1-135th Attack Battalion prepares for annual training with extra aerial gunnery exercises

  • Published
  • By Rachel Knight
  • 1-135th Attack Battalion
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  The Missouri Army National Guard's 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion at Whiteman AFB will be armign procedures on an AH-64 Apache helicopter prior to its departure to Fort Leonard Wood for aerial gunnery May 2.

Six Apache helicopters will be flown to Fort Leonard Wood to practice honing in on targets at Cannon Range. The AH-64 Apache is the Army's primary attack helicopter that has been used during the current war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Prior to leaving Whiteman, the helicopters will receive 330 rounds of 30-mm bullets and 32 70-mm rockets. Armorers, who might be new to the unit, get the necessary practice time loading this ammunition on compass rose at Whiteman, prior to being required to do it again during annual training.

When fully armed, the Apache can carry 16 Hellfire laser designated missiles, 76 folding-fin aerial rockets and 1,200 round of ammunition for its automatic chain gun. With a range of more than 8,000 meters, the Hellfire missile is used primarily for the destruction of tanks, armored vehicles and other hard material targets. The Apache uses the rockets against enemy personnel, light armor vehicles and other soft-skinned targets.

This weekend drill will be the third exercise since September that allows the helicopters' pilots to practice their flying and target acquiring skills.

Army Lt. Col. Charles Hausman, 1-135th Attack Battalion commander, said the exercises are going really well from training and maintenance standpoints.

Colonel Hausman said they "deliberately slow the pace down" so the new Soldiers are able to learn the necessary training of arming an Apache helicopter prior to annual training where the pace is much faster due to the qualifying status. The battalion will attend annual training in June at Fort McCoy, Wisc.

Also during the practice exercises, Soldiers are able to identify problems with the helicopters. When the weapons are fired, they send vibrations throughout the helicopter which may loosen or cause problems in the aircraft.

"We are shaking out the aircraft and identifying problems earlier," Hausman said. This allows them to fix the problems prior to qualifying at annual training. In the past, even though the helicopters are maintained on a daily basis, problems arise the first day of annual training because the helicopters weapons are only fired once a year.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-888-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.