5-52 ADA sharpen skills with SPEAR

Pvt. Jessika Greendeer
11th ADA Bde. Public Affairs

Staff Sgt. Anthony J. Merriweather readies communications equipment that will be used for training at Tobin Wells.

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The Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery “Team Deuce,” participated in their quarterly Stan-dardized Patriot Engagement Assessment of Readiness testing at Tobin Wells.

SPEAR testing is required by all battalions and brigades subordinate to the 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command and is evaluated by personnel inside the battalion or brigade such as, master gunners, electronic missile maintenance officers and Fire Direction Center personnel, said John Riley, 32nd govern-ment contractor, Standards and Evaluations.

The SPEAR program simulation is based on information gathered during Operation Iraqi Freedom to create a realistic war scenario. The information gathered throughout the exercise is provided to commanders with essential information to determine the crew’s readiness, said Riley.

Preparation and practice is essential for the ADA units. Aspects of the training include allowing the Soldiers to improve on the placement, accuracy and efficiency of their programs and equipment throughout the field training exercise.

2nd Lt. Kathleen T. Hachol-ski, assistant Fire Control, has been studying and preparing for the assessment.
“A crew needs to get a 90 percent or above to qualify for testing,” said Hacholski, who qualified with a 97 percent.

Pfc. Bradford C. Blessig, Command Post operator/maintainer, said that the training and assessment provides the crews immediate feedback during their evaluations.

“The training allows us to fix any problems that we cannot access while we are improving our tactics in the field, and work to better our systems and the programs that we use,” said Blessig.

Spc. Patrick C. Coble, Transmission Systems operator/maintainer, appreciates the opportunity to practice and apply his training throughout the evaluation. Coble also earned a 100 percent for the Feb. 14 assessment.
“It is good training. It is necessary for the facility to make the training more realistic and prepare us for anything,” said Coble. “Training helps the crews improve. You will see that if you can handle the standard here you can do almost anything. No matter how good you are, you can always do better. There is always room for improvement and to make things bet