Thunder Brigade Supports Entire Iraqi Battlespace with Catfish Air

Courtesy Photo | Coalition troops walk out the a UH-60 Blackhawk from Company A, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, to board their flight to thier next location. The passengers are manifested on a flight, moved out to the aircraft, then boarded safely by the aircrafts crewchiefs.  

06.05.2006

Courtesy Story

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Catfish Air is one of the most universally known names in Iraq because it is vital transportation tool in a combat zone. Catfish Air is theater-wide Space Available system established by the 185th Aviation Brigade two rotations ago to facilitate movement throughout Iraq. The 185th was a National Guard Brigade from Mississippi, thus explaining the affection for Catfish.

It's also an operation the Thunder Brigade has worked hard to improve since they arrived in Iraq in the Fall of 2005. In just six months the Brigade had already equaled the number of passengers moved by the previous unit.

The operation, which allows Soldiers and authorized civilian personnel to travel to different locations via the brigade's helicopters, has been an important focal point of the brigade effort.

The 159th Combat Aviation Brigade has been providing a unique service for Coalition troops and civilians operating within the borders of Iraq.

The brigade is providing a life-saving, time-effective measure, which in turn has kept thousands of personnel off dangerous roads, helping to reduce the number of ground convoys.

With the efforts of planners, aircraft crewmembers and many civilians, these personnel are able to maneuver across the battlefield without having to endure the possible dangers which could be waiting for them on the roads from forward operating base to forward operating base.

The brigade's UH-60 Blackhawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters have become a viable way to ensure personnel and cargo arrive to their destination without the threat of improvised explosive devices which have claimed the lives of many Coalition troops" and civilian lives over the past three years.

Over the past seven months the brigade has successfully managed to move more than 170,000 passengers and thousands of pounds of cargo to locations such as Baghdad, Mosul, Ar Ramadi, Tikrit, and others.

"Since we are the aviation brigade supporting the Multi-National Corps-Iraq, we support the entire Iraqi battlespace," said Maj. Eric McEldowney, current operations officer for the brigade. "The number of passengers, specifically, is significant because those are personnel who weren't exposed to the IED threat."

The operation of moving passengers via Catfish Air begins by submitting an air mission request or, in most cases, Space A coordination. Using this type of travel requires coordination between MNC-I and Catfish Air personnel, which is run by Sgt. 1st Class Bruce Melendez, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 159th CAB, and his team.

"Catfish Air is a brilliant use of space available," said Col. Jeffrey Colt, 159th CAB commander. "I remember hearing when a monthly passenger haul exceeded 3,000 Space A passengers and that was a huge stride in force protection, now, we're doing over 8,000. This can only be accomplished with the hard work of many Soldiers, aircrews and our civilian partners."

Many people line up daily at the different Catfish Air locations in Iraq to get from location to location. After Thunder Brigade aircraft are tasked with daily missions, Space A passengers have the opportunity to request any remaining seats and are then manifested on a particular flight.

"Our goal is to fill every helicopter everyday," said McEldowney. "Since the date of our transfer of authority, we have moved over 70,000 Space A passengers alone, and are on target to break 100,000 with that operation."

The purpose of Army Aviation is to support the ground commanders, and according to Colt, this is how he ultimately measures the success of his brigade's operations in Iraq. He said there is, and has always been, a remarkable trust between the ground force and Army Aviation. He said the ground commanders know his aircrews will do whatever they can to come to their aid, provide air support, evacuate the wounded, carry their Soldiers to or from a fight, and bring the replenishments needed for sustainment.

"We understand that these operations require a physical presence," Colt said. "Since the ground force often provides this, we as air elements are visible, but the ground force, whether combat arms, civil affairs or logisticians are making a huge impact here and we hope that what we do facilitates them accomplishing their tasks and missions as safely and efficiently as possible."

Due to the large number of personnel the brigade transports from location to location, many man hours are required of the pilots and crewchiefs. Since the pilots are flying so much, more maintenance needs to done and more logistical efforts are needed than an average aircraft. According to Colt, the brigade and its Soldiers are currently operating at four times a normal training pace, at its best. He said he is proud of the efforts of his brigade and says this experience is invaluable.

"In many cases, these are some of the toughest environmental and weather conditions to fly in and our crews have, and are adapting to the changes almost every day. We are already building the next generation of great Army pilots and crewchiefs," Colt said. "This takes a complete team effort beginning and ending with outstanding maintenance. Our POL Soldiers have pumped over two million gallons of JP8 fuel to keep the aircraft going and our flight operation Soldiers are doing an outstanding job tracking each flight and maintaining an incredible amount of flight data."

Since most operations start and end with the Soldier, the brigade says they are contributing to the successes in Iraq in any way they can.

"All of our Soldiers bring their "A-game" to the fight everyday," said McEldowney. "We don't have an ebb and flow, it's everything we've got, everyday."

• Date Taken: 06.05.2006
• Date Posted: 06.05.2006 12:21
• Story ID: 6665