Air Medal

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MCKENZIE, IRAQ

05.06.2005

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

Sgt. Blake Kent
22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MCKENZIE, Iraq -- Keeping OH-58D Kiowa Warriors in the air has proven a useful tactic for 17th Cavalry Soldiers, allowing them to react quickly to situations as they are happening.

Kiowa teams from the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 82nd Airborne Division, Task Force Liberty, have been able to cut their reaction time to events by running 24-hour operations that keep at least two Kiowas airborne at all times.

"Because we keep them in the air, they are always able to react," said Col. Mark Burke of Hamburg, N.Y., 42nd Aviation Brigade commander.

"There are a few techniques for doing this," said. Lt. Col. Frank M. Muth of Columbia, Md., 1-17th Cav commander. "You can use a quick reaction force team that is standing by, here on the FOB waiting to react, or you can have what we call a first responder."

Where it would take at least 12 minutes to get a QRF team in the air, having aircraft in the air at all times allows for air support to be on site within less time, Muth said.

"Being in the air allows you to have situational awareness and be already fully integrated into the fight right from when you receive the radio call," he added.

In the past month the teams have been able to react to an event near Lake Tharthar, southwest of Samarra, and a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack near Baquba.

Both events proved the value of the Kiowas through their ability to gain situational awareness and relay that information to the Soldiers on the ground, and their ability to provide rocket and .50-caliber machine gun fire to disrupt attacks by the anti-Iraqi forces.

In the Baquba attack, the Kiowa team reacted to the site of the VBIED explosion only to find it was the beginning of an AIF attack against an Iraqi Army compound.

"The AIF were infiltrating inside the compound, so we suppressed their advance," said Chief Warrant Officer Edwin L. Annis, of Portland, Ore., a pilot with Troop C, 1st Squadron, and air-mission commander on the day of the event.

The team saw AIF moving into the IA compound, and had to visually distinguish between the IA soldiers and the AIF, and then react quickly with suppressive fire to stop the AIF advance on the compound with no communication with IA troops on the ground.

A U.S. Army quick-reaction ground team was already en route to the attack, but had not yet arrived. The Kiowa team was in contact with the arriving troops, keeping them abreast of the situation as it developed.

"We started taking fire from two large weapons systems and rocket fire, but stayed in the area to develop the situation for the Soldiers on the ground," said Capt. Ashley F. Thames, of Manchester, Tenn., and pilot with Troop C, 1st Squadron.

"We were close enough to hear them shooting at us through our intercom mikes," said Chief Warrant Officer Scott H. Stradley, a pilot from Tehachapi, Calif. "The larger tracer fire we were taking was like softballs."

"I think the two weapons systems were probably meant for our ground guys coming in response to the VBIED, but we were able to draw the fire away from them and on to us," Thames said.

With the information provided by the Kiowa team, the ground troops were able to move into the area of the attack and secure it without putting themselves in the way of the planned AIF ambush.

"We try and give the best picture that we can to the leaders on the ground as the situation develops, so that they can best move their men around the battlefield," Stradley said.

"We can influence the ground space of the battle, but can't control it," Annis said. "That is where you have to have the ground troops."

The soldiers on the ground gave credit for their safety and ability to secure the area to the Kiowa team.

"I read the after-action report, and the ground troops gave direct credit to the Kiowa Warriors," said crew chief Staff Sgt. Michael Touchet, of St. Martinville, La.

"Without a doubt, we were able to save lives," Thames said. "The AIF weren't expecting us and we completely disrupted their operations."

The training the pilots receive and the care and attention the aircraft receive from the crew chiefs is what allows the Kiowa teams to react quickly, proficiently and safely while on their missions, all of the team members said.

"We train to fight the battle everyday -- practice our skills on the ranges and talk about how we are going to engage the targets," Annis said.

Annis, Stradley, Thames and Muth all received the Air Medal with "V" Device for their actions.

"I'll be proud to receive this award, it is a real honor," Stradley said. "Initially I came here thinking finding IEDs and mortar tubes was going to be about it, without having much shooting, but I am glad we were in the right place at the right time to help those guys out."

• Date Taken: 05.06.2005
• Date Posted: 05.06.2005 07:22
• Story ID: 1758
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE MCKENZIE, IQ