Photo By Adam Holguin | Lt. Col. Michael Powers, commander, 1st Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery, is...... read more read more
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Guardsmen assigned to 1st Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery, Florida Army National Guard, completed a counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) mission in Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel, arriving stateside Feb. 27.
For the duration of the nine-month C-RAM mission, the unit protected Bagram Air Field and Camp Dahlke, Afghanistan, from potential attacks.
“The mission was great … it was about as flawless as it could possibly be,” said Lt. Col. Michael Powers, commander, 1st Bn., 265th ADA. “We were the first C-RAM battalion to make it through a mission protecting the forward operating bases from in direct fire without anybody on those FOBs being injured or killed from IDFs (indirect fire).”
The remarkable success of the 1st Bn., 265th ADA, is a point of pride for all in the battalion, who also took satisfaction in another distinction.
“To have zero casualties, zero killed in action, zero wounded, and zero killed due to IDF and we were the first Army National Guard unit to ever do this mission in Afghanistan,” said Capt. AJ Bautch, commander, Battery C, 1st Bn., 265th ADA. “There is a strong sense of pride and accomplishment for how well we performed over there.”
The battalion, headquartered in Palm Coast, Florida, with batteries located in DeLand and Palatka, has completed previous air defense missions stateside in the national capital region, so this mission was different in a variety of ways.
“We had about 70 different rocket attacks between those two locations. The unit before us had a little more than that, we were just fortunate that nothing happened on our watch,” Powers said.
“I am very proud of all the noncommissioned officers and the way that the entire unit transitioned because we are not C-RAM by our normal mission tasking,” Bautch said. “That adaptability is something. We have really strong leaders, we let them run their sections, we let them have the input as a team, we collaborate and we really improve. That is one of the biggest successes, I am very proud of them.”
Protecting two locations, with combined personnel of more than 10,000, was the battalion’s biggest accomplishment; many Soldiers grew in a variety of ways during their time in Afghanistan.
“It was interesting and a life-changing experience,” said Spc. Osvaldo Rivera Jr., gunner, 1st Bn., 265th ADA, who deployed for the first time. “It is something that I will value greatly … it helped me grow as an individual and as a professional. I am grateful for and feel very blessed to be a part of not only this unit, but also the bigger picture, the mission we had to protect everyone on the FOBs.”
“Having been overseas you kind of see how other people live and it really makes you appreciate all the things that we have here in the United States…I feel like I grew professionally and personally a lot over the past nine months,” said Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Azula, charlie battery platoon sergeant, 1-265 ADA.
The professional development of the Soldiers in the battalion was reflected in the more than 30 promotions that occurred during this mission, Powers said.
After completing the demobilization process with the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security here, 1st Bn., 265th ADA, returned home to the sunshine state March 10.
“I don’t think that the standards that our guys set will ever be broken, not for a C-RAM mission. I just don’t think it can happen, I don’t think it is possible,” Powers said. “We were good and lucky – the best of both worlds.”
| Date Taken: | 03.24.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.25.2016 15:38 |
| Story ID: | 193553 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | DELAND, FL, US |
| Hometown: | PALATKA, FL, US |
| Hometown: | PALM COAST, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 573 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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