Aviation unit deploying to Middle East this spring

Photo By Staff Sgt. Kimberly Mianecki | Soldiers from the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment conduct an air assault training mission at Fort McCoy, Wis., in May 2016. Approximately 60 Soldiers from the Madison, Wis.-based 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation will deploy to the Middle East this winter. 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team photo by Sgt. Kimberly Mianecki  

WI, UNITED STATES

03.20.2017

Story by Capt. Joseph Trovato  

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office       

Capt. Joe Trovato, Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs

Approximately 85 Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers will deploy to the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve this spring.

Elements of the Madison, Wisconsin-based 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation’s Headquarters Company and Companies D and E are deploying in support of the mission.

The unit, made up largely of the battalion staff, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter maintenance personnel and refuelers will provide aviation support personnel specializing in troop movement, medevac escorts and VIP support to its assigned area of operations.

Approximately 60 Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation deployed to the region earlier this year, but the two groups will serve in different capacities overseas.

The deploying Soldiers have trained extensively for this deployment and trained on the specialized skills needed for commanding and supporting a diverse mission. They are proficient in aircraft maintenance, refueling operations, and operating the UH-60 Black Hawk in various environments and conditions.

Some of the Soldiers recently completed extensive tactical communications training at Fort Hood, Texas, as well as tactical combat medical care training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

The 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation has deployed multiple times in support of military operations since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In addition to the element that most recently deployed in February, the unit also deployed to Iraq in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn in 2010-11 and Kosovo in 2006-07.

The Wisconsin National Guard continues to play a critical role as the primary combat reserve of the U.S. Army and Air Force in military operations around the globe. Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers with Detachment 1, Headquarters, 101st Airborne Division Multi-Component Unit returned from a deployment to Iraq and Kuwait in late 2016, and the 32nd Military Police Company remains deployed to U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where it is conducting detention operations. In addition to the aforementioned 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Soldiers who mobilized in February, another 35 Soldiers from the West Bend, Wisconsin-based Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation mobilized for a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel.

The Wisconsin National Guard simultaneously remains ready to execute its other primary mission as the first military responder in the homeland.

The Wisconsin National Guard is planning a sendoff ceremony for the deploying Soldiers and will announce those details as the unit’s deployment draws near.

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• Date Taken: 03.20.2017
• Date Posted: 03.21.2017 11:34
• Story ID: 227528
• Location: WI, US