Photo By Pfc. Evan Loyd | Sgt. 1st Class Steven Marin, from Titusville, Penn., a platoon sergeant, goes over a...... read more read more
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By Pfc. Evan Loyd
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – Unmanned aerial vehicles have become a staple in Operation Iraqi Freedom – and keeping them airborne is key to success.
The Soldiers of the 502nd Military Intelligence Company, 47th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, are tasked with maintaining, launching and recovering UAVs throughout the 2nd BCT's operational environment.
Based at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, which is located south of Baghdad, their mission is to ensure the brigade's UAVs are fully maintained and mission capable. They are also the launch team: the initial pilots in support of Iron Brigade missions.
"We launch the UAVs here at FOB Kalsu and fly them out away from the base," said Spc. Jonny Walling, from Spokane, Wash., a UAV operator with the 502nd MI Co. "Pilots at a ground control station in Camp Striker then take over the controls and use them for their assigned unit mission."
The UAVs are the eyes in the sky for a brigade that covers a lot of ground. The 2nd BCT operates in an area roughly twice the size of Baghdad city proper.
"We support all the land units of the 2nd BCT by providing near real-time video of an overhead point of view for all operations," said Sgt. 1st Class Steven Marin, a platoon sergeant who hails from Titusville, Penn. "It allows the unit commanders extra situational awareness for any mission."
The information provided by UAVs allows company, battalion and the Iron Brigades' top commander the ability to check and verify situations out in sector that would otherwise requires hours for a patrol to search for.
"We bring another level to the commanders overall situational awareness, allowing them a chance to check things that would take a lot longer for troops on the ground to find out: from seeing if a high-value insurgent is at his house to if smugglers are trying to cross a river or canal at night," said Spc. Sam Bishop, a UAV operator, who is from Garden City, Mich., "If we see something suspicious, we report it. I personally found an improvised explosive device during Iron Pursuit, and I'm proud that I'm doing a job that can save lives of the troops on the ground."
To date, the unit's UAVs have recorded more than 2,500 flight hours and more than 400 launches and recoveries. To accomplish this, the unit's UAV maintenance technicians have performed numerous repairs and adjustments to the equipment throughout the eight months they have been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"I help to maintain all of our UAVs in working order," said Spc. Jason McDuffee, from Sierra Vista, Ariz., a UAV maintenance engineer. "We're here to put the birds in the air."
The Soldiers of the 502nd MI Co. continue to work day and night to support missions in the 2nd BCT's area of operations through the use of UAVs. Because of their efforts, ground troops of the Iron Brigade are able to get eyes on a target quickly and safely.
| Date Taken: | 12.06.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2008 13:15 |
| Story ID: | 27269 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 155 |
| Downloads: | 85 |
This work, Iron Brigade Soldiers provide overhead view of mission, by PFC Evan Loyd, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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