CAMP GRAYLING ARMY AIRFIELD, Mich. – Soldiers of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 147th Aviation, 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade, Kentucky Army National Guard, conducted their annual aerial gunnery qualifications at Camp Grayling Army Airfield July 13-20.
The mission comprised 62 Soldiers accompanied by five UH-60 Black Hawks, two fuel trucks, one Light Medium Tactical Vehicle, and nine M240H machine guns.
The aerial gunnery qualification is an annual requirement to ensure the unit is always combat-ready and fully mission-capable.
U.S. Army Capt. Sean Lough, commander of Bravo Company, noted the unit tries to rotate the gunnery venue to prepare Soldiers for all types of terrain and environments.
The company has also conducted live-fire exercises at Jefferson Proving Ground, Indiana, Cherry Point, North Carolina, and Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The aerial gunnery qualification course consists of several tables, including day and night portions in which Soldiers fire an M240H machine gun as part of a crew. The course requires clear communication from the pilots and gunnery crew members to identify and engage targets and verify they have been suppressed.
For a crew to qualify, the entire team must qualify, or the table must be conducted again. The gunners must exhibit precision and accuracy while maintaining patience, taking commands from the pilot when they are clear to engage designated targets.
Delta and Echo detachments supported the aerial gunnery operations, fueling the aircraft and completing required maintenance to allow night and day flights.
Throughout the aerial gunnery mission, 21,185 gallons of fuel were used and over 150 hours of maintenance were performed. Overall, participants flew 156.4 hours and fired 34,400 rounds of ammunition. Seven full crews were qualified.
There were countless flights through the aerial gunnery course, with additional progression training flights over the Great Lakes.