Posted on 06/23/2015 5:40:02 PM PDT by Citizen Zed
Got this today from the National Guard bureau which says 20 or so soldiers from Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 376th Aviation Regiment are headed to southern border of Texas to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in their fight against drug smuggling and human trafficking.
The 376th AVN flies the UH-60 Black Hawk and also the UH-72 Lakota. Guard officials say they are taking one Lakota to Texas and will use other whirly birds there. The Lakota is a relatively new airframe which is being used to replace the old UH-1 Hueys and the OH-58 Kiowas.
The soldiers will spend six months down there as part of Operation Phalanx II. They had their departure ceremony over the weekend, on June 20, to be precise. Here were some comments, provided by the Guard bureau, from Col. Randy Sikowski, of Riverton, Ill., the Chief of the Joint Staffs for the Illinois National Guard:
“Normally when we deploy overseas we are deploying to a country with citizens we have never met and with different cultures,” he said. “However this mission is supporting the citizens along our southwest border in a multi-layered approach with customs and border patrol agents to combat illegal trafficking of people, drugs, weapons and money. This is a very important mission for the United States.”
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Tad Simpson, of Atwood, Ill., a maintenance officer with the detachment, said some details are sensitive due to the law-enforcement nature of the mission, however he did say the group would be assisting with approximately 200 miles of the nation’s southern border.
Good luck guys. Hope you beat the heat and get back quickly.
Active Duty ping.
Something DHS and the BOrder Patrol can’t/won’t handle?
Godspeed troopers...
Wow! “whirly birds” Haven’t heard that term used since some 50’s - 60’s TV shows.
Hope the troopers do a good job and stay safe.
Hmmmm.
ISIS, probably. Or maybe an early start to Jade Helm. Gonna git’em some more filthy bikers!
No, the Guard has been cycling outfits in there for a while. I know several Lakota pilots from different units that have gone down there. The Guard equipped some Lakotas with a nice EO/IR system.
Lakota as a helicopter name will not last long in the politically correct sissy Army of today.
Me too, I thought immediately of Broderick Crawford on Highway Patrol in his Bell 47.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.