Photo By Sgt. Matthew Marcellus | Sgt. 1st Class Walter Arnett, the platoon sergeant with 1st Platoon, Company B, 3rd...... read more read more
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GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — An ominous roar steadily grew as a group of UH-60M Blackhawk utility helicopters appeared in the distance and engaged static targets, kicking up columns of dirt and destruction as the 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division completed an aerial gunnery live-fire exercise in Grafenwoehr, Germany, August 18, 2018.
“This is important for crew coordination in the aircraft,” said 1st Lt. Robert Williams, a range safety officer and assistant officer in operations and planning with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3-4 AHB. “It will save lives and give us those valuable seconds.”
3-4 AHB completed tables 2 through 12, or exercises designed to test and assess proficiency at different levels, for aerial gunnery. This included both dry and live-fire exercises designed to improve competency with weapons and provide gunnery qualification.
“We have a lot of young crew chiefs,” said Williams. “It’s good that they are familiarized with the weapon system that they would be firing in combat.”
The exercise included the practice of target handovers, strengthening the coordination within crews and ensuring that effective communication would prevail in a combat situation.
“As they’re flying, the first aircraft identifies the target, then after they pass, they hand the target off with a description to the aircraft behind it,” said Williams. “This helps us keep our fires integrated so that we’re suppressing the enemy at all times.”
The aerial gunnery live-fire is only one aspect of a detailed training plan for 3-4 AHB to maximize their strength, readiness and effectiveness.
“We have a bunch of other exercises coming up,” said Sgt. 1st Class Walter Arnett, the platoon sergeant with 1st Platoon, Company B, 3-4 AHB. “This will all add up.”
The 4th CAB is currently supporting Operation Atlantic Resolve in Europe, conducting training and operations to support European Allies and to ensure the preservation of peace and stability in the region.
Training conducted by 4th CAB readily shows that they are an able and ready force, prepared to stand and defend alongside allies in the European theater.
“This supports the operation by showing our capabilities,” said Arnett. “It shows that we can go with two aircraft, four aircraft and eight aircraft to demonstrate what we can do with Blackhawks.”
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2018 04:34 |
| Story ID: | 289419 |
| Location: | GRAFENWOEHR, BY, DE |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Raining steel in Germany: 3-4 AHB conducts aerial gunnery, by SGT Matthew Marcellus, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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