101st Airborne flying in support of AS/NE 07

Courtesy Photo | Warrant Officer Joseph P. Whitley and Chief Warrant Officer Ruben Diaz member of the UH-60 blackhawk crew take a much needed break after flight patterns around Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in support of the field training excercise portion of operation Ardent Sentry / Northern Edge '07  

05.13.2007

Courtesy Story

11th Public Affairs Detachment

By Cpl. Drew M. Wilkinson
11th Public Affairs Detachment

As the UH-60 Black Hawk landed at Muscatatuk Urban Training Center, the air was clouded with dirt. Other Black Hawks circled the skies above the training grounds. The 4th and 7th Battalions, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division deployed six helicopters and 42 soldiers in support of the field training exercise portion of Ardent Sentry/Northern Edge 2007.

"We have done wildfire exercises and rescue practices, but this is a whole new type of exercise," said Lt. Col. Tony Fish, the Flight Commander from A company of the 4th Battalion, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. "It is always good to get new kinds of training," he said

AS/NE07 is a joint training exercise. The scenario of the exercise is that a 10-kiloton nuclear bomb was detonated in Indianapolis. Agencies from all over the nation have come to MUTC to support the population with disaster relief efforts.

"It is not often we get the chance to work with multiple agencies like this," said Warrant Officer Joseph P. Whitley, a member of the UH-60 Black Hawk crew from A company. The 101st is working with Federal Emergency Management Agency, Indiana policemen, the Ohio and Indiana National Guard, Indiana local fire departments, Marines, and other Army personnel.

The 101st is here to support the needs of anyone who requests them. "We are here to transport personnel, equipment, and for this exercise, mass casualties," said Chief Warrant Officer Ruben Diaz, a UH-60 Black Hawk crewmember from A company.

The 101st redeployed from Iraq seven months ago. The equipment has recently returned from the reset and re-equip phase of redeployment. This is an excellent test of the equipment after such a heavy mission, said Fish.

Now, the 101st has been assigned to the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive, consequence management response force, which falls under Joint Task Force Civil Support Command in support of the Department of Defense, U.S. Northern Command's homeland defense mission requirements.

Currently, no exercise related mission is slated that involves the UH-60 Black Hawks. However, these soldiers are standing by ready to do any mission that comes their way. The 101st has a long history of natural disaster relief and hopes to never support a disaster of this type.

• Date Taken: 05.13.2007
• Date Posted: 05.14.2007 15:23
• Story ID: 10368