Altus Air Force Base News

 

Altus AFB helps Soldiers in joint mobile rocket exercise

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nathan Clark
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  
There's a lot of moving cogs when U.S. Army Soldiers from Fort Sill are airlifted from Altus Air Force Base to fire their High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems in Colorado.

On March 6, 2015, Airmen from the 58th Airlift Squadron and the 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron teamed up to transport Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 14 Field Artillery, 214th Fires Brigade for a field artillery exercise. 

"This is a real-world exercise, based on a tactical scenario," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. J.P. Maddaloni, 14th FA, 214th FB, battalion commander. "It's an amazing opportunity [to demonstrate] our capability; we will immediately roll off from the C-17 and go into our live fires."

"It's very important to work out the kinks now for our deployment readiness." Maddaloni said. "It could be anywhere in the Central Command theater where we would have to be forward deployed and very rapidly get to an airfield and then execute our fires."

For that to happen, communication between the working members is key.

"I'm the go between for the Army and the group that's doing the airlift," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. William Martineau, aerial operations supervisor, 97th LRS. "There are certain steps and procedures that have to happen: making sure everything is air-worthy, that no one's going to get injured, and the safety of flights."
Fort Carson, Colo. – U.S. Army Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 14 Field Artillery, 214th Fires Brigade, fire a rocket from a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, Ft. Carson, Colo., March 6, 2015. Twelve rockets were fired in total during a joint exercise training, with the Air Force and Army to stay proficient in transporting, setting up and firing a HIMAR for real-world situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Nathan Clark/Released)

Fort Carson, Colo. – U.S. Army Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 14 Field Artillery, 214th Fires Brigade, fire a rocket from a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, Ft. Carson, Colo., March 6, 2015. Twelve rockets were fired in total during a joint exercise training, with the Air Force and Army to stay proficient in transporting, setting up and firing a HIMAR for real-world situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Nathan Clark/Released)
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Along with his normal duties Martineau and his air ops Airmen were able to help show the Soldiers the process of securing their vehicles in the aircraft, because in a real world situation the Soldiers may be the one securing their vehicles.

On the airlift end of the operation, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donnie McCorckle, instructor loadmaster, 58th AS, took a major part in coordinating the flight. 

"Coordination for this process has been very thorough," said McCorckle. "We have had multiple meetings in person, many phone calls and emails with our Fort Sill representatives, LRS, intel, tactics, the 58th AS and wing current ops. Really the LRS support, the aircrew and the Fort Sill operators are doing the hard work and are the ones that make this training happen."

All the hard work each person involved helped not only the Army, but served as a chance for members of the 58th AS to refresh and demonstrate their proficiency.
C-17 instructor pilots were able to complete multiple flying objectives including mountainous, low level flight, ridge crossings as well as the opportunity to gain familiarity in joint operations, said U.S. Air Force Capt. Grant Behning, 58th AS, flight commander of training.

"This helps sharpen our instructor loadmasters skills," said McCorkle. "Day to day operations consists of training our student loadmasters, but it doesn't really give us an opportunity to get our hands dirty and perform. By doing this, it gives our students better instruction by improving our already excellent instructors."
Keeping the aircrews sharp ensures smooth joint operations and happy services on each side.

"I'm so proud of my Soldiers and of the cooperation we've had here at Altus Air Force Base," said Maddaloni. "They're truly great partners and we couldn't do it without them."

"All the members involved in this exercise are of the highest caliber professionals and it's awesome seeing them in action," McCorkle summed up.

In the end, several Airmen and Soldiers with many different roles helped fire twelve rockets over the mountains of Colorado, making for a successful joint training exercise.