Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Austin Pearce | Soldiers from Company B, 1-112th Aviation Regiment, South Dakota Army National Guard,...... read more read more
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The Rapid City-based Detachment 1, Company B, 1-112th Aviation Regiment, using its UH-72 Lakota helicopters, serves alongside local, state and federal agencies in support of security defense requirements.
“We’ve spent a lot of years training at local exercises, including Golden Coyote, and a few years ago at the Sturgis Rally,” said Capt. John Barnes, 1-112th commander. “In these exercises we do a lot of law enforcement support. These agencies know our abilities, so they are able to set us up with missions that allow us to gain experience.”
Composed of a variety of technical experts including pilots, crew chiefs, mechanics and operations support personnel, the nearly 30-member unit can provide aerial reconnaissance, search and rescue support, and counterdrug assistance.
Supporting various agencies on homeland security missions gives unit members a unique experience, increases the unit’s capabilities, and builds relationships with federal, state and local government agencies, Barnes said.
“The best way that our crew can stay proficient on our equipment is by going out and doing missions,” Barnes added.
Serving and supporting law enforcement missions is not specific to the Black Hills or South Dakota as the 112th will go where aircraft are needed.
“The greatest experience that we received as a unit was when we deployed to the U.S. Southern Border to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” Barnes said. “We had missions every night where we found out what works, what doesn’t, and we have a hard time recreating that here in the state.”
The unit is looking forward to future opportunities.
“I am ready to deploy with a full unit, doing all of our jobs together and being able to support missions,” said Barnes. “We get everyone in one place, spending 24 hours a day together and we are all doing it to accomplish the same mission.”
| Date Taken: | 06.30.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 06.30.2017 17:34 |
| Story ID: | 239885 |
| Location: | RAPID CITY, SD, US |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, National Guard unit supports local, state, federal agencies, by SPC Rebecca Glidden, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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