Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers conduct sling load training

Photo By Pfc. Evan Loyd | Spc. Matthew Crawford, from Baltimore, one of the sling load trainees of the sling load team of the 47th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, inspects a mock sling load for deficiencies during a sling load training course held at Camp Striker Dec. 5, while Sgt. Anthony Davis, from Columbiana, Ala., an instructor of the sling load class, watches.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

12.15.2008

Story by Pfc. Evan Loyd 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

By Pfc. Evan Loyd
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

BAGHDAD, Iraq – One way to beat traffic, avoid roadside bombs and bypass rough terrain is to park under a helicopter, strap your vehicle to it and let the chopper airlift you to your destination.

That's what Soldiers on the sling load team, 47th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, were training to do the first week in December at Camp Striker. It is a skill that the 47th FSB has been honing since they arrived in theater this past April from Baumholder, Germany.

"Our team started in April with the team being trained by the unit that the 47th FSB replaced. Before that, we only had three Soldiers trained," said Staff Sgt. Marcus Wilson, from Haines City, Fla., non-commissioned officer in charge of the sling load team. "Now we have 15 fully trained Soldiers, and we're expecting more when this class is completed."

Sling loads can carry more than just vehicles. They can carry a wide variety of supplies for the ground units.

"You can carry anything if the weight limit isn't exceeded," said Sgt. Anthony Davis, from Columbiana, Ala., an assistant instructor of the sling load class. "Water, MREs, gear, ammunition, anything you can fit in a connex or even a vehicle, we can load it and the helicopter can bring it wherever it can fly."

One of the key points stressed in the sling load course is how to properly inspect rigged loads. During the class, the 47th SLT trainees performed a load inspection on an improperly rigged container.

"This course prepares us for future missions," said Spc. Matthew Crawford, from Baltimore, one of the sling load students. "It's always good to be prepared."

When dealing with containers that can weigh up to 26,000 pounds, safety isn't just a concern: it is a matter of life and death.

"The number-one thing that we want our sling loaders to know is situational awareness," said Wilson. "You have to know where the helicopter is, where your equipment is and why it's there. Inexperience is a killer in this job."

• Date Taken: 12.15.2008
• Date Posted: 12.15.2008 05:20
• Story ID: 27693
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ