BOISE, Idaho – The Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Arizona Army National Guard trained together at the Idaho National Guard’s Orchard Combat Training Center July 21-Aug. 29, completing day and night AH-64 Apache aerial gunnery operations.
The RSAF Peace Vanguard detachment was formed in 2001 and is supported by the AZARNG’s U.S. Army Flight Training Detachment. They have trained together on Idaho’s premier ranges annually for more than 10 years. Idaho and Arizona allow the Singapore military to train in desert environments.
“The Peace Vanguard detachment has trained all over the United States, and Idaho has one of the best training sites in the country,” said Master Sgt. Joel Mann, the AZARNG detachment’s operations noncommissioned officer in charge.
Located 18 miles south of Boise, Idaho’s OCTC is a 171,000-acre training center with vast terrain and 23 world-class ranges for ground troops and pilots.
The U.S. Army Flight Training Detachment, based in Marana, Arizona, includes Army National Guard pilots who fly the AH-64 Apache Longbow Attack Helicopters alongside RSAF pilots. Together they build and develop qualification programs that ensure each pilot receives the same level of training.
While at the OCTC, Peace Vanguard pilots and crews trained on several ranges for air-to-ground and air-to-air qualifications, including the Digital Air Ground Integrated Range. The DAGIR is one of three in the U.S. Army and allows air and ground units to train together while receiving real-time feedback on their performance.
RSAF servicemen and women rotate through the detachment in Arizona accompanied by their family members. Besides providing high training value, the RSAF’s training in the United States improves interoperability between the two armed forces.