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The wavering hum of aircraft echoed through the chilly skies over Coyle Field in Barnegat Township, N.J., Feb. 10, as New Jersey Air National Guard Airmen learned the skills needed to be Drop Zone Safety Officers.
The Guardsmen were joined by active duty Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing in a class taught by drop zone control instructor Master Sgt. Chris Coarse from the 166th Airlift Wing’s Weapons and Tactics office.
The training was divided into two parts; the first was classroom instruction at Warren Grove Range, followed by a practical exercise at Coyle Field, which featured air drops from 166th Airlift Wing C-130s.
Throughout the training, Coarse stressed the importance of drop zone safety.
“Drop Zone Safety Officers ensure the DZ meets all operational and safety requirements, and looks out for various hazards such as powerlines, trees, bodies of water, and personnel within the drop zone,” said Coarse.
“We need to know what is going on in our DZ before, during, and after a drop.”
Master Sgt. Christopher Donohue with the New Jersey Air Guard’s 227th Air Support Operations Squadron made sure that a large contingent of Airmen from his section attended the training.
“This training is a fantastic opportunity to get our guys qualified to work drop zones, which is something we’re doing more and more of lately,” said Donohue. “The 166th Airlift Wing, who is teaching this course, are great to work with. Right now we jump with them, and this is going to be another skill set that we can use to train with them at the drop zones here in N.J.”
Master Sgt. Michael Mimler, Range Operations Manager at Warren Grove Range, added that the course was another stepping stone for the New Jersey Guardsmen.
“We’re adding the capability to do airborne and cargo drops at Warren Grove Range, so this certification is getting us one step closer to our first actual drops here,” said Mimler. “The ability to add this kind of mission to our tool-set is only going to enhance the level of training opportunities for the variety of units that use the range.”
Braving frigid temperatures, Airmen set up a raised angle marker, used anemometers to measure wind speed, and operated radios to contact circling aircraft above Coyle DZ.
During the first run, cheers were heard as a training parachute launched from the passing aircraft landed near the drop zone marker.
Coarse lauded the working relationship between the Delaware and New Jersey National Guard.
“The states working together is a force multiplier,” said Coarse. “Using all of our resources, our forces can show their viability.”
| Date Taken: | 02.10.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.16.2017 11:07 |
| Story ID: | 223786 |
| Location: | COYLE FIELD, NJ, US |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Joint Drop Zone training highlights Delaware and New Jersey Air National Guard partnership, by SMSgt Matthew Hecht, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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