The Gem State Guardian - Spring 2011 - Keep Trees

For example, Air Force Reserve units like
the 34th Weapons Squadron out of Nellis AFB
in Nevada and the 305th Rescue Squadron
out of Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona have
become repeat visitors to Idaho for several
years. These two organizations find it well
worth their while to make the trip here, bringing
a whole assortment of resources and
capabilities not found in Idaho. Units like A
Company/168th and 1/183rd ARB are reaping
the benefits from these units almost on a
weekly basis, and in turn, are reaching new
levels of proficiency and mission readiness.
The common themes and feedback often
heard by all visiting units is the exceptional
support offered by Idaho units and facilities,
the ease by which to request and occupy training
areas, aerial and ground weapon ranges
that afford numerous means of employment,
the capacity to replicate battlefield-like conditions
found currently in support of overseas
contingency operations and a variety of Idaho
units willing to capitalize on opportunities to
train in combined and joint operations.
That was the case recently between the
305th Rescue Squadron and Idaho aviators
who took full advantage of personnel recovery
training in February. Although the 305th
Rescue Squadron’s primary training event
was to conduct annual door gunnery qualification,
the means by which they conduct
their qualification demands a whole host of
additional players, resources, and extremely
realistic scenarios like that found in current
theaters of combat.
Role players of all sorts were immersed into
the scenarios like Idaho’s Installation Support
Unit, the “Red Platoon,” for pyrotechnic support;
the 304th Rescue Squadron Pararescue
Jumpers, also known as “PJs”; and pilots and
aircrew members of the 1/183rd ARB and A
Company/168th.
Typical scenarios occurred day and night
by which 305th Rescue Squadron HH-60 Pave
Hawks carrying PJs would descend upon an
area in the Orchard Training Area for a downed
aviator situation. On the ground, Idaho aviators
were required to mark their positions by various
means, verify their identity through code
words and authentication processes, and wait
for the rescue situation to unfold. The 305th
Rescue Squadron’s initial efforts went toward
impressively clearing the area with live ordinance
from their 7.62 mini-guns firing at a rate
of 2000 to 6000 rounds per minute. This was
soon followed by PJs conducting fast rope
insertion off the HH-60s in order to establish
a perimeter of security and attend to Idaho
aviators and aircrew members simulating
combat wounds. While all of this was occurring,
pyrotechnics created the fog of war
and replicated the sights and sounds of the
battlefield. All the events culminated with the
HH-60s swooping in overhead, establishing
a high hover, and extracting all personnel by
means of a hoist—end of mission.
The personnel recovery training received
prior to previous Idaho aviation deployments
was woefully inadequate and pales
in comparison to what was experienced
during this exercise. The lack of preparedness
or understanding of personnel recovery
operations by Idaho aviators will not be
repeated in the future due in large part to
our ability to train with these outside entities.
The silver lining with this training event
undeniably can be traced back to the quality
of Idaho training areas, ranges, facilities,
and willingness of the Idaho National Guard
to accommodate outside units who bring
unique training opportunities which better
prepares us to be combat ready and conduct
our state and federal missions.
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