Brave Rifles conduct combined arms live fire

Photo By Staff Sgt. Erik Warren | A Soldier of Grim Troop, Thunder Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, engages a target with a simulated Javelin rocket launcher during a live-fire exercise Dec. 7 at the training area of Fort Hood. The event was part of a larger two-week long field training exercise meant to prepare the Regiment for a cycle at the National Training Center. (US Army photo by Spc. Erik Warren, 3rd Cavalry Regiment Public Affairs)  

KILLEEN, TX, UNITED STATES

12.08.2015

Story by Maj. Vance Trenkel 

3d Cavalry Regiment Public Affairs Office

FORT HOOD, Texas– The 3rd Cavalry Regiment conducted a troop live-fire exercise during the Brave Rifles’ regimental field training exercise Dec. 7 in the training area here to prepare them for a National Training Center rotation February 2016.

Grim Troop, 3rd Squadron “Thunder” was the main effort for the exercise. They supported elements from the regimental engineers, scouts, and field artillery. The 11th Air Support Operations Squadron provided two different types of aircraft: A-10 Warthogs and F-16 Fighting Falcons. In total, there were three Warthogs and 12 Fighting Falcons on station destroying assimilated targets on the live-fire range.

“The F-16s rotated in pairs of two throughout the battle to provide close air support to the ground fighters,” said Captain William Fundis of the 11th ASOS.

The 357th fighter squadron out of Davis Monthon Air Force Base in Arizona provided the aircraft.

Joint terminal attack controllers also played a role as liaisons between ground forces and air assets.

They travel on the ground with the troop commander to call in targets, said Fundis about the importance of communication between ground and air fighters.

“Synchronizing all of these assets onto three different objectives was challenging,” said Capt. Seth Bandi, the Grim Troop commander. “Timing indirect fire (field artillery) with the air assets, as well as the vehicles and dismounts on the ground had to be done meticulously to mass fires and keep everyone safe.”

Bandi created a terrain model and conducted multiple combined armed rehearsals with key players in the battle to ensure the lethality of the force as well as to keep everyone safe due to the numerous forms of live ammunition being fired on the simulated battlefield.

• Date Taken: 12.08.2015
• Date Posted: 12.10.2015 13:40
• Story ID: 184151
• Location: KILLEEN, TX, US