Free Republic

CAMP BEUHRING, Kuwait – At the core of any combat arms Soldier lays discipline, fighting instincts and the distinct ability to put lead on target. The Advanced Close Quarters Marksmanship course lays a foundation to ingrain these attributes into their minds. The combat arms Soldiers who comprise Company F's "Blues Platoon," 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, will spend multiple days learning advanced techniques from civilian contractors with Special Operations backgrounds. The training encompasses multiple phases culminating with a final assault on a two story complex, said Rick Gordon, a civilian contractor...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2007 – Changing up flight patterns in response to evolving threats and working together with Iraqi forces are keys to success in the skies over Baghdad, a coalition commander said today. “It’s a chess game,” Army Col. Dan Shanahan told online journalists and “bloggers” during a conference call from sprawling Camp Taji, north of Baghdad. “It’s not just technology; it’s also tactics.” Shanahan commands 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, deployed from Fort Hood, Texas, and assigned to Multinational Division Baghdad. He and his team of nearly 3,000 personnel consisting of soldiers, airmen, one sailor and hundreds of civilian...

Left to right, Chief Warrant Officer Terry Eldridge, Capt. Thomas Loux, Chief Warrant Officer Cole Moughon and Chief Warrant Officer Kyle Kittleson pose in front of an AH-64D Apache. The four pilots from 1st “Attack” Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, reacted quickly when they came upon four anti-aircraft gun trucks and 20 heavily armed insurgents, Sept. 29. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Rick Emert, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs. CAMP TAJI — For the past year, Apache pilots from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade have conducted countless reconnaissance missions in...