Air insertion training is an important part of the Mission Essential Task List for the ground troops of the U.S. Army. All of them.
As the war continues in Afghanistan, and because of the terrain difficulties and the threat of roadside bombs, becoming familiar with the capabilities that a helicopter brings to the battlefield is paramount.
However, a mission involving aircraft doesn’t just happen out of the blue, it takes planning and preparation from both the ground troop commanders and those in charge of the air assets.
A major obstacle to overcome in these situations is coordination between the aviation asset and the ground asset. A constant line of communication is a must to handle any changes that might arise. Communication is also important to make sure they have a plan to get out and to accomplish the mission with or without the use of air assets.
To accomplish this, the infantry receive training on an air insertion exercise and the flight crews continue to perfect their skills of delivering the troops to the right spot at the right time. In this video, soldiers with 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (ground asset) conduct air assault training with 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment’s Assault Helicopter Battalion (air asset) during a squad live fire exercise at Fort Stewart, Ga. When it comes to this type of situation, you can never have enough training.
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