The Road to Safwan: The 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry in the 1991 ...

104 The Road to Safwan
alerted him to the situation. Pope jumped into his Bradley and
led a team back to the crash site to assist the crew in the event
they were injured and secure the helicopter at the crash site so
it could be evacuated. He was quite relieved to see them standing
by their downed helicopter as he arrived. 29 A few moments
earlier, WO1 Gary Notestine, flying the Cobra that was part of
the team, and CPT Peters in his helicopter, had also arrived at
the crash site. As they circled the location, they could see that
the wreckage was strewn over a large area. Glad that the crew
was safe, the aviators were also impressed by the ground
troop’s rapid response. Although they had discussed many
times in briefings how they would respond to a downed aviator
call, this was the first opportunity they had to execute this
mission. The crew of the downed helicopter was safely evacuated
and by late afternoon the helicopter was recovered. Later,
an investigating team determined that the aircraft’s crash occurred
because of an engine failure and not hostile fire. 30
The rearward passage of lines was completed in the late afternoon
with the recovery of the OH-58C, and the squadron
gathered in an assembly area called AA Respite just behind the
1st Brigade. The two ground troops formed their own small enclaves
and the air troops flew to the 4th Brigade area approximately
twenty kilometers to the rear. Now Wilson and his leaders
began planning for the attack in earnest.
Once they passed to the rear, the tired cavalrymen gained a
few days to rearm, refuel, and relax, the squadron’s first opportunity
since mid-January to stand down and rest. Since its deployment
almost a month earlier, the cavalry had been on a war
footing. While newspapers at home focused on the air campaign,
the squadron had conducted their own deadly game.
The time on the border had been invaluable; soldiers at every
level became more proficient and disciplined, comfortable with
their equipment and competent. The leaders developed a level
of trust and confidence among themselves that would pay important
dividends in the days ahead.