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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
Mar 18, 2010 - 5:39:57 PM |
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Where 'Titans' Dare
By 1st Lt. Todd Gibson, 2-3 Brigade Troops Battalion, 2nd "Spartan" Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
Dec 21, 2009 - 4:46:47 PM
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Shadows deter enemy activity
Blackanthem Military News
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| Sergeant John Wilkinson of the 'Titan' 2-3 Brigade Troops Battalion's Tactical Unmanned-Aerial Vehicle Platoon, 3rd infantry Division pushes a UAV off the runway after a smooth landing, Dec. 10 (Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Army). |
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq - Soaring a few thousand feet in the air is the Shadow an unmanned-aerial vehicles of Alpha Company, 2-3 Brigade Troops Battalion, serve as the brigade's ever-vigil watchmen.
The UAVs survey known hot spots of improvised explosive device emplacement and indirect-fire points of origin, as well as any other objective or route the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division deems essential to keep a close eye on.
The Shadow lives up to both its name and the Co. A call-sign-Predator. The enemy knows they're out there, they know they can't hide from them, and they know that in this cat and mouse game, they will always be the prey. The Shadows hunt not with weaponry or payload, but by gathering intelligence and relaying information to the forces they watch over.
Their presence alone is often an effective enough deterrent to the enemy.
"Shadows aren't the quietest vehicles out there, but if the insurgents happen to hear them overhead, you can see them drop what they're doing and scatter," said the Co. A., commander, Cpt. Michael Thomas, as he explained how denying the enemy the ability to attack is just as effective as engaging them in combat.
Thirteen days since taking over full spectrum operations in Mosul, Iraq, the platoon's UAV Operations Technician, Chief Warrant Officer Pedro Flores, commented on the continuous surveillance the UAV Soldiers are providing.
"We set the bar higher than any previous unit at the National Training Center with 203 hours flown in fourteen days. Currently we've run 39 missions with a total of 178 hours flight time; by the end of tomorrow we'll have surpassed that two-week record from NTC," said Chief Warrant Officer Flores.
At the end of its flight, the landing seems almost surreal as the unmanned aircraft gracefully touches down onto the tarmac. As soon as it stops, crews respond immediately. Within 20 minutes the landed bird is pushed off the runway, preflight checks are made on the next UAV, and finally it is loaded onto a launcher and slung hundreds of feet into the air.
Their constant vigilance in the sky is a testament that this war is fought not just through force of arms, but also by protective and sometimes unseen guardianship over troops.
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