Two dozen New York Army National Guard air crew and aviators from Rochester are preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan early in 2017 while also participating in the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Teams Joint Readiness Training Center exercise here with 5,000 other Soldiers.
The Joint Training Center allows Army units to conduct combat training in a realistic environment which features a well-trained opposing force, civilian role-players on the battlefield, high-tech systems which monitor the action and observer-controllers to evaluate unit actions.
For most aviation units supporting JRTC, their primary focus is moving troops and equipment throughout the training area in support of the units being evaluated. For the aviators and crews of Detachment 1, Company B, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation, they’ve added another focus — preparing for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.
“Being here at JRTC gives us a great opportunity to test the skills of our aviators and Soldiers and determine their strengths and abilities to handle high pressure positions before our deployment,” explained Cpt. Jesse Cody, the Rochester based aviation detachment commander.
The Rochester-based aviation unit operates CH-47 “Chinook” helicopters, used widely in the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War, as well as Afghanistan and Iraq. They have proven immensely valuable in the mountains of Afghanistan because the twin rotors provide lift at high altitudes and in cold weather.
The heavy lift helicopter can carry between 33 to 55 troops and lift up to 13 tons of cargo slung underneath the fuselage. The helicopter is….
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