Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldiers flew an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), called the RQ-7 Bravo or “Shadow,” for the first time at Muldrow Army Heliport in Lexington, Oklahoma, this past January.
“This was my first flight with this unit, as well as my flight for progression, which proves I am ready to move to the next level,” SPC Carrick said. “I was a little nervous, but it was fun and exciting to use what I learned during training.”
The UAS operators and maintainers are members of Detachment 1, D Company, 545th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard. They braved below-freezing temperatures and gusting wind to conduct their quarterly Additional Flight Training Period (AFTP) hours and enhance their operational proficiency skills with the Shadow.
It’s the first time the operators conducted the training in national airspace. In the past, they were limited to conducting their quarterly training in a controlled airspace like the one at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
“We have planned for this opportunity to use Muldrow for more than two years,” said MAJ Jonathan Naber, assistant operations officer for Muldrow Army Heliport. “We made sure all of the certifications for our operators and necessary paperwork were in place and filed with [the] Federal Aviation Administration.”
In order to operate out of Muldrow, MAJ Naber secured a certificate of operation for unmanned aircraft from the FAA and coordinated with the surrounding local authorities.
“This is a great opportunity for Oklahoma Guard Soldiers to conduct their training at an Oklahoma National Guard facility,” MAJ Naber said. “A lot of planning, training and preparation went into getting authorization to conduct unmanned aircraft training in Muldrow airspace.”
With its video technology, the Shadow is capable of assisting ground units in spotting targets; providing grid locations; providing basic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and spotting vehicle movements. This information allows ground units to conduct missions more efficiently and effectively.
Operating the Shadow is a team effort, from the maintainers performing equipment safety checks to the operators ensuring the electronics systems are operational.
SPC Andrew Carrick, who recently returned to the 545th Brigade Engineer Battalion from AIT, conducted his “flight for progression” on the Shadow.
“This was my first flight with this unit, as well as my flight for progression, which proves I am ready to move to the next level,” SPC Carrick said. “I was a little nervous, but it was fun and exciting to use what I learned during training.”
BY SSG Jason Lay, OKLAHOMA NATIONAL GUARD
