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FORT PICKETT, Va. - The 60th Troop Command, North Carolina’s most versatile Army unit, highlighted some of its capabilities during an airborne training exercise at Blackstone Army Airfield, Fort Pickett, Virginia, Feb. 7 and 8.
Known as quiet professionals, for their demeanor on the field and off, Special Forces Soldiers under the 60th TC, from the Special Operations Detachment-X, Company B, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and Company B, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) parachuted from C-130 Hercules, in the same manner they would enter combat zones in real world operations.
“Today we have both military free fall parachute operations and static line parachute operations,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Paul Allen, B Company, 3-20th SFG (A) jumpmaster. “We are required to jump four times a year to be sustained current.”
“We’re doing everything from briefing on the operation, to tracking of the aircraft, and emergency operations in the air, running down everything in the book,” said Allen. “That’s followed up by practice parachute landing falls, all the guys have to do-backwards, forwards, and sideways, so they can get that muscle memory back.”
As the Special Forces Soldiers ran through their safety drills and began to strap on their main parachutes, reserve parachutes and harnesses, two C-130H airplanes began their descent onto the runway. The planes were flown and manned by the Air National Guard out of Charlotte.
The North Carolina Air National Guard air crew worked closely with the Special Forces commanders and jumpmasters to ensure the flight plans and safety protocols before going up in the air. The partnership between the Special Forces Group and other units are not uncommon when training or in real world scenarios.
“We bring a lot of skill sets, stemming from the advance training and opportunities we've had,” said Allen. “We're able to work with the rest of the partner units here in the North Carolina National Guard and share some of those skill sets we were fortunate enough to acquire.”
The group and detachment provide a broad and diverse perspective when planning and executing missions, partly due to their intensive training, such as the airborne operations happening at Blackstone Army Airfield.
“Special Forces, by design, are unique in what they do and how they do it,” said Col. Ephraim Grubbs, 60th TC Brigade Commander. “For the North Carolina National Guard, the ability to have these units are a huge benefit to us, both on the federal side as well as what they can offer us in support of civil authorities in times of need.”
The expertise of the group and detachment add to the total Army capabilities of the guard force.
“The airborne operations here is all about their ability to get to a location, and no one does it better than these guys,” said Grubbs.
The cold mornings led way to clear skies later in the day, with just a few strong wind gusts throughout the airborne jumps. The wind velocity was closely monitored by a team on the ground. One strong wind gust could force a jumper to drift past the designated drop zone and possibly be injured.
Like professionals however, the SF Soldiers landed on their mark, filling the sky with open chutes every time the C-130H made a pass.
Grubbs, accompanied by the brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Ernest Bouton, and brigade S3 command officer Lt. Col. Larry Coleman, not only watched the training on ground, but went up in the C-130H with the SF Soldiers to support them and the operation.
“Nothing can replace the physical presence with the troops during training,” said Grubbs. “It's critical that leadership from officers, to non-commissioned officers, to warrant officers, participate in all training events and I'm just fortunate to be out here with these guys.”
After the training, the Special Forces Soldiers were re-certified, and ready to continue their support to the NCNG, the U.S. Special Operations Command or likewise theater command when called upon.
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2015 17:13 |
| Story ID: | 155830 |
| Location: | FORT PICKETT, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 179 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, To the sky: NCARNG SF units conduct airborne operations, by Brian Godette, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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