Air Defense Artillery guard the skies

Photo By Staff Sgt. Connie Jones | Spc. Paul Ballard, of Tupelo, Miss., an air defense battle management systems operator with the Headquarters Company, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, monitors the skies in support of the Exportable Combat Training Capabilities exercises July 28, 2015, at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Miss. The Exportable Combat Training Capability gives Soldiers the opportunity to strengthen their individual and combat readiness- a requirement for the Army Total Force Policy that requires all components to provide trained and organized forces to support Army Commitments worldwide. (Mississippi National Guard photo by Sgt. Connie Jones, 102nd Public Affairs Detachment/Released)  

CAMP SHELBY, MS, UNITED STATES

07.28.2015

Story by Sgt. Connie Jones 

102d Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. – Air defense battle management systems operators with Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 204th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Mississippi Army National Guard, use radars to monitor the skies in support of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, MSARNG, at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, near Hattiesburg, Miss., July 28, 2015.

The ANMPQ 64 Sentinel Radar is used to detect aerial vehicles. Though this machine does not detect the aircraft type, the system operators are able to tell if trouble is in the air, said Pfc. Randy Fuller, an ADBMS operator with Headquarters Battery.

“From the radar, we are able to identify whether or not it is unknown, hostile or friendly. On our other systems, we get into what kind of aircraft it is,” said Fuller, a Meridian, Mississippi, native.

The images that they receive of the aircraft from the 1-204th are relayed to the Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control at the Tactical Operations Center for the 155th ABCT, said Spc. Paul Ballard, the ADBMS operator at Headquarters Company, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team.

The air pictures provides the Brigade Combat Team commander situational awareness on possible enemy threats in this area of operations, said Maj. Tony Morgan, the operations officer at 1st Battalion, 204th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Mississippi Army National Guard.

Their air defense mission was a part of an Exportable Combat Training Capability exercise.

XCTC exposes Guard Soldiers to combat-training experiences needed to support Army commitments worldwide. Approximately 4,600 Soldiers from the Mississippi Army National Guard, Active and Reserve components are participating in the event.

• Date Taken: 07.28.2015
• Date Posted: 07.28.2015 22:16
• Story ID: 171380
• Location: CAMP SHELBY, MS, US