US Army, May 15, 2022 - FORT DRUM, NY by Staff Sgt Matthew Gunther - New York Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, honed their marksmanship skills on the range and in the air, during unit annual training at Fort Drum, New York, which kicked off on April 23.
The 218 Soldiers are conducting two weeks of annual training as they prepare to deploy to Fort Hood, Texas and then Kuwait in June.
Training teams from Fort Hood were there to help the New York National Guard troops train more effectively.
The battalion is slated for mobilization and deployment to support U.S. Army Central Command later this summer and the training validates many of the pre-deployment tasks, said Colonel Jason Lefton, the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade commander.
Soldiers trained with their individual M-4s, and M -17 pistols, the M246 squad automatic weapon and the M320 grenade launcher. They also trained on crew served weapons; the M-2 .50 caliber machine gun, Mark 19 grenade launcher and the M240B machine gun.
The highlight of the training was when door gunners engaged targets on the ground with the M240B from a hovering UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Lefton, who is a former battalion commander for the unit, had nothing but praise for the Soldiers.
“Most years I need to step in here and there and make some changes, or nudge things along during the preparation and planning for a large event like this,” Lefton said. “This year, that wasn’t the case. I couldn’t be prouder of you all.”
Soldiers built towards firing live ammunition by training in the Engagement Skills Trainer first. On this electronic indoor range, the recoil is simulated with an air hose that connects to the weapon and an air compressor. Soldiers must engage targets that appear on a large screen on the other end of the room.
The Soldiers’ aim is tracked in real time by a computer, so that they can receive coaching from an expert that is present on each range.
The simulator lets Soldiers practice the basics of marksmanship before firing live ammunition on the range or from a UH-60 in the air.
The annual event takes a lot of planning and preparation, said Master Sgt. Christopher Bullock, the battalions’ operations non-commissioned officer. The Soldiers need to be fed and housed, helicopters and vehicles must be fueled and maintained, ammo and weapons must be provided, and much more,” he said, This year came with it’s a new set of challenges due to the pandemic, Bullock said.
“We got the go-ahead to do the training around Thanksgiving, which is later than usual, and it is taking place in April and May, which is earlier than usual, so we were working with a compressed timeline,” Bullock explained.
“But, as usual, everyone in this unit stepped up and made it happen, and everything has come together nicely. Now we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor,” he added.
Along with practicing marksmanship, Soldiers took combat lifesaver classes, trained to counter improvised explosive devices, learned hand-to-hand combat, and conducted water egress training in a pool.
The water training focused on how to get out of a vehicle that had crashed into a lake or canal.
The training was an invaluable opportunity to get learn about different equipment and how to perform their duties as part of the team.
Annual training is fun, said Pfc Dennis Kaydanoy, a helicopter mechanic, because he got to do things outside of his daily routine.
“I really enjoyed the hand-to-hand combat training,” Kaydanov said. “I also like the combat lifesaver course, and I think it’s really important to keep those basic medical skills fresh in your mind, because you never know when you might need them.”
The 218 Soldiers are conducting two weeks of annual training as they prepare to deploy to Fort Hood, Texas and then Kuwait in June.
Training teams from Fort Hood were there to help the New York National Guard troops train more effectively.
The battalion is slated for mobilization and deployment to support U.S. Army Central Command later this summer and the training validates many of the pre-deployment tasks, said Colonel Jason Lefton, the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade commander.
Soldiers trained with their individual M-4s, and M -17 pistols, the M246 squad automatic weapon and the M320 grenade launcher. They also trained on crew served weapons; the M-2 .50 caliber machine gun, Mark 19 grenade launcher and the M240B machine gun.
The highlight of the training was when door gunners engaged targets on the ground with the M240B from a hovering UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Lefton, who is a former battalion commander for the unit, had nothing but praise for the Soldiers.
“Most years I need to step in here and there and make some changes, or nudge things along during the preparation and planning for a large event like this,” Lefton said. “This year, that wasn’t the case. I couldn’t be prouder of you all.”
Soldiers built towards firing live ammunition by training in the Engagement Skills Trainer first. On this electronic indoor range, the recoil is simulated with an air hose that connects to the weapon and an air compressor. Soldiers must engage targets that appear on a large screen on the other end of the room.
The Soldiers’ aim is tracked in real time by a computer, so that they can receive coaching from an expert that is present on each range.
The simulator lets Soldiers practice the basics of marksmanship before firing live ammunition on the range or from a UH-60 in the air.
The annual event takes a lot of planning and preparation, said Master Sgt. Christopher Bullock, the battalions’ operations non-commissioned officer. The Soldiers need to be fed and housed, helicopters and vehicles must be fueled and maintained, ammo and weapons must be provided, and much more,” he said, This year came with it’s a new set of challenges due to the pandemic, Bullock said.
“We got the go-ahead to do the training around Thanksgiving, which is later than usual, and it is taking place in April and May, which is earlier than usual, so we were working with a compressed timeline,” Bullock explained.
“But, as usual, everyone in this unit stepped up and made it happen, and everything has come together nicely. Now we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor,” he added.
Along with practicing marksmanship, Soldiers took combat lifesaver classes, trained to counter improvised explosive devices, learned hand-to-hand combat, and conducted water egress training in a pool.
The water training focused on how to get out of a vehicle that had crashed into a lake or canal.
The training was an invaluable opportunity to get learn about different equipment and how to perform their duties as part of the team.
Annual training is fun, said Pfc Dennis Kaydanoy, a helicopter mechanic, because he got to do things outside of his daily routine.
“I really enjoyed the hand-to-hand combat training,” Kaydanov said. “I also like the combat lifesaver course, and I think it’s really important to keep those basic medical skills fresh in your mind, because you never know when you might need them.”
Fort Drum See also |
New York National Guard US Army Aviation 3-142nd
3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment US Army Aviation Black Hawk in
US Army Aviation 
