Authorized newspaper of Joint Base Lewis-McChord
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Aviators from 4-6 Cav. fire a 2.75-inch rocket from an OH-58D Kiowa helicopter, March 25, during gunnery training at Fort Lewis.
The thunderous echoes of a .50 caliber machine gun combined with the din of rotating OH-58D Kiowa helicopter blades create enough noise to frighten any enemy. The subsequent rounds slung down range would stop that adversary dead in his tracks.
Aviators from 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment practiced placing those rounds on target last week with the precision that gives them their competitive edge on the battlefield.
During their first major training event since redeploying in October, the Redcatchers spent the week conducting Table III and IV evaluations, firing .50 caliber machine guns, 2.75-inch rockets and M-4 rifles from the cockpits of their Kiowas.
The Table III and IV evaluations tested the Soldiers’ ability to accurately employ the weapon systems of their OH-58Ds under both day and night conditions.
“We’re using this opportunity to gain gunnery skills and confidence using the weapon systems of the aircraft,” said Maj. Mike Harvey, the squadron operations officer.
Aviators first flew from Gray Army Airfield to the forward arming and refueling point to arm their helicopters for engagements that tested their abilities with each of their weapon systems.
FARP crews fueled and armed the helicopters, which flew to two separate gunnery ranges near the central impact area where the Kiowa aviators fired at simulated enemy targets constructed from plywood cutouts and decommissioned vehicles.
“It’s as realistic as we can make it for simulating what’s out there,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 William Lyddon of A Troop. “It’s teaching the Soldiers exactly what they need to know to be able to go to Iraq.”
The Redcatchers used experience from their previous 15-month tour in Iraq to orient the gunnery toward skills the Soldiers will need on their next deployment, such as the ability to fire an M-4 rifle from the air.
“It’s a skill that we trained on prior to going to Iraq (in 2007),” said Harvey. “We had heard that OH-58D crews were shooting M-4s ... as a show of force as well as a technique to prevent (enemy combatants) from running away from the ground elements. It became a very useful asset and skill to have while we were in Iraq on our last deployment.”
While the gunnery provided experienced Soldiers with an opportunity to polish their skills, it also served to introduce Soldiers who recently joined the squadron to techniques that proved successful for the squadron in the past.
“We’re trying to focus on safety,” said Sgt. Colin Marshall, a G Troop fuel handler, referring to operating alongside Soldiers new to 4-6 Cav. “We’ve got a lot of new Soldiers coming in, so we’re trying to get them trained up for the next mission.”
While the Redcatchers’ next mission is currently slated as a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the squadron is intensely aware of the possibility for an Afghanistan rotation.
“We’re preparing ourselves for either environment,” said Harvey. “The difference between Afghanistan and Iraq is of course the mountainous high altitudes (in Afghanistan).”
To adapt to the operational environment of Afghanistan, the squadron sends instructor pilots to the High-Altitude Army Aviation Training Site in Colorado.
The goal, said Harvey, “is for these aviators to gain experience and skill sets to come back and spread out. In case we do go to Afghanistan, we will have that base of knowledge that we can build from.”
The squadron will also be fielding several equipment upgrades prior to their deployment, such as a new model of the .50 caliber machine gun. The M3P model, converted from the Avenger system, boasts both a higher rate of fire and less required maintenance.
Using a total of 500 rockets and thousands of .50 caliber rounds for the recent gunnery, the Soldiers of 4-6 Cav. have taken the first step on a demanding path to deployment.
In June they will move to a major squadron qualification gunnery, Tables VII and VIII, at Yakima Training Center, before a final MRX at the National Training Center in California.
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