The Unmanned Aerial System launches into the open sky to patrol the surrounding area, looking for improvised explosive devices and other obstacles Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division might face. (U.S. Army photo be Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SR# 032307-08
March 23, 2007

By Spc. Ryan Stroud
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division


BAQUBAH, Iraq -- The skies were empty with no clouds in sight as the Unmanned Aerial Systems team from Company A, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, loaded their small plane, otherwise known as a “bird,” onto a launcher to be shot into the sky.

The bird’s job will be to scope out the surrounding area of Forward Operating Base Warhorse, located in Baqubah, Iraq, for surveillance purposes through the area.

The bird is a new tool the armed services have been using to help save the lives of the Soldiers supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08.

Soldiers quietly and thoroughly inspect the launcher and the bird, making sure all the pre-flight checks are complete. They then huddle on the opposite side of the runway, headphones on to protect their ears, and wait for the launch. Moments later, the bird launches with a speed up to 80 miles per hour, off the launcher and into the open sky, ready to begin its mission of surveillance.

“This job is important because [the troops] might not be able to see what’s beyond a hill or what’s happening ahead of them,” said Spc. Renay Forney, Co. A, 3rd BSTB, “So we give the Soldiers an idea of what’s going on around them so they can get a better feeling of their surroundings and feel more comfortable [on the battle field.]”

Forney is one of the UAS operators, controlling the launch and monitoring the progress of the flight until the bird reaches a higher altitude. Once the bird reaches a certain point, Forney will hand over control to the ground-control station, which will monitor the flight, control the camera and provide further information to the Soldier, she said.

“We do surveillance, reconnaissance and support missions to help the troops on the ground,” Forney said. “A lot of our time is consumed by looking for insurgents.”
“We also assist units by having a bird in the air and giving them a tail number,” said Spc. Sean Sowles, Co. A, 3rd BSTB. “When they plug the number into their systems, they can see what we’re seeing and that really helps them out. They can’t control the birds but they can request us to go to an area that might help their unit with their current mission.”

Sowles is one of the team’s UAS repair Soldiers, maintaining the birds, launcher and conducting pre-flight checks to secure a successful launch into the sky.

After flying for a maximum suggested time, the bird will land and the team will begin its routine checks and preparations for its next flight.

“I love this job,” said Sowles, a native of Madison, Ala. “There’s just so many capabilities this bird can do. It’s amazing to work with and it’s very exciting. You get used to the system and you learn new things everyday.”

“I also love this,” added Forney, a native of Traverse City, Mich. “You do learn something new everyday. The guys teach me about their jobs and the maintenance of the bird. This is a unique experience and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Though UAS, formally known as UAV, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, is new to the services, Forney believes it will become a major asset to units in future deployments.

“I think this field is going to continue to progress,” she said. “Right now we are spending a lot of our time assisting the brigade and surrounding battalions. They have noticed the difference in their mission when the UAS is up in the air.

“They really appreciate it and ask for it,” Forney added. “It’s a good feeling to be needed and appreciated like that. And it feels good to get to help.”


While inspecting the Unmanned Aerial System, Spc. Renay Forney, Company A, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, takes a quick look at the “bird’s” propeller during her preflight checks before the bird takes off into the sky. UAS is used as surveillance of Soldiers of 3rd BCT during their missions outside Forward Operating Base Warhorse, in Baqubah, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo be Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


Spc. Renay Forney, Company A, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, inspects a portion of the Unmanned Aerial System’s tail during her preflight check. “This job is important because [the troops] might not be able to see what’s beyond a hill or what’s happening ahead of them,” said Forney. “So we give the Soldiers an idea of what’s going on around them so they can get a better feeling of their surroundings and feel more comfortable [on the battle field.]” (U.S. Army photo be Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)


Spc. Renay Forney, Company A, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, monitors her Unmanned Aerial System that was launched to provide security and surveillance to the Soldiers on the ground. The UAS is equipped with a real-time camera to show the Soldiers of 3rd BCT what might be waiting on the roads and villages during their missions outside Forward Operating Base Warhorse. (U.S. Army photo be Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division, 3BCT, 3BSTB, aircraft, photos, UAV, US Army