Photo By 2nd Lt. Courtney Rorick | A U.S. soldier peaks through the lower rescue door of a CH-47 Chinook, verifying the...... read more read more
HOHENFELS, Germany – In large-scale combat against a near-peer threat, aviation assets are prime targets. Every lost aircraft is not just a capability gap, but a potential intelligence compromise. The ability to recover under fire, move tactically, and operate independently is what makes Downed Aircraft Recovery Teams (DART) not just a logistics function, but a combat-critical enabler.
At Saber Junction 25, a multinational exercise held at Joint Multinational Readiness Center’s (JMRC) Hohenfels Training Area, soldiers from 2-501st General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade, tested their rapid response proficiencies during a simulated downed aircraft, Sept. 11, 2025.
“These aren’t scenarios you can rehearse on PowerPoint,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Trenton Zaragoza, the senior enlisted aviation trainer for Falcon Team, 7th Army Training Command (7ATC), JMRC. “They’re critical tasks you only get right by doing under pressure.”
The sharp whine of rotor blades faded as the simulated crash alert came in: a UH-60 had been “shot down” near the rugged wood lines of Hohenfels. The aircraft was now a static prop provided by JMRC – realistic, wrecked, and waiting to test the readiness of the 2-501st. And at every step, 7ATC’s Observer Coach Trainers (OCTs) were watching.
“Our Falcon Team places units into the conditions we expect aviation to face in large-scale combat operations (LSCO),” Zaragoza said. “Training as we fight means embracing the complexity and friction.”
“By observing and coaching 2-501st in DART and E&E, we ensure their soldiers are ready for the reality of LSCO,” he added. “Not just the theory.”
“DART”, composed of aviation mechanics and maintenance personnel, is responsible for recovering crashed or disabled aircraft in difficult environments and preparing them for evacuation. These specialized teams use various techniques, including aerial and ground recovery, to extract aircraft in challenging conditions.
According to Capt. Josh Cox, a Falcon Team OCT, if the unit is unable to return the aircraft to flyable status, DART team is capable of rigging and clinging aircraft for aerial extraction.
“We owe it to aviation units to provide challenging and realistic training,” said Cox. “JMRC has the only aircraft hulk in U.S. Army Europe capable of sling training, offering units a unique training experience.”
All of it, the technical sling-load tasks, the recovery decisions, the evade and escape (E&E) movement, the radio discipline, was watched and graded by Falcon Team, who coached and pushed Saber Junction participants with battlefield realism and brutal what-ifs.
“Our job is to make sure units train to standard before the real fight,” said Cox. “If they can recover their crews and equipment here, under stress, then they’ll be better prepared and have the confidence and competence to do it when it truly counts.”
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2025 11:22 |
| Story ID: | 548071 |
| Location: | HOHENFELS, BAYERN, DE |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Falcon Team Assesses 2-501st Aviation’s DART and CBRN Readiness at JMRC, Saber Junction 25, by 2LT Courtney Rorick, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
