Photo By Master Sgt. Kevin McSwain | Unmanned aerial vehicle operators and maintainers of Detachment 1, Delta Company,...... read more read more
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CANADIAN FORCES BASE WAINWRIGHT, Alberta – Walking past a lake on the prairies of Alberta, Canada would be the last place one would expect to see military activity.
But on Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, this was the perfect spot for national guardsmen from Yakima, Washington to set up an airstrip and conduct unmanned aerial vehicle operations in support of Canadian, U.S. and British forces during Exercise Maple Resolve 16.
Soldiers with Detachment 1, Delta Company, 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion of the Washington Army National Guard is one of more than 10 U.S. Army units taking part in the annual training event.
More than 6,000 Canadian, British and U.S. forces are participating in the collective training event that validates the Canadian Army’s High Readiness Force for operations assigned to it by the Canadian government through the Chief of Defense Staff. This year’s exercise will certify the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
The detachment’s responsibility is to provide air support for all units within the area of operation by utilizing a Shadow 200.
“The Shadow is utilized to provide reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and battle damage assessment,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dan Stout, the detachment operations warrant officer. “It is launched from a pneumatic catapult and is recovered with the aid of arresting gear in the same manner as a jet on an aircraft carrier.”
Stout said the function of the unit is to provide commanders with intelligence and surveillance to identify where designated targets are.
“We have the capability to do more than other land-based assets. We’re typically going in with our special forces providing oversight that is needed to get them intelligence they need to know what is around the next corner.”
Stout, a native of Moses Lake, Washington, added that the aircraft could operate as a repeater giving units in remote areas the ability to stay in contact with their headquarters.
“The Shadow can hold up to 35 frequencies at one time. It can also perform duties that range from spotting wildfires to laser designation,” he said. “Our versatility expands with every idea that comes up.”
Exercise Maple Resolve is providing several training opportunities for the unit that is helping them understand the full capabilities of the aircraft and the personnel supporting its function.
“Weather permitting, we can fly 24/7,” Stout said. “We have had the opportunity to see how Canadian forces react to intelligence we provide and also learn how we can better communicate information to forces on the ground.”
The communication didn’t stop with the relay of the location of potential enemy forces.
“Any time we fly, we receive great training but being able to exchange best practices is the actual advantage. Different cultures, different people and different customs help us understand concepts and ideas from another perspective.”
Neither adverse weather conditions, nor communication barriers Stout summed up the experience as one of growth and strengthened relationships.
“This was an excellent training experience,” he said. “Our team enjoyed the experience. We had a great time with our Canadian partners and were happy to work alongside them.”
| Date Taken: | 05.29.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2016 15:06 |
| Story ID: | 199670 |
| Location: | YAKIMA, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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