Missouri Guard trains with Louisiana Guard aviation unit in preparation to deploy

Chief Warrant Officer 2 James Maner and Capt. Edwin Reliford, both from Company A, 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion in Hammond, La., play key roles in the rehearsal of an upcoming mission using a sand table. (Photo by Rachel Knight/Missouri National Guard)

By Rachel Knight
Ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

FORT RUCKER, Ala. - The Missouri National Guard's 35th Combat Aviation Brigade was part of a 10-day Aviation Training Exercise that included several aviation units from around the United States including one from Louisiana.

The ATX, that will help prepare the brigade and its supporting battalions for a future deployment to Iraq, is a very important training exercise. The focus of the exercise is to identify deficiencies now in a training environment by performing Standing Operating Procedures, battle drills and processes associated with being in theater.

Louisiana National Guard's 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion helped the entire brigade- to company-level exercise by providing mach models of scenarios by creating a "sand table."

Sand tables date back to earlier wars where Soldiers would create a visual aid of an area using a table and sand. Using the sand, they provided a smaller-scaled model that showed terrain differences like mountains and valleys.

The six Soldiers from the 1-244th took a map and created a table within a table. The outside perimeter sized down an area that was about 150 miles in width and length to a 324 sq. ft. model. Inside that table was another that took a mile-by-mile section and sized it down to 225 sq. ft. with everything from Forward Operating Bases in theater to refueling points, loading zones and even power lines.

"It's all based on what you have available," said Col. Mark McLemore, Missouri's 35th Combat Aviation Brigade commander, on the creativeness of the elements within the sand table. "It's very good."

After three hours of diligent work, the model was constructed with wooden blocks, paper, rope, tape, helicopter cutouts, little Army toy Soldiers, and whatever else they could find to make a very creative, detailed model which included rehearsal manuscripts for all the key players in the scenario.

"The detail on the sand table gave us a clear and concise understanding of the commander's intent of the mission," said 1st Lt. Ben Hansen, an AH-64 Apache helicopter pilot for Company A of the 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion and role player in the rehearsal. "It also assisted in the coordination between mixed air crews - Apaches, Black Hawks, Chinooks and Sherpas - and the air crews and ground elements."

"It is important because we are all about safety," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Fraychineaud of the 1-244th. "Everyone gets to see what is going to take place and that helps reduce the risk of confusion."

"It's a great training tool," said Fraychineaud. He pointed out that it doesn't only benefit the aviators, but the builders get a better understanding of the mission that they will be tracking.

"Because of the rehearsals, everyone knew what to do," said McLemore. "They responded quickly to changes in the mission and anticipated the next step."

The 1-244th has built larger sand tables at their home station and at annual trainings, but this particular one was more to scale and much more complex, according to Master Sgt. Rudolph Cambre.

"This opportunity helps us brush up and practice skills we might use overseas to help ensure the success of aviation operations," said Cambre. "Though it is uncertain if they will use these sand tables in theater, the training is nonetheless important."