69th ADA enhances readiness through joint exercises

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Banzhaf | 1st Lt. Michelle Hartberger-Solano, the executive officer with Battery C, 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, briefs Col. Richard Harrison, commander of the 69th ADA Bde during his visit to the Patriot site in an undisclosed location. Being spread out through the area of responsibility, Patriot units can use the joint air defense exercise to test their communication equipment and readiness. (Photo by Sgt. Brandon Banzhaf /Released)  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

08.24.2016

Story by Sgt. Brandon Banzhaf 

69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade

SOUTH WEST ASIA – The 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade participated in a Joint Air Defense Exercise, a three day long training event focused on increasing the readiness of all air defense assets in the United States Central Command’s Area of Responsibility, here.
The JADEX is designed to test the communication between various echelons throughout different military branches. It stresses the commanders’ abilities to assess and react to potential threats they could face in real world scenarios.
“The JADEX is primarily operated in a simulated environment,” said Capt. Robert Runshe, a Jacksonville, Arkansas native and chief of exercises with the Air Force forces staff in the Combined Air Operations Center. “The exercise stretches across the AOR with the Army Patriot units, Navy ships and command and control Air Force agencies; they are all linked in together into the simulated environment.”
The simulation acts as a massive video game where commanders and air defense units use to face the common threat of enemy tactical ballistic missiles and aircraft. Using programs and existing communication channels, everyone can have access the exercise.
Once a hostile threat is identified, the elements of the Army, Navy and Air Force communicate with each other, processes the information and rely on their standard operating procedures to determine which air defense asset is to engage the given threat.
The JADEX builds relationships across the sister services, stresses their procedures and crosstalk when fighting against air threats.
“Communication is very important both inside and outside the unit,”1st Lt. David Parks, an Exeter, New Hampshire native and tactical director for Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th ADA Bde. “Effective communication is needed for commanders at all levels to make decisions and mitigate risk for their units.”
Parks is responsible for tracking aircraft and missiles and communicated the information with his battalion and the air defense artillery fire control officer at the brigade. He watches where friendly and hostile air tracks are going and coming from.
When Parks is given a fire mission he repeats the transmission which is acknowledged back to him. The mission is also communicated to the designated Patriot crew which validates the information back to the ADAFCO prior to firing.
This verification process only takes few seconds upon which the crew can then fire at the incoming threat.
“For the Army’s side of the house, it’s a function of their command and control channels for dealing with TBM fight,” said Runshe. “Between the three days of scenarios, there was better improvement on the last day with the most difficult scenarios.
The JADEX is used to correct any deficiencies and prepare for a larger scoped, air and missile defense exercise.
“Our units were able to get realistic training,” said Parks. “Everyone gains from participating in the JADEX, from the commanders, all the way down to the individual Soldier operating their systems. The unit performed to standard as expected.”

This the first part of a two piece series.

• Date Taken: 08.24.2016
• Date Posted: 09.14.2016 08:22
• Story ID: 209525
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US
• Hometown: EXETER, NH, US
• Hometown: JACKSONVILLE, AR, US