Photo By Maj. Enrique Vasquez | Sgt. Joshua Bell (left) yells 'all clear' as he and Sgt. Johnny Bishop, both armaments...... read more read more
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By Maj. Enrique T. Vasquez
Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
Tikrit, Iraq – "Pass the ammunition" is a familiar cliché etched in the minds of many service members serving in Northern Iraq and is a rich part of American military history dating back to the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the initial months of World War II the "ammo" cliché became legendary due to a song entitled "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" inspired by a military chaplain.
Today "pass the ammunition" still carries a special meaning for the armaments section of Company D, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment. Despite all the sophistication associated with modern avionics, someone still has to load the ammunition onto the Apache AH-64D Longbows belonging to the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
The armaments section is responsible for loading and repairing the Apache's main fixed armament this being a 30 mm M230 chain gun. Crews also load the helicopter's missiles. Once the ammo is received, the loading of 30mm rounds onto the chain gun requires visual inspection of the Apache's weapon system as explained by one repairman.
"Before you load rounds into the gun you have to check for other rounds inside, this prevents accidental discharges from occurring due to gaps between the rounds," said Spc. Carlos Soto, armament systems repairman, Co. D, 1-1 ARB.
Soto continued to explain the tedious process. "Then you have to bring the remaining rounds to the sideloader, which is where you load the ammo. Only then can you start loading the aircraft with ammo, while checking for gaps between the rounds," said Soto.
The ammo comes in a tray when we load it onto the sideloader. The sideloader is an electrical and completely automated piece of equipment so it allows us to move the rounds up and down added Sgt. Jeremy Rickards, armaments section sergeant with Company D.
Once the aircraft reaches ammunition capacity a magazine full indicator will notify the armaments personnel the Apache loaded.
"When the magazine is full we will lower the rounds to the gun and chamber the first round so the gun is ready to fire when the pilots go fly," Rickards said.
The gun is adjusted by the armaments personnel, who crawl underneath the aircraft and spin the chain gun until the first round is chambered.
Loading the rest of the Apache's complement of ammunition is also a simple process. However, missile loading entails careful handling too.
"Loading missiles is a two-man load because each missile weighs 90 to 100 lbs each. Before loading missiles we inspect them for damage such as pitting, scratches anything that is broken or displaced. Any damage to the missile might cause it to misfire so that is why we inspect them," Rickards said.
Loading ammunition is not the armament sections only job, these Soldiers do a lot more when it comes to keeping the aircraft flyable.
"We fix and maintain the weapons systems and everything electrical or electronic on the aircraft. We have a maintenance non-commissioned officer who is in charge of the maintenance for us and we have one per shift," Soto said.
"The maintenance non-commissioned officer determines what needs to be worked on and hands out tasks to the Soldiers," Soto added.
The maintenance NCO receives input from the aircrews shortly after the helicopters land. The pilots identify faults and pass the information to the maintenance section. The armaments section then takes the pilot's and maintenance NCO's assessment and acts on it.
With the exception of the 30mm chain gun the armaments section does not work on the mechanical or hydraulic parts of the aircraft but rather concentrates on the electronic components.
"The armaments section works on everything electrical such as avionics, wire repairer, ammunition handling system and the counter measure equipment," Rickards said.
"Loading ammunition is only part of the job, our main priority is to get out and troubleshoot that aircraft and make it fully mission capable. Our main focus is on the electrical systems of that aircraft. We will troubleshoot everything electrical up to the continuity of the transducers," Rickards said.
Transducers are devices which covert an electrical signal into a hydraulic action added Rickards.
Although the armaments section does more than just pass ammo; the cliché "Pass the Ammunition" continues to have a profound meaning for the Soldiers on the ground, who appreciate the role of helicopters and their crews.
"The infantry guys are always asking us if the Apaches are flying, they always want to know if their convoys are being escorted by our helicopters," Soto said. "You can tell the ground guys are often relieved and less stressed when they know the combat aviation brigade's Apaches are flying."
These armament section crews also know they are part of a bigger effort and play a part in accomplishing the mission.
"Everybody helps in some way. If you think about it the pilots cannot get off the ground without the aircraft being flyable and we cannot do our mission without the personnel section taking care of our paperwork. It's one big circle, everybody does their part out here and we are just doing our part too," said Spc. Boone Cliff, armament systems repairman, Company D.
| Date Taken: | 07.04.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 07.04.2008 02:58 |
| Story ID: | 21171 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 765 |
| Downloads: | 536 |
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