Rakkasans seize airfield

Photo By Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris | Army Soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), engage enemy forces at Lakehurst Maxfield Field during a multi-component airfield seizure training exercise with the Army Reserve and the 101st Airborne Division on March 13, 2017 to kick off Warrior Exercise 78-17-01. Several Army Reserve organizations including the Army Reserve Aviation Command, 84th Training Command, 78th Training Division, and members of the 200th Military Police Command helped Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division conduct the mission. Roughly 60 units from the U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and Canadian Armed Forces are participating in the 84th Training Command’s joint training exercise, WAREX 78-17-01, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst from March 8 until April 1, 2017; the WAREX is a large-scale collective training event designed to assess units’ combat capabilities as America’s Army Reserve continues to build the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal Federal Reserve force in the history of the Nation.  

NJ, UNITED STATES

03.15.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. George Gutierrez 

201st TPASE

More than 100 Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) joined forces with U.S. Army Reserve aviators from Bravo Company, 8th Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment, Fort Knox, Ky., to conduct an airfield seizure on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ, March 13, 2017 during Warrior Exercise 78-17-01.

The airfield seizure was the first part of a large-scale collective training exercise designed to integrate Army active duty and reserve units in a tactical training environment that closely replicates what they might experience overseas. This training enables both Army components to remain ready for any possible real world missions.

Soldiers from the 101st gathered their tactical gear and loaded onto six Army Reserve UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopters. Once they landed at Lakehurst Maxfield Field, the 101st, also known as the Screaming Eagles, engaged enemy forces on the ground to seize control of the airfield and ensure the success of follow on missions.

Several Army Reserve organizations including the Army Reserve Aviation Command and members of the 200th Military Police Command were integral parts in the planning and execution phases of this real-world training.

“Getting the opportunity to train with the reserve component means we are a more lethal force when we fight the enemy,” said Sgt. Seth J. Scharenberg, an infantryman assigned to Alpha Co., 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

The U.S. Army Reserve provides the proficiency to deploy trained service members with the right equipment, to identify future training requirements, and grow the force of tomorrow.

“Army Reserve aviation supports the joint fight in air and ground operations,” said Brig. Gen. Scott R. Morcomb, the commanding general of the Army Reserve Aviation Command. “This is a perfect venue for us to practice, to build skills, and our combat readiness.”

The exercise is hosted by the 84th Training Command and involves more than 3,900 service members from both active and reserve components of the Army, Air Force and the Marine Corps Reserves.

• Date Taken: 03.15.2017
• Date Posted: 03.15.2017 15:54
• Story ID: 226946
• Location: NJ, US