 on Fort Huachuca, in a ceremony attended by approximately 75 guests. Each NCO was the recipient of a number of certificates and a leather aviation patch. All of the graduates will now head down range.
During the ceremony, guest speaker Ken Brazell spoke of the accomplishments of the graduating class. He said the class had 533 successful landings with relatively few bumps. Of the class he added, Aca,!A"They have the desire. You can have the ability but without the desire youAca,!a,,cre not going to achieve anything.Aca,!A?
Aca,!A"I just stood back and watched them make some very nice landings. They were very professional the whole way around,Aca,!A? he said during closing remarks.
Social Sharing