Patriot battery hosts VIP tour

Photo By Sgt. Maria Kappell | Lt. Col. Douglas Waddingham, the battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, explains the operations of a Patriot site to Col. William Hill, Aug. 1, in Southwest Asia.  

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08.02.2010

Story by Spc. Maria Kappell 

69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade

By Spc. Maria L. Asenbrener
69th ADA BDE Public Affairs

CENTCOM AOR—The 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment hosted a visit for the incoming and outgoing Third Army Director of Operations in Southwest Asia, Aug. 1.

Col. William Hill will be taking over as the Third Army Director of Operations from Col. Kevin Batule, and both of them visited one of 3-43 ADA’s PATRIOT sites this past weekend.

Col. Hill has just left the position of Garrison Commander at Fort Hood, Texas, and has embarked on a new journey with Third Army.

3-43 ADA currently falls under the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, which is deployed from Fort Hood, Texas, in the Central Command Area of Responsibility. Hill’s arrival to the brigade’s footprint brought a little taste of home back to 69th ADA.

Both of the Colonels got a tour of the site and the opportunity to see how air defense operations are conducted on a daily basis, and, as always, the Soldiers of 3-43 ADA gave a flawless and informative rundown of their equipment and procedures.

As VIPs from various corners of the world continue to tour air defense facilities, they recognize and grasp the importance of the presence of air defense operations in the CENTCOM AOR. Air defense units have proven to be a critical assets to mission readiness and the safety of service members for decades and will continue to carry on these high standards for decades to come.

• Date Taken: 08.02.2010
• Date Posted: 08.02.2010 08:48
• Story ID: 53813
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)