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KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Leading into their
deployment, the Troopers of Delta Company, 2nd Aviation Assault
Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, conducted constant training
in the event of a downed aircraft. The Troopers of Delta Company
finally get their chance to validate their performance in a
simulated training event in an outpost near Kandahar Airfield,
Afghanistan.
To achieve this critical mission, the Troopers
rely on the skills and dedication of its downed aircraft recovery
team known as the DART.
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Soldiers with Delta Company, 2nd Aviation Assault Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, prepare to attach sling-load ropes to a CH-47 Chinook as part of sling-load operation during a downed aircraft recovery team training exercise, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan on November 11, 2014.
(U.S. Army photo by Capt. Adan Cazarez)
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Staff Sgt. Joshua Main, UH-60
helicopter repairer, Delta Company, 2nd Aviation Assault Battalion,
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, noncommissioned officer explains how
the DART is composed.
“The DARTs are a mixture of aviation
mechanics and a technical inspector,” said Main. “Our team is fully
trained to repair all forms of aircraft flown by the 82nd Combat
Aviation Brigade.”
During the simulated training event,
Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion,
327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne
Division (Air Assault), provided the aerial reaction force.
First Lt. Neal Brady, infantry platoon leader, Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment,
explains the role his infantryman assist the DART team.
“Our
job as the aerial reaction force is to ensure the site of accident
is secure,” said Brady. “It's important for my guys to quickly
provide security in order to allow the DART or Army medical
evacuation helicopter to be inserted safely to conduct their
mission.”
The first DART member to arrive to the scene is the
technical inspector.
“The TI is the eyes on the ground before
the DART arrives at the scene,” said Main. “After the TI determines
if the aircraft can be flown back or the TI will need the rest of
his team, the DART will then be launched,” said Main.
During
this time, the DART will have equipment pre-staged to allow the DART
to complete its mission.
Spc. Vince Giallombardo, aircraft
powertrain repairer, Delta Company, 2nd Aviation Assault Battalion,
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, is currently serving in his first
deployment and explains how pre-deployment training in the DART has
been beneficial.
“We have trained to know our task
proficiently,” said Giallomardo. “As a member of the DART we have to
work as a team, in the event of a real DART mission we can do our
job quickly and
smoothly.”
Capt. Daniel Johnson,
commander, Delta Company, 2nd Aviation Assault Battalion, explained
the importance of this validation simulated event.
“We have
trained for this mission in garrison, however our Troopers now have
the challenge of terrain and the addition of being in a combat
environment,” said Johnson.
Once the DART was airborne and
flown to a remote location, the scenario would require them to
extract two vehicles by sling-load, simulating an aircraft broken
into two sections.
“As we arrived at the scene, I quickly
broke my team into two sections one on each vehicle,” said Main. “We
then determined that one will be sling-loaded by a cargo net and the
other by a 25k sling set.”
After the DART successfully
secured and rigged both vehicles, Bravo Company, “Flippers,” 3rd
General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade,
extracted the vehicles with their CH-47 chinooks.
Once the
training event was over and the Soldiers were flown back in Kandahar
Airfield, the DART is posture to recover any aircraft within the
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade area of responsibility.
“Today's validation training event is as realistic you can get,”
said Johnson. “Regardless of the amount of time we train for this
type of scenario, there is always room for improvement in our
techniques and procures.”By U.S. Army Capt. Adan Cazarez
Provided through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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