Support specialists keep aviators flying high

Courtesy Photo | Forward Operating Base Prosperity, Iraq--Spc. Danielle S. Navarro, aviation operations specialist, manifests a passenger on a flight in theater. Navarro, from Culver City, Ca., and other members of the Brigade Aviation Element, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, coordinate aviation assets and ground maneuver units.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.06.2005

Courtesy Story

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Spc. Jennifer D. Atkinson
Aviation Brigade PAO



FORWARD OPERATING BASE PROSPERITY, Iraq -- Aviation support"in the form of air assaults, raids, and security and reconnaissance"can make a huge difference in the day-to-day operations of Task Force Baghdad Soldiers.

However, these missions don't just appear out of thin air. They are planned and executed with the help of a special group of Soldiers known as the Brigade Aviation Element.

The BAE is a new concept in supporting maneuver brigades. In years past, an aviation officer, often a junior officer, acted as a liaison to a ground unit. Because there was no requirement to permanently assign an aviator to do this mission, liaisons changed frequently, resulting in little to no continuity from mission to mission. Thus, a long-term relationship between the ground forces and the aviation unit didn't exist.

To better serve both the aviation community and the ground forces, a new BAE program was developed to permanently assign an aviator and team of aviation operations specialists to the ground maneuver unit to integrate and work directly with the brigade staff.

The BAE team trains and deploys with the unit, working to coordinate all aviation requests and acting as the aviation subject matter expert for the ground brigade commander.

"Some days, missions come fast and furious; other days are more relaxed. It all depends on the day and the mission," said Spc. Danielle S. Navarro, an Aviation Operations specialist.

Navarro, a native of Culver City, Calif., keeps track of everything from coordinating travel on the "Marne Express" helicopter shuttle to submitting aviation movement requests and coordinating attack helicopter assets in support of ongoing operations.

Navarro's job is a bit different from what her counterparts in the 3rd Infantry Division's Aviation Brigade do on a daily basis. If she were assigned to an aviation battalion, she would manage flight records for the pilots, track flights and maintain a mission log. In the combat theater of operations, Navarro and the other aviation specialists in the BAE are responsible for making sure missions are coordinated properly, manifests are correct and routed to the right places.

"We work hand in hand with the division, the ground units and the aviation brigade," Navarro said.

The BAE team started training with 3rd Inf. Div.'s 4th Brigade Combat Team at Ft. Stewart, Ga. Learning how the ground units worked was critical to accomplishing the mission.

The training that the BAE and 4th BCT conducted at Ft. Stewart helped to integrate the BAE into the brigade, said Maj. Ross Coffman, 4th BCT executive officer and native of Fort Knox, Ky.

"The BAE has been nothing but an asset," said Coffman, since "it takes more effort and resources when you don't know what's right."

"It was all on-the-job training." said Maj. Patrick T.O. Wright, an aviation officer with the BAE. "We trained each other to understand aviation operations."

Having the BAE integrated into the maneuver brigade enhances the information flow between the aviation units and the ground forces, Wright said.

"I make sure that (the request) is clear and concise and that it makes sense to me as an aviator before I send it on," added the Gig Harbor, Wash., native.

Being able to speak the language and communicate clearly with the aviation units has been a huge advantage, said Coffman, adding, "They provide a subject matter expert from the planning to the execution on every operation."

Having a dedicated section to coordinate aviation support has taken an extra task off the shoulders of battle captains, Coffman said.

"The BAE is a dynamite force multiplier," he added.

• Date Taken: 10.06.2005
• Date Posted: 10.06.2005 12:54
• Story ID: 3209
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ