11th CAB carries the weight during coalition training

Photo By Spc. Zachary Danaher | U.S. Army Soldiers with the 1067th Composite Truck Company, 228th Transportation Motor Transport Battalion, 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, the 389th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 77th Sustainment Brigade, and a British soldier assigned to the 16 Air Assault Combat Aviation Brigade attach a Humvee to a CH-47 Chinook during a training exercise at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Feb. 26, 2022. The Soldiers were training as a part of the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve to advise, assist and enable partnered forces in the enduring defeat of Daesh within designated areas of Iraq and Syria. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zachary Danaher)  

KUWAIT

03.08.2022

Story by Spc. Zachary Danaher 

Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve   

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait – U.S. Soldiers with the 11th Combat Aviation Brigade supported helicopter external sling load training with soldiers from the British army at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, February 26, 2022.

11th CAB conducted training with Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) partners, including the British 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, the 1067th Composite Truck Company, 228th Transportation Motor Transport Battalion, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, and the 389th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 77th Sustainment Brigade.

11th CAB coordinated with leaders from U.K. partner forces from 16 AABCT to conduct the training. 11th CAB provided the aviation assets and personnel required to transport the sling loads, which varied from crates of water to a Humvee.

CJTF-OIR units conducted the sling load training to support their mission of advising, assisting and enabling partnered forces in the enduring defeat of Da’esh—also known as ISIS or ISIL—within designated areas of Iraq and Syria.

Vertical take-off and landing aircraft, such as the CH-47 Chinook helicopter, transport various supplies or equipment using the external sling load method to meet the expeditious nature of military operations. Sling loading allows military organizations to transport these packages to areas where geographical features, like mountains or hostile conditions, make ground travel difficult. Here, success relies on well-trained Soldiers who can safely attach the cargo to the underside of the aircraft while it is hovering in the air.

Sling loading operations depend upon numerous disciplines among military professionals. U.S. Army ammunition specialists receive sling load training during the Ammunition Supply Course, and Soldiers who attend the U.S. Army Air Assault School also conduct sling load training.

“We never really do sling loads outside of Air Assault School,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael Worrell with 1067th CTC. “Our guys learned it on paper, but getting a chance to hook up to the bird out here is great.”

Worrell also said working with soldiers from the British army helped refine how he and his team safely utilize equipment and procedures.

Military ground forces and aviation personnel conduct regular refresher training with actual equipment. This bolsters readiness for possible real-world operations by maintaining proficiency in sling loading capabilities and addressing potential skill gaps.

“The training went from a classroom setting to hands-on,” said U.S. Army Spc. Frank Fuentes with the 1067th CTC. “We went in teams with at least one British soldier who prepared us and guided us through it.”

This training provided a unique opportunity for foreign training partners to communicate and integrate as diverse teams effectively.

“The benefits of training with our NATO partners is clearly that we are better able to understand the capabilities of how we conduct business together,” said British army Staff Sgt. Whitley with the 16th AABCT. Whitley oversaw the training and instructed U.S. Soldiers on proper sling load procedures as well as safety measures.

Familiarization with foreign military systems and equipment is critical to the success of CJTF-OIR personnel who must remain capable of advising, assisting and enabling partner forces within the Middle East. Combined exercises familiarize CJTF-OIR personnel with adapting to fast-paced simulated scenarios regardless of equipment or aircraft.

“Working with sling load enables us to resupply each other wherever it may be needed, but seeing the actual training here goes a long way because it’s easier to understand,” Whitley said.

This training continued the ongoing training partnership throughout February between the 11th CAB and 16 AABCT, which included previous iterations of sling load training and hot load training flights. Incorporating the additional U.S. Army units reinforced the culture of cooperation vital to success in modern military operations.

• Date Taken: 03.08.2022
• Date Posted: 03.15.2022 08:10
• Story ID: 415994
• Location: KW