FORT IRWIN, Calif. - On a chilly and dusty morning at Fort Irwin, aka the “Sandbox,” four Oregon Army National Guard CH-47F Chinook helicopters are loaded up with Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade and equipment from the Army Futures Command, as they begin testing on a field training exercise March 9-14.
The Army Futures Command, headquartered in Austin, Texas, has more than 17,000 personnel worldwide. It is the newest of the Army’s four major commands and was established in 2018 to ensure the Army and its Soldiers remain at the forefront of technological innovation and warfighting ability.
Oregon’s Chinook mission, within the scope of this field training exercise, was to provide heavy lift operations.
“We were tasked to provide heavy lift support, in support of PCC5, (Project Convergence, Capstone 5),” said Oregon Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 Donald Ford, State Rotary Wing standardization officer with Joint Force Headquarters, out of Salem. “We’re replicating the future vertical lift of long-range aircraft, and our rule here is to move some of the bigger, heavier equipment that doesn’t fit on the normal helicopters.”
Project Convergence experiments are conducted to enhance strategic readiness and explore capabilities, formations, and emerging concepts. The AFC and Concepts Center conducts over 60-70 experiments annually, an initiative known as persistent experimentation. These experiments are carried out by various organizations within the Army Futures Command enterprise, including notable projects like Project Convergence-Europe and Project Convergence-Pacific.
“Overall operations during the exercise for Oregon have been going smoothly,” said Oregon Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Prine, a Chinook mechanic and quality control technician assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, based in Pendleton.
“They welcomed us with open arms and are so grateful that we’re here to lend a hand,” he said. “As for the vetting process, we’re helping to facilitate that. Overall, everyone seems to be having a great time, and we’re enjoying our time here while helping out. It’s been a positive experience.”
The training was valuable because they delivered actual cargo and did not have to simulate parts of the mission. The crew experienced the weight and all the other aspects of lifting cargo and passengers to infill landing zone positions at locations inside the training center.
“We are collaborating with a multinational unit here, including some British soldiers from the United Kingdom. We also have other personnel from North Carolina, specifically the 82nd Airborne Division,” said Oregon Army National Guard Sgt. August Radke, flight crew chief of one of the CH-47s. “Our objective is to test various unmanned aerial vehicles and ground components with infantry personnel to simulate battlefield movements. Our mission is to integrate these technologies and operators into the LZ to enhance operational capabilities.”
Even with changing weather and other variables, the Ch-47 pilots and crew worked to make the mission successful while fostering best practice capabilities.
“We will conduct a debriefing with the pilots and crew to identify areas for improvement, particularly in the movements of the packs and cargo handling, tomorrow. We will implement the necessary changes,” Radke said.