Brooklyn native, deployed from Fort Bragg, supports air defense operations in Southwest Asia

Photo By Sgt. Marsha Millikin | Staff Sgt. Francisco Lloret Jr. is a U.S. Army launching station enhanced operator for the Patriot Missile System that provides air defense for his deployed base in Southwest Asia. Here he is pictured May 15. Lloret serves with Delta Battery, 1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. He is deployed from Fort Bragg, N.C., and his hometown is Brooklyn, N.Y.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

06.03.2010

Story by Senior Airman Jenifer Calhoun 

1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Staff Sgt. Francisco Lloret Jr. is on the front line – a different kind of front line. He is a member of a Patriot missile team serving as a launching station enhanced operator that provides air defense for his deployed base.

According to the U.S. Army official job description for Lloret's career field, a Patriot launching station enhanced operator "is an important part of the Army's air defense artillery team." Sergeant Lloret serves with Delta Battery, 1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia.

The Patriot missile system teams are used to launch advanced-technology ammunition capable of neutralizing multiple air targets, the job description states. The Patriot system consists of an engagement control station, electronic power plant, communication relay group and up to eight launching stations. A launching station operator works directly with the Patriot launching stations.

To do his deployed job, Lloret, who is deployed from Fort Bragg, operates and performs preventive maintenance checks and services on vehicles. He's trained to operates a 10-ton crane, engage hostile targets with the Patriot weapon, and can perform checks and adjustments and loading on automatic weapons.

He's also trained to perform emplacement, march orders and preventive maintenance checks and services on the radar set, engagement control station, guided missile transporter, launching station and the guided missile canister. Sergeant Lloret also emplaces and march order the Battalion Tactical Operations Center. He can load and reloads Patriot missiles and assists in the preparation of tactical overlays for military maps.

As a non-commissioned officer, Lloret supervises lower grade Soldiers and provides technical guidance to the Soldiers in the accomplishment of their duties, the job description shows. He also conducts reconnaissance, selection and occupation of position. He collects, prepares and processes operations and intelligence information and prepares situation reports and warning orders.

Furthermore, Soldiers like Lloret provides technical guidance to lower grade personnel, supervises and performs organizational level system maintenance and preventive maintenance checks and services on fire control section and fire direction section equipment.

In joining the Army, Lloret said it has allowed him to achieve more in life.

"I joined the military as a way out," said Lloret, who grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. "I was the first of seven [children] to graduate high school. I didn't want a high school diploma to be my biggest accomplishment in life."

The 1-7 ADA is known as the "No Fear" battalion, according to its official history. The battalion is part of the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command. The battalion displays 35 battle streamers ranging from the North African desert and the plains of Europe during World War II, the frozen battlefields of Korea, the jungles and highlands of Vietnam, the deserts of Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Storm to more recently with support for operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

• Date Taken: 06.03.2010
• Date Posted: 06.03.2010 03:50
• Story ID: 50761
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)