Fort Bliss Monitor

Maj. Deanna Bague

Maj. Gen. Virgil L. Packett II, commanding general, U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center, gives opening remarks during the activation ceremony for the 3rd Battalion, 210th Aviation Regiment, at Biggs Army Airfield Friday.

New aviation battalion stands up

Maj. Deanna Bague
Fort Bliss Public Affairs

The U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center stood up the 3rd Battalion, 210th Aviation Regiment at Biggs Army Airfield April 27.

The unit will train foreign pilots, a mission that was transferred from the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation to the Army Aviation Warfighting Center, Fort Rucker, Ala.

“Uncasing the battalion colors of the 3rd Battalion, 210th Aviation Regiment sends a distinct message with the formal integration of aviation training in support of foreign internal defense, into the aviation branch,” said Col. Daniel Stewart, commander, 110th Aviation Brigade, Fort Rucker, Ala.

Maj. Gen. Virgil L. Packett II, commanding general, U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center, said the new battalion marks a national capability that brings the culmination of a cold war concept and equipment into relevance in today’s global war on terrorism.

“[We train] in a joint and allied context as we help develop aviation units in other countries,” said Packett.
The 3rd Bn., 210th Aviation Regt., owns Russian aviation assets like the M17 and MI 24 helicopters and AN2 Colt airplanes. The primary mission of the 3rd Bn., 210th Aviation Regt., Stewart said, is to conduct training in the M17s for foreign students. The training that will be conducted at Fort Bliss is an extension of what they do at Fort Rucker, where they train U.S. Army and allied forces in U.S. Army helicopters.

“This is an extension here at Fort Bliss which is giving us an ability to train students in an aircraft that they’re going to actually fly back in their home country, in this case the M17,” Stewart said. “Fort Bliss is an ideal location, because some of the students we are training are going back into Afghanistan, which is much like this area with the high altitude and the desert conditions.”

Packett said Fort Bliss has “opened up its arms” to the aviation center, and has a great deal to offer in terms of a realistic training environment.

“Fort Bliss represents a whole new energy to the Army in terms of its potential, readiness and capability,” Packett said. “Right now, Fort Bliss is a happening place, and a place to be.”

What started off as a small team and a small number of aircraft performing a very specialized mission has expanded, said Col. David Lockhart, Program Manager, Instrumentation, Targets and Threat Simulators, PEO STRI.

“We are helping a sovereign nation stand up a national capability,” said Lockhart.

In his remarks, Lockhart said he traveled to Afghanistan about a month and a half ago and saw great progress in the transition of capabilities. He believes the mission of the 3rd Bn., 210th Aviation Regt., under the command of Lt. Col. Manuel Diwa, is going to proceed to the next level.

Diwa said he looks forward to commanding the unit. He is confident the foreign pilots will achieve the capabilities to make them self-sustaining, which will benefit U.S. Soldiers.

“The Afghans and other nations we are supporting are supposed to be given a new capacity to do their own mission,” Diwa said. “Essentially, everything we do here is aimed at bringing our own Soldiers home. That is our motivation for doing this.”



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	May 3, 2007

	Maj. Deanna Bague Maj. Gen. Virgil L. Packett II, commanding general, U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center, gives opening remarks during the activation ceremony for the 3rd Battalion, 210th Aviation Regiment, at Biggs Army Airfield Friday. New aviation battalion stands up Maj. Deanna Bague Fort Bliss Public Affairs The U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center stood up the 3rd Battalion, 210th Aviation Regiment at Biggs Army Airfield April 27. The unit will train foreign pilots, a mission that was transferred from the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation to the Army Aviation Warfighting Center, Fort Rucker, Ala. “Uncasing the battalion colors of the 3rd Battalion, 210th Aviation Regiment sends a distinct message with the formal integration of aviation training in support of foreign internal defense, into the aviation branch,” said Col. Daniel Stewart, commander, 110th Aviation Brigade, Fort Rucker, Ala. Maj. Gen. Virgil L. Packett II, commanding general, U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center, said the new battalion marks a national capability that brings the culmination of a cold war concept and equipment into relevance in today’s global war on terrorism. “[We train] in a joint and allied context as we help develop aviation units in other countries,” said Packett. The 3rd Bn., 210th Aviation Regt., owns Russian aviation assets like the M17 and MI 24 helicopters and AN2 Colt airplanes. The primary mission of the 3rd Bn., 210th Aviation Regt., Stewart said, is to conduct training in the M17s for foreign students. The training that will be conducted at Fort Bliss is an extension of what they do at Fort Rucker, where they train U.S. Army and allied forces in U.S. Army helicopters. “This is an extension here at Fort Bliss which is giving us an ability to train students in an aircraft that they’re going to actually fly back in their home country, in this case the M17,” Stewart said. “Fort Bliss is an ideal location, because some of the students we are training are going back into Afghanistan, which is much like this area with the high altitude and the desert conditions.” Packett said Fort Bliss has “opened up its arms” to the aviation center, and has a great deal to offer in terms of a realistic training environment. “Fort Bliss represents a whole new energy to the Army in terms of its potential, readiness and capability,” Packett said. “Right now, Fort Bliss is a happening place, and a place to be.” What started off as a small team and a small number of aircraft performing a very specialized mission has expanded, said Col. David Lockhart, Program Manager, Instrumentation, Targets and Threat Simulators, PEO STRI. “We are helping a sovereign nation stand up a national capability,” said Lockhart. In his remarks, Lockhart said he traveled to Afghanistan about a month and a half ago and saw great progress in the transition of capabilities. He believes the mission of the 3rd Bn., 210th Aviation Regt., under the command of Lt. Col. Manuel Diwa, is going to proceed to the next level. Diwa said he looks forward to commanding the unit. He is confident the foreign pilots will achieve the capabilities to make them self-sustaining, which will benefit U.S. Soldiers. “The Afghans and other nations we are supporting are supposed to be given a new capacity to do their own mission,” Diwa said. “Essentially, everything we do here is aimed at bringing our own Soldiers home. That is our motivation for doing this.”