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# Guardian Battalion Teams with Aviators during Resupply Training

By Staff Sgt. Kelly Carlton

 OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea –Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment partnered with aviators from B Company, 2-2 Assault Helicopter Battalion, during sling load training, March 30, 2016, at Camp Carroll, South Korea. 

 Sling load operations are a source of aerial transport during combat operations.

 “The whole point of this training is to airlift missile reloads. It really provides another degree of transportation and portability for air defenders,” Capt. John Lucero, battle captain, 2-1 ADA said. “The Soldiers connected a Missile Round Trainer during the training exercise to simulate a live Patriot missile round.”

 The unit utilized air assault qualified personnel well versed in helicopter transport operations to train non air assault qualified Soldiers as preparation for the training mission. Spc. Meredith Wilkins, Patriot launching station enhanced operator/maintainer, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2-1 ADA Battalion, is one of those individuals who assisted with the class.

 “Yesterday, in order to prepare for today’s training, we held a class where we went over hand and arm signals to safely guide the helicopter, tying down parts of the package after identifying anything that could get damaged during flight, and then inspecting all of it,” Wilkins said.

  Wilkins went into detail about one very important safety tactic used for the ropes of the sling set known as the legs. The sling set is what connects the cargo, or package to the helicopter.

 “Another important step is to lightly tape the legs of the sling set together and create what is called a break-away,” she said. “By taping the legs together the risk of tangling during initial lifting is controlled and once the cargo is off the ground, the tape breaks away.”

 The prep class had a broader purpose according to the Battalion Operations Officer, Maj. Carina Kelley.

 “The battalion tasked a noncommissioned officer and two Soldiers from several batteries then integrated our air assault qualified personnel to create a ‘train the trainer’ situation,” Kelley said. “This is important in case this skill is ever needed in the real world, we have a wider range of trained soldiers.”

 Wilkins said she felt a sense of pride during the training.

 “It’s good to recap my training and then be able to teach others what I have learned,” she said.

  Lucero added the air crew from 2-2 ASLT, transported the MRT 150 kilometers to Kunsan Air Base, completing all training objectives required for the exercise.

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