Polish, U.S. Militaries Work Together for Successful Gunnery

Photo By Sgt. Tara Fajardo Arteaga | U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 José García, aviation maintenance officer, assigned to 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, performs a preflight inspection on an AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter before completing table IV and table V qualification during Apache gunnery at Mirosławiec, Poland, April 13, 2022. The 1st Cavalry Division is among other units assigned to V Corps, America’s forward-deployed corps in Europe that works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces; execute joint, bilateral, and multinational training exercises; and provides command and control for rotational and assigned units in the European theater. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Tara Fajardo Arteaga)  

MIROSŁAWIEC, POLAND

04.01.2022

Story by Sgt. Tara Fajardo Arteaga 

113th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

MIROSŁAWIEC, Poland – U.S. Soldiers of Task Force Palehorse assigned to 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, conduct aerial gunnery here, April 1-15, 2022.

The aerial gunnery training includes support operations utilizing the Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP), airfield management, and aviation maintenance. "The point of this training is to keep familiarity and increase the familiarization and connectivity within the squadron," said Maj. Vernon Fergie, operations officer, assigned to 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, "not only does it exercise the pilots and the crews, but it also exercises maintenance and logistics, so we also have to have a tactical air command (TAC) out here to manage that as well."

The Soldiers who are participating in the exercise are members of various units. "We are in a task force formation right now," said Fergie, "so we have Black Hawks and medivac helicopters from different battalions attached to us."

During the qualification, helicopter crew members in AH-64E Apache attack helicopters go through various tables with various objectives while engaging targets with a 30mm chain gun, 10-pound point detonated rockets, and flechettes.

Aerial gunnery exercises are important because they increase the rated crewmembers' proficiency, allow them to know the limitations of their weapons, and enhance positive threat identification while overseas. "This is our job, and this is one of the times during the year that we get to come out and train in the same way that we would fight," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zach Nibbelink, Apache pilot assigned to Charlie Troop, 7th Squadron 17th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.

This gunnery is helping to prepare Task Force Palehorse for real-world events by qualifying 22 Apache crews and 12 Black Hawk crews, all while conducting refueling and maintenance operations in a new location. "It improves the connectivity within the squadron," said Maj. Vernon Fergie, "not only does it exercise the pilots and the crews, but it also exercises maintenance and logistics, so we also have to have a TAC out here to manage that."

Task Force Palehorse has been training in Greece since the end of November 2021 and planned on conducting their gunnery there. However, they received a call and, within 48 hours, had to change their plans. Since then, they've been transitioning their movement to Poland and completed that movement at the beginning of March. For the last month, Task Force Palehorse has been conducting operations out of Powidz, Poland. They started planning this exercise as soon as they arrived in Poland.

"The initial coordination with the Polish unit was positive," said Fergie, "we reached out, and they were very welcoming and accommodating. They helped us out from day one. This has improved our relations with our host nation. It would be very easy to come and do any follow-up training with the Polish."

"The Polish have been very friendly and accommodating," said Nibbelink. "This gunnery was on a short suspense, and they could facilitate the gunnery and work with us to make sure that we had everything we needed."

Task Force Palehorse looks forward to successful gunnery to qualify their pilots and crew while maintaining relations with a NATO ally. Nibbelink commented, "It confirms what we already knew, that we can work with the Polish and get things done together, quickly."

• Date Taken: 04.01.2022
• Date Posted: 04.23.2022 07:11
• Story ID: 419038
• Location: MIROSŁAWIEC, PL
• Hometown: HAMPSTEAD, MD, US