Subscribe
Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... a series of rockets moving at a set target at a high rate of speed? That's exactly what the Soldiers from Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Air Defense Artillery Regiment do for a living as military occupational specialty 13M, also known as a multiple rocket launch system crewmember. The Soldiers are working diligently to train and remain ready as they complete exercises such as Diamond Tempest, maintaining proficiency and readiness during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
"We're doing some joint training with the Air Force," said Staff Sgt. Justin Sloan, the noncommissioned officer in charge of Alpha Battery. "We have to be at the staging and load point within a certain time frame as if we were responding to a rapid fire mission"
The battery must complete tasks such as loading ordnance onto their vehicle, ensuring the vehicle is not overweight and safe transport to the airfield in a timely manner to achieve mission success. This involves days of planning and coordination by leadership, along with practicing proper convoy procedures such as maintaining proper distance between each vehicle and being vigilant of the surrounding area along the planned route.
"One of the biggest challenges the team faces is maintaining a proper work- rest cycle," said Sloan. "Getting enough sleep is essential to mission success."
Being ready for any situation is paramount; training exercises like Diamond Tempest help build and strengthen partnerships across branches as the Soldiers work with the Airmen to load and unload the vehicles in a safe and timely manner.
At best speed the trucks can be tactically loaded and secured onto a cargo aircraft in under half an hour and unloaded even faster after landing. Everything comes together at the end with bright flashes and trails of smoke as rockets shoot off into the night.
"It's always cool to watch the rockets fire," said Sloan. "My favorite part of my job is training my junior soldiers so they can be at my level one day."
The HIMARS launchers are part of the Army's front line defense against attacks from foreign adversaries and highlights the improvement of technology throughout the years. As training continues, the Soldiers of the 1-14th ADA will continue to become a more lethal and ready unit ready to answer when the call comes.
"It's all about being ready at any time," said Sloan. "Having this training gives confidence to the teams' which overall improves effectiveness when the time comes."
| Date Taken: | 12.23.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.07.2021 08:23 |
| Story ID: | 386192 |
| Location: | ALI AL SALEM AIR BASE, KW |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Hitting off the Holidays with HIMARS, by SSG Jermaine Jackson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
