Photo By Bert Blanchette | Scouts with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry...... read more read more
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CAMP STANLEY, South Korea – Scouts with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, recently traded in their ground transport vehicles for CH-47 Chinooks and UH-60 Black Hawks during a training exercise at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, South Korea.
“This training is as real as it gets,” said Pfc. Richard Burdick, a West Palm Beach, Florida, native and cavalry scout with HHC. “There are a lot of puzzle pieces coming together.”
The scouts’ mission was to load up into a CH-47 Chinook or UH-60 Black Hawk, dismount, and set up blocking positions to protect two bridges.
“We used a light system and hand signals for communication on the bird, because it was too loud to talk,” said Sgt. Mathew Singleton, a Colorado Springs, Colorado, native and cavalry scout with the company. “When the red light turned on, it meant we were about three minutes out. When it switched to green, we were one minute out, and we start to prepare to unload.”
With the crew chiefs to direct them during their flight, the process of disembarking was smooth and controlled.
Once the scout platoon departed from the aircraft they moved about 20 meters and waited for the aircraft to take off. They then bounded, one section rushing forward as the other provided suppression fire, to their blocking points in order to hold an area of interest and prevent enemies from securing it.
“I’ve been in the Army for about a year, and I’m glad I get the opportunity to participate in this training,” said Pvt. Michael Doyle, a Two Harbors, Minnesota, native and cavalry scout with HHC.
While the scouts secured their objectives, they used lasers attached to their rifles to help the OH-58 Kiowa helicopters acquire their targets. The air support flew in and fired at the designated targets.
“We would also fire at targets between 250 meters to 800 meters,” said Singleton. “This training is important to me, because it allows my Soldiers to get trigger time and learn how to make their weapons talk.”
Soldiers were equipped with fully loaded M-4 Carbines or with M-249s. They communicated and fired as a team to hit targets both still and moving.
As the scouts and air support were working together, M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and mortar teams were firing near by.
When everything was said and done, they were picked up and brought back to review their performance.
The training wasn’t just limited to daytime either. The scouts were still moving well past midnight in low temperatures.
“But I’m glad we are here. There have been a lot of lessons learned. I wish I had this training before my deployment years ago,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Eaton, an Eddyville, Iowa, native and senior scout.
The 3-8 Cav is currently in Korea on a nine-month rotational deployment with the 2nd Infantry Division in the Republic of Korea.
| Date Taken: | 12.01.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.02.2014 17:05 |
| Story ID: | 149217 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Hometown: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Hometown: | EDDYVILLE, IA, US |
| Hometown: | PALM BEACH, FL, US |
| Hometown: | TWO HARBORS, MN, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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