Courtesy Photo | Pilots from Australian, United Arab Emirates and U.S. army aviation task forces pose...... read more read more
By Spc. Jennifer Andersson
Task Force Thunder Public Affairs
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – The International Security Assistance Force, composed of countries worldwide, was established to secure Afghanistan.
June 28 marked the first day of a series of missions that enabled pilots from Australia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States to embrace the ISAF dream as they combined forces to destroy insurgent repeater towers in southern Afghanistan.
It was the first time that the United Arab Emirates has joined forces with a U.S. Army combat aviation brigade, in this case, Task Force Thunder, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, for such an operation.
United Arab Emirates Army Aviation Task Force 14 pilots flew an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter, and pilots from Troop A, Task Force Palehorse, 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, flew an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter over mountainous terrain in a combined effort to destroy insurgent communication towers.
The towers, which resemble radio antennas, were strategically placed along mountainsides for maximum reception and were difficult to see from a distance.
“We were able to locate the repeaters through deliberate reconnaissance and other forms of intelligence gathering,” said Maj. Matthew Chambers, the fire support officer for Task Force Thunder.
A repeater is a tower that collects information sent to it from one radio and sends the information to another radio, allowing a flow of long-range communication.
“Whenever we destroy or disable an insurgent repeater tower, it disrupts their command and control structure,” Chambers said.
“Communication is the number one key for any soldier on the battlefield,” said Warrant Officer Jeff Hughes, an electronic warfare officer for Task Force Thunder. “If you can’t communicate, you can’t complete the mission.”
The United Arab Emirates is a strong supporter of coalition efforts here and contributes greatly to efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.
“They invest just as much time as we do while we’re deployed, and they want to get involved,” said Capt. Joshua D. England, OH-58 Kiowa helicopter pilot and commander for Troop A, Task Force Palehorse.
The three countries came together as one unit to work together toward a common goal, a solidification of a unified effort in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Maj. Dean Thompson, the Australian army aviator attached to Task Force Thunder, who flew in the Kiowa, said he was proud to have had the opportunity to work in conjunction with both the United Arab Emirates and the U.S.
“It was a great opportunity to learn from pilots of other countries,” he said. “I was impressed with the professional atmosphere.”
The pilots from the United Arab Emirates agree.
Omar S. Al Kuait, an AH-64 Apache pilot for the United Arab Emirates Army Aviation Task Force 14, said not only was it a success, but he felt joining forces with other ISAF forces for this mission was an excellent recommendation, and he would be happy to join forces again in the future.
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 07.08.2011 04:39 |
| Story ID: | 73427 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 478 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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