Warriors in Peace Operations - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

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CHAPTER 7 WORKHORSE IN BOSNIA Lieutenant Colonel Thomas M. Dockens BATTALION PROLOGUE The 127th Aviation Support Battalion (ASB), which we affectionately call “Workhorse,” signifies the outstanding combat service support provided to the 4th Aviation Brigade and 1-1 Cavalry Squadron. This battalion’s 518 soldiers, with specialties of 56 different military occupational skills (MOSs), provided quality aviation intermediate maintenance (AVIM) and direct support ground maintenance (DS). This support included all classes of supply and coordination for medical, ammunition, and secure communication maintenance. From May 1, 1995, through May 15, 1996, the battalion professionally supported 140 helicopters, including two AH-64 battalions, one UH-60 battalion, and one Air Cavalry Squadron. Additionally, the battalion supported 27 M-1 Tanks, 47 M2/3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and 850 wheeled vehicles. The 127th ASB also provided area community support and proudly continued to uphold its IRON EAGLE support tradition. INTRODUCTION This personal experience monograph offers my account of the deployment and operations of the 127th Aviation Support Battalion (ASB) in support of Task Force Eagle from May 1, 1994, through May 15, 1995. Task Force Eagle was the American-led peace enforcement headquarters deployed to Bosnia. My account will describe unit train-up, predeployment requirements, and maintenance and 195
logistics operations in support of the 4th Aviation Brigade, 1-1 Cavalry Squadron, and eventually of all Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR aviation forces. The 1st Armored Division commander, Major General William Nash, commanded Task Force Eagle. Task Force Eagle deployed following the 1995 NATO-imposed cease fire, which halted the carnage in the Former Yugoslavia. (Figure 8 shows the IFOR Deployment). Following the Dayton Peace agreement, the 1st Armored Division, as a part of NATO’s Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, was ordered to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR. (See Figure 9.) The Task Force assumed Area of Responsibility (AOR) control in Tuzla on December 20, 1995. After the historic bridging of the Sava River on December 31, 1995, the Division entered Bosnia-Herzegovina. The mission was to enforce the cease fire, supervise the marking of boundaries, and maintain the zone of separation (ZOS) between the former warring factions (FWF). (See Figure 10.) Figure 8. IFOR Deployment. 196
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WARRIORS IN PEACE OPERATIONS Edited
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CONTENTS FOREWORD .................
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FOREWORD The Personal Experience Mo
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seldom practiced. The actual practi
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BATTALION COMMAND I assumed command
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all training, maintenance, and othe
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company training and log efforts, a
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the USAREUR staff was thought up an
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new times. Ops Center at the battal
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like the Jewish exodus wandering ar
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marvelous job of coordinating the e
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it. They did not want us there or n
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containers as well. I told him I un
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promptly chambered a round in his p
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techniques, we found the railhead a
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answer. He quickly made himself and
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Tacsat systems with two independent
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CHAPTER 3 THE BLUE FALCONS IN BOSNI
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monograph. My omission of such elem
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their advance around the safe haven
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unusual. In today’s environment,
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He also provided his timeline for J
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Within about an hour I was reminded
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eter. Even along these paths, I had
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for deployment. The pre-deployment
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a rehearsal for leaders, using a ve
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• Heavy weapons platoon from E Co
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The Blue Falcons exited the aircraf
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esponsibility for the base security
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sandbagged for force protection. Th
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Weather continued to deteriorate ov
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east-west roads crossing the Zone o
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needed from his forces. This coordi
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This COP was manned by a reinforced
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attalion commander was executing a
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creativity in accomplishing every a
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On February 11, TF 3-325 began coor
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their security. Hence, the title em
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deployed with the battalion to the
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at a confrontation going on at a ch
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he was deadly serious. I was convin
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As I reflected on the emotions I wa
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three times. The first time some ke
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pressure, intensity, and rigor of a
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gaining the sense of teamwork and s
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from 4-67, and now three tank plato
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Although the setup had changed in t
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trains per day to that point, thus
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soldier why there were differences
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One piece of frustrated cargo defin
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soldiers who deployed into an area
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support. After several false starts
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Group leaders, who were not paid pr
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Another lesson I learned was the ve
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We also developed a rotational gunn
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CHAPTER 5 COMMANDING A FIELD ARTILL
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Target Acquisition Battery (B/25 FA
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Rather than the anticipated three w
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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS
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usiness taking their husbands away
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transportation, shopping, and perso
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were required to carry these 12 rul
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The remaining combat elements of Ch
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As we departed Baumholder, I felt c
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140
Page 145 and 146: Figure 7. 1st Armored Division AOR.
Page 147 and 148: forcing Service Battery to expend a
Page 149 and 150: Zvornik to regain control of the se
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Page 153 and 154: deployment. When offered the opport
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Page 157 and 158: equipment for turn-in both at Baumh
Page 159 and 160: assume the FSG advisor role for the
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Page 163 and 164: This created a daily stop at every
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Page 167 and 168: CONCLUSION The opportunity for batt
Page 169 and 170: A. He did not countermand the major
Page 171 and 172: CHAPTER 6 THE 28TH TRANSPORTATION B
Page 173 and 174: deactivation of the 53rd Transporta
Page 175 and 176: factors allowing us to stay ahead o
Page 177 and 178: drivers could not operate a motor v
Page 179 and 180: tied up with A/DACGS, CSCs, EAGLE E
Page 181 and 182: heat I received from the families b
Page 183 and 184: 260th TTD relied entirely on the 28
Page 185 and 186: When I split my battalion headquart
Page 187 and 188: no IG or congressional inquiries re
Page 189 and 190: unit home to Wuerzburg, Germany. Un
Page 191 and 192: Drivers were also beginning to show
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Page 195: mileage during my first year in com
Page 199 and 200: The 127th ASB is a Combat Service S
Page 201 and 202: along with a myriad of situations t
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Page 205 and 206: INITIAL SUPPORT OPERATIONS, ISB Aft
Page 207 and 208: SUPPORT PLAN The aviation brigade w
Page 209 and 210: commander while assigned to the 1AD
Page 211 and 212: The ground/air refuel and supply fu
Page 213 and 214: Force protection became a necessary
Page 215 and 216: military. As early as 1993, some si
Page 217 and 218: command, because the National Comma
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Page 221 and 222: actions—all at the same time. Onc
Page 223 and 224: eing, load-bearing equipment (LBE)
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Page 227 and 228: was ours. Once we received this add
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Page 231 and 232: our soldiers in a U.S. facility, bu
Page 233 and 234: • Treated 19,899 Outpatients •
Page 235 and 236: and Steve Walker, commanders of the
Page 237 and 238: the unique tasks required for the u
Page 239 and 240: could do to change it now. The good
Page 241 and 242: THE SUBORDINATE REAR DETACHMENT COM
Page 243 and 244: to Grafenwoehr for deployment-speci
Page 245 and 246: Those were some of the major missio
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kept track of the classified inform
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considerable time updating the book
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Fortunately, we never had to deal w
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• Good rear detachment commanders
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AFTERWORD Dr. Douglas V. Johnson II
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Colin Powell’s philosophy—we we
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