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WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii – Aircrews assigned to Charlie
Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation
Brigade provided UH-60M Black Hawk air assault support to Soldiers
of 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat
Team, during the 15-01 Jungle Operations Training Course, in the
JOTC training area, Oct. 24, 2014.
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Soldiers with 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, exit a UH-60M Black Hawk operated by an aircrew assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, in a jungle training area for an air assault mission during the 15-01 Jungle Operations Training Course, Oct. 24,
2014. The air assault allowed the JOTC class to experience the complexities of movement through a jungle environment during their multiple-day, live-fire training exercise. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Richard Barker, 25th CAB Public Affairs)
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An air assault is the action of using rotary wing aircraft to
transport Soldiers into an operational area. The air assault allowed
the JOTC class to experience the complexities of movement through a
jungle environment during their multiple-day, live-fire training
exercise.
“Adding the air assault capability to training adds
realism needed for the units to understand all the elements that
come together in the jungle environment,” said Staff Sgt. Oscar
Salmeron, a JOTC jungle instructor.
Training at JOTC includes
learning to properly waterproof equipment, utilize field-expedient
communication methods, perform jungle-specific medical treatment and
conduct jungle patrolling tactics.
“The thing to understand
about the jungle is the mobility aspect,” said Salmeron. “The
helicopters facilitate entry and exit points which change the
ability of the unit to navigate the jungle better.”
The air
assault portion of the training started with the air crews working
with the 2-14th CAV Soldiers to practice safely entering and exiting
the Black Hawks while they were safely parked with engines turned
off. This training, known as cold load training, ensures all of the
details of entering and exiting the aircraft are worked out prior to
a live mission.
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Soldiers with 2nd Squadron, 14th
Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, maneuver through
a jungle training area following a UH-60M Black Hawk air assault
operation operated by Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation
Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, during the 15-01 Jungle
Operations Training Course, Oct. 24, 2014. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Richard Barker, 25th CAB Public Affairs)
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“The air assault training at JOTC provides us with an
additional opportunity to practice air ground integration
with the ground units in the 25th Infantry Division,” said
1st Lt. Caitlin Withenbury, platoon leader, Company C, 2-25
AVN, 25th CAB. “The more exposure we have to each other's
operations, the better we will be able to work together in
the future.”
The open nature of the JOTC training
also provides 25th CAB aviation units with the perk of
gaining diverse aviation experience.
“The unit
leadership participating in JOTC have the ability to develop
their own missions to include deciding how they would like
to use aviation support,” said Withenbury. “This benefits us
because we never see the same mission twice.”
The
15-01 JOTC course is the first of four training courses
scheduled during the 2015 fiscal year.
By U.S. Army Capt. Richard Barker
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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