Enemy spotted, bring in the choppers

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Christopher Gross
  • JBER PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The objective was clear, the enemy had been identified and the platoon had been ordered to conduct an air assault in hopes of taking control over the opposing force.

A few miles out, the Soldiers of the 3rd Platoon, Comanche Company 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment (Airborne), knew what was expected of them. Groups of 10 or so swarmed into four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and in no time were on their way to confront the enemy.

After weaving in and out through several miles of centuries-old carved out mountains, the four choppers landed simultaneously, approximately four kilometers away from the target, allowing Soldiers to storm out of the helicopters and hit the ground. After the choppers had cleared the perimeter, the squads secured the area.

It didn't take long for the sounds of indirect fire to ring out all around the paratroopers, but this didn't faze the platoon. They knew they had to begin their journey of trekking through small tree-like brush and snow, and begin their climb to their objective, which would be more than 1,000 meters in elevation.

Their mission was to keep a sharp eye, and clear and occupy the terrain ahead in order to allow freedom of maneuver for follow-on forces.

After spotting the opposing force, the platoon set up fire support off in the distance as another firing squad made their way along the mountain side, keeping their cover, planning to raid the area beneath them.

It didn't take long until the team was in position a couple hundred yards out, watching the enemy over a ridge they were using for cover. The platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Silvernale, gave the go-ahead to engage the enemy. The troops raged down the mountainside and spread out to cover all avenues of approach, ensuring they had their objective point covered.

They arrived at the foot of the objective hill where their enemies awaited at the top. Smoke grenades were thrown and a white heavy smoke filled the air, obscuring the Soldiers and allowing them to go in and capture or "kill" the opposing force if the force posed a threat.

Once the area was under the platoon's control, tactical site exploitation and questioning were conducted. Troops searched for clues about the enemy which could be used to aid future missions, and to gain knowledge of other fighters in the area.

After the assault was executed, the four Black Hawks were called back in to extract the Soldiers from the site and return to home station.

This training, which took place May 12 on JBER training grounds in Alaska's Chugach Range, is a vital part of the units task list because it can become very useful in the battalion's next deployment according to Capt. Tyler Rund, the company commander.

Silvernale, who was recently awarded the Bronze Star Medal with "V" device for actions he performed on July 13, 2008, while deployed to Afghanistan, said "(this training) is very important to unit readiness. It allows the Soldiers to have a good idea of what to expect during a real-world air assault. Being able to conduct a mission in a no threat environment allows us as leaders to identify possible problems and correct our deficiencies with no loss of American lives."

The platoon sergeant also said he felt his troops "executed the mission flawlessly" and he's proud of them all, because the hard work they put in during team and squad live-fire exercises paid off once they hit the objective.

According to Silvernale, the training was excellent but challenging because there are so many moving parts to an air assault. He said you have to be on top of your game, and expect the unexpected because once you hit the ground anything can happen.

Army Staff Sgt. Richard Johnson, a 3rd Platoon squad leader, agreed with Silvernale. "This training was an eye-opener for some of our newer Soldiers, to see how fire, maneuver and communication are affected while conducting operations in mountainous terrain," he said.

According to Rund, the next stop for the company will be the Donnelly Training Area in June to continue some realistic training which will aid them in their fight in Afghanistan.