FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) conducted a unique exercise Jan. 13 – 16, a long-range, large-scale air assault. The exercise is part of a training rotation with 2nd Brigade Combat Team “Strike” at the Joint Readiness Training Center..
The long-range, large-scale air assault included 76 aircrafts consisting of CH-47s, UH-60Ms, UH-60Ls and AH-64s, air assaulting more than 1,000 Soldiers and 100 pieces of equipment into the Joint Readiness Training Center from Alexandria, La over two periods of darkness.
“The hardest part in planning an exercise like this is really the sheer size of the exercise and all the entities that are involved with it,” said Lt. Col. Robert Wells, G5 planner for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “It’s not just one single unit that has to be synchronized and integrated, it's the entire division staff as well as all of the subordinate units involved and we even pulled in some joint partners.
The long-range, large-scale air assault is a unique operational capability the 101st brings to the modern fight. No other unit within the United States military has the training and capability to perform air assault operations like this.
Planning for this exercise began months ago as representatives from multiple organizations coordinated movements, personnel and timelines to achieve successful results. Units in this process included division staff, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade “Wings of Destiny”, 101st Division Sustainment Brigade “Lifeliners”, 2nd Brigade Combat Team “Strike” and echelons above the division. The goal was to reduce the amount of time a long-range, large-scale air assault takes to plan as more exercises are conducted in the future.
The execution of the long-range, large-scale air assault took place in multiple locations. Aircraft traveled from Fort Campbell, Ky. to Alexandria, La. and Fort Johnson, La. during one period of darkness, with FARPs (Forward Arming and Refueling Point) at Millington, Tn., Oxford, Miss. Monroe, La. and Alexandria, La. on Jan. 13.
“This has been interesting because we have been able to leverage some of the local communities along the route of flight. The communities of Monroe, Oxford, and Millington have been really helpful to us in setting the conditions to accomplish this mission,” said Lt. Col. Wells.
Aircraft and personnel performed air assault operations between Alexandria and Fort Johnson during three periods of darkness, moving personnel and equipment into and out of “The Box” of the Joint Readiness Training Center over three days before aircraft returned to Fort Campbell on Jan. 16.
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is no stranger to air assault operations; however, air assault missions in recent history have been over shorter distances with a smaller number of aircraft.
“When you go through our history, and you look at what has been done in the past there are plenty of people who have done small-scale air assaults. When we started in Vietnam as Air Mobile, we were doing small-scale, short-range air assaults,” said Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “People who have done air assaults before, that is what is in their minds; small-scale, short-range air assaults,”
This exercise in conducting a long-range, large-scale air assault covers over 500 nautical miles, pushing the limits of the historical capabilities of air assault operations.
“The execution of a long-range, large-scale air assault is what makes us in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) unique. This is a capability that we possess that no one else possesses,” said Maj. Gen. Sylvia. “We are pushing the envelope, not just for us but for the entire Army. This is a learning event for everyone.”
Many civilians and military members alike understand airborne operations, service members jumping out of fixed-wing aircraft with parachutes. An air assault is different as it sets the service members on the ground using rotary wing aircraft in one consolidated area without parachutes. This method has advantages to airborne operations, especially as a long-range, large-scale operation.
“When our Soldiers hit the ground, they are already task organized,” said Lt. Col. Wells. “There is no dispersion by the wind pushing parachutes apart, and they have to reorganize.”
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) has the unique capabilities to handle an operation of this size, not only due to the air assault capability of the unit, but because of subordinate units of the division.
“Our combat aviation brigade, as it is currently configured, has more CH-47 Chinook helicopters than any other division. This provides us a unique lift capability not only for Soldiers, but for weapons and equipment as well,” said Lt. Col. Wells. “We can get more people into the fight quicker.”
The division’s goal for the long-range, large-scale air assault is to deliver one brigade combat team over 500 miles in one period of darkness. The brigade arrives as a cohesive team, capable of fighting behind enemy lines for over 14 days. Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team will conduct platoon level situational training exercises at Fort Johnson until Jan. 31st as a part of their training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center.
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