Aerial gunnery exercise bangs, booms

Photo By Sgt. Jonathan Thibault | Warrant Officer James Tolley, AH-64 Apache pilot, 4th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, helps run the tower during an aerial gunnery range on Fort Carson, Colo., Sept. 9, 2014.  

FORT CARSON, CO, UNITED STATES

09.09.2014

Story by Sgt. Jonathan Thibault 

4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs

FORT CARSON, Colo. - Simulation rounds whistled as they flew downrange during the first AH-64 Apache aerial gunnery range on Fort Carson, Sept. 9, 2014.

Apache aircrews from 4th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, held the range to qualify pilots for mission readiness.

"According to the old aerial gunnery range requirements, we only had to qualify once a year," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Matthew Longanacre, battalion master gunner, 4th Avn. Regt. "Our new requirements are three to four times a year. Department of the Army standard is to have 85 percent of aircrews gunnery qualified."

The aviation master gunner's primary job is to run the commander's weapons program, train aircrews following gunnery doctrine and get the aviators to satisfactory readiness levels, said Longanacre.

"Mission readiness for aviators starts with them being able to identify hostile and friendly targets," said Longanacre. "Once the aviator successfully identifies the hostile target, (he is) given guidance to either suppress or eliminate the target. This helps (him) learn to verify targets to prevent fratricides in deployed areas."

This training is crucial to support ground commanders with ambushes or security overseas.

"Practicing on our weapons systems is a skill that is imperative to ground commanders because well-trained Apache aircrews can provide suppressive firepower to prevent enemies from overcoming friendly forces and give overwatch for convoys to discourage ambushes," Longanacre said.

Although the 4th ARB training ended Sunday, 1st ARB, 4 Avn. Regt., held its first aerial gunnery range that same day, said Lt. Andrew McNeely, assistant operations officer, 4th ARB.

"1-4 ARB and 4-4 ARB will shoot Hellfire missiles at the range over the weekend," said McNeely. "This will give a chance for the newer aviators to feel the difference between firing the simulation missiles and the real thing. Our command supports the use of realistic, but safe, training. This will be great for both battalions."

Besides the aerial gunnery, aviation support Soldiers trained on tasks they will need to perform when deployed.

"We like to take every opportunity to train," said Capt. Grant Betz, commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th ARB. "Our main goal during this exercise was to qualify 14 Apache aircrews. But this training also allowed us to do search, escape, resistance and evasion training; medical training; forward arming and refueling point operations; and food service operations. This is important for us to find our deficiencies and correct them to get us ready for future deployments."

• Date Taken: 09.09.2014
• Date Posted: 09.22.2014 13:43
• Story ID: 142888
• Location: FORT CARSON, CO, US