Stryker Brigade draws praise for Iraq work

Most know the soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (SBCT) as the Army

Rank	Location	Receipts	Donors/Avg	Freepers/Avg	Monthlies
20	Wisconsin	280.00	8	35.00			173.00	11

Aviators, infantrymen form historic bonds

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, April 6, 2004) – History is being made in northern Iraq as the Stryker Brigade Combat Team and a Fort Drum aviation unit work together to combat terrorism.

Since entering northern Iraq in November infantry leaders from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division SBCT, Fort Lewis, Wash., have flown in helicopters during raid missions. Pilots from the 10th Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, N.Y., have ridden in Strykers. The integration is so they can understand their counterpart’s challenges

Along with most major parts in the Army, aviation is transforming into standardized, modular units that are fully integrated with the combined arms and joint forces, said Lt. Gen. Richard Cody, the Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations, G3, while testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“The 10th Aviation Brigade is the first aviation unit to work with the SBCT in a combat zone,” said Lt. Col. Reggie Mason, a commander with the 10th Avn. Bde, who is currently in Iraq. “Therefore, it’s very important we establish tactics, techniques and procedures that other squadrons can emulate in the future.”

Part of the transition from current aviation units to Aviation Units of Action is to review and revise doctrine based on what was learned from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Cody said.

The Army has lost 44 aircraft since Oct. 1, 2001 and 38 aviation Soldiers have died. Those losses have not been without purpose, Cody said. “They have informed us for the future and have placed an unprecedented sense of urgency in improving our capabilities, systems and doctrine.”

Representatives from the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Ala., are aggressively revising those training strategies, he added.

Testing and focus of Army Aviation will be at Fort Rucker, according to Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Peter Schoomaker.

“Fort Rucker is a world-class installation with the tremendous land that's available … and the airspace that's available and its great infrastructure,” Schoomaker said during an interview with local media at Fort Rucker.

Representatives from Fort Rucker, Training and Doctrine Command and members of the Army Aviation Task Force, which is led by Maj. Gen. James Thurman, are responsible for making Army aviation a capabilities-based maneuver arm, optimized for the joint fight with a shortened logistics tail, Cody said.

The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, an armored reconnaissance helicopter, is currently providing the eyes in the sky for ground troops at war. However, as the aviation community moves to the future force, the Kiowa Warrior may be retired. Cody later said in an interview in Nashville, Tenn., that nothing is being taken off the table as the acquisition world looks for platforms to perform specific functions and missions.

Aviation maintenance also must transform to meet the needs of the Aviation Units of Action. A two-level condition-based maintenance system to reduce spare parts requirements is being initiated to reduce the aviation logistics footprint, said Cody.

The future operational environment demands that Army aviation be rapidly deployable when called, Cody said.

Based on current and projected aircraft inventories, the current non-standard aviation brigades will be restructured into 11 active-duty, two reserve-component multi-functional Aviation Units of Action. The National Guard will have six Aviation Expeditionary Regiments.

Fixing aviation is not just about purchasing and resetting equipment. Officials agree that the centerpiece is aviators and crewmen.

The training strategy will include implementing Flight School XXI to graduate more competent and trained flight crews at Fort Rucker. The Army Aviation Center and School is now qualifying all AH-64 pilots on Night Vision goggles and there is increased training emphasis on Aircraft Survivability Equipment. Also training devises and simulators will be upgraded, Cody said.

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