Fort Bliss Monitor

3-43 field tests
Air and Missile Defense Training Concept

Story and Photos by Spc. Joshua Fender, 3-43 ADA Bde.

Spc. Scott Vazquez watches the roadside for any suspicious movement or vehicles from the OPFOR.

“Ground attack, ground attack! Everyone to their fighting positions!” shouts the “giant voice” just as an overhead flare erupts, illuminating the night sky and everything within the Headquarters and 516th Company site. |

“OPFOR (Opposition Forces) spotted in sector 5,” says the Sergeant of the Guard over a hand-held walkie-talkie to the Soldiers in position providing perimeter security. Shots are exchanged, and the threat suppressed as intelligence reports five enemy casualties.

Scenarios such as these occurred on a regular basis during the post’s first Air and Missile Defense Training Concept, field-tested by the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery. The AMDTC is comparable to the National Training Center and Joint RTC and a rotational exercise giving a Patriot battalion a standard to assess its training by using wartime scenarios such as: hostile convoy operations, ground attacks, air battles (ranging from reticule aim level seven to eleven), chemical environments, and a Patriot live-fire.

Soldiers prepare logistics packages to distribute to remote batteries.

Convoy operations for the battalion began with a battalion-wide movement (to mask movement) from armistice locations to their war-fighting locations once the threat of Surface-to-Air Missile (possibly armed with chemical warheads) attack became apparent. To increase force protection, the 978th Military Police Co. provided route reconnaissance and escorted the batteries during the convoy operation.

For eight days the battalion faced a myriad of scenarios overseen by the Edge Research and Development Company and augmented by Soldiers from Fort Bliss and JRTC. One scenario consisted of two foreign nationals pleading for medical assistance, trying to gain entry to D Btry’s site. Spc. Christopher Laudermilk, the SOG at the time recalled, “We had to keep a close eye on them and stay within the perimeter even though they claimed to be friendly. They might have had improvised explosive devises attached to them.”

Enemy aggressions were also fought off in the engagement control station where air battles were fought. The launcher station crews were constantly at work due to the myriad of targets on the ECS scope.

“They loaded the launchers about six times, throughout the night, in Mission Oriented Protective Posture level four, while singing cadences to fuel their battle rhythm,” said Sgt. Casey Williams, E Btry., who provided security for the reload teams.

Considering the battalion’s area of operation (ultimately from south McGregor Range to northeast Otero Mesa) was so vast, the effective flow of communication was the highest priority. In order to sustain the continuous exchange of reports and intelligence, various forms of communication were employed. Single-Channel Ground and Airborne Systems, UHF, Switch Multiplexor Units, iridium satellite phones, SECTRA phones, Motorola trunking radios, Tactical Local Area Network systems, and three communication relay groups moving at various times all provided successful communications.

A wounded foreign national tries to gain entrance to D Battery’s site.

“We jumped five times in order to maintain the relay of voice and data information,” said Spc. Stephen Brown, a headquarter battery Soldier working at CRG four.

After 10 days in the field, the AMDTC culminated with a Patriot live-fire. Five missiles were shot from B, C, and D Btrys. intercepting simulated air breathing targets. It was the first time seeing the full strength of the weapon system for some. Aranda, newly from AIT said, “Instructors at AIT tell how they’ve seen malfunctions, and it was nice to see the missiles fire the way they are supposed to, and hit their target."

Combat lifesavers treat a wounded Soldier separated from his element.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	January 13, 2005

<map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	3-43 field tests Air and Missile Defense Training Concept Story and Photos by Spc. Joshua Fender, 3-43 ADA Bde. Spc. Scott Vazquez watches the roadside for any suspicious movement or vehicles from the OPFOR. “Ground attack, ground attack! Everyone to their fighting positions!” shouts the “giant voice” just as an overhead flare erupts, illuminating the night sky and everything within the Headquarters and 516th Company site. \| “OPFOR (Opposition Forces) spotted in sector 5,” says the Sergeant of the Guard over a hand-held walkie-talkie to the Soldiers in position providing perimeter security. Shots are exchanged, and the threat suppressed as intelligence reports five enemy casualties. Scenarios such as these occurred on a regular basis during the post’s first Air and Missile Defense Training Concept, field-tested by the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery. The AMDTC is comparable to the National Training Center and Joint RTC and a rotational exercise giving a Patriot battalion a standard to assess its training by using wartime scenarios such as: hostile convoy operations, ground attacks, air battles (ranging from reticule aim level seven to eleven), chemical environments, and a Patriot live-fire. Soldiers prepare logistics packages to distribute to remote batteries. Convoy operations for the battalion began with a battalion-wide movement (to mask movement) from armistice locations to their war-fighting locations once the threat of Surface-to-Air Missile (possibly armed with chemical warheads) attack became apparent. To increase force protection, the 978th Military Police Co. provided route reconnaissance and escorted the batteries during the convoy operation. For eight days the battalion faced a myriad of scenarios overseen by the Edge Research and Development Company and augmented by Soldiers from Fort Bliss and JRTC. One scenario consisted of two foreign nationals pleading for medical assistance, trying to gain entry to D Btry’s site. Spc. Christopher Laudermilk, the SOG at the time recalled, “We had to keep a close eye on them and stay within the perimeter even though they claimed to be friendly. They might have had improvised explosive devises attached to them.” Enemy aggressions were also fought off in the engagement control station where air battles were fought. The launcher station crews were constantly at work due to the myriad of targets on the ECS scope. “They loaded the launchers about six times, throughout the night, in Mission Oriented Protective Posture level four, while singing cadences to fuel their battle rhythm,” said Sgt. Casey Williams, E Btry., who provided security for the reload teams. Considering the battalion’s area of operation (ultimately from south McGregor Range to northeast Otero Mesa) was so vast, the effective flow of communication was the highest priority. In order to sustain the continuous exchange of reports and intelligence, various forms of communication were employed. Single-Channel Ground and Airborne Systems, UHF, Switch Multiplexor Units, iridium satellite phones, SECTRA phones, Motorola trunking radios, Tactical Local Area Network systems, and three communication relay groups moving at various times all provided successful communications. A wounded foreign national tries to gain entrance to D Battery’s site. “We jumped five times in order to maintain the relay of voice and data information,” said Spc. Stephen Brown, a headquarter battery Soldier working at CRG four. After 10 days in the field, the AMDTC culminated with a Patriot live-fire. Five missiles were shot from B, C, and D Btrys. intercepting simulated air breathing targets. It was the first time seeing the full strength of the weapon system for some. Aranda, newly from AIT said, “Instructors at AIT tell how they’ve seen malfunctions, and it was nice to see the missiles fire the way they are supposed to, and hit their target." Combat lifesavers treat a wounded Soldier separated from his element.