Heliborne Operation

The case study and presentation used for this Joint Operations paper was about Operation Odyssey Dawn (OOD). I will describe two operational-level successes and two failures experienced during the operation. I will offer clear proposals, that if implemented could have prevented those failures.

Responsible for the program of instruction and daily flight operations for the Army's UH60 Blackhawk Flight School XXI, management of the Aircrew Training Program and the professional development and general health and welfare of 151 assigned personnel and 252 student pilots. Responsible for the risk management, mission approval process, standardization and training of a company which daily launches 98 helicopters in day, night, IMC, and night vision goggle modes of flight. As an instructor pilot, responsible for maintaining the highest level of proficiency in the UH-60 A/L and Mike model in all modes of flight, training student pilots, conducting flight evaluations, and enforcing aviation standardization and overall unit safety procedure.

Centuries before the Korean War, wars were long and painful events that any man could ever go through. Troops would match from countries to countries, crossing mountains, trial through the forest, and wander the desert to meet with their enemy in battle. The only problem with the troops traveling so far for so long is that before the war ever starts, the men were fatigued and casualty rates were higher than they should be. By the Korean War, an amazing machine was introduced to the military ranks, turning the tide in warfighting and troop survivability. UH-1 Huey Helicopter, or Utility Helicopter, was the one machine that was created by Bell that change the concept in warfighting and giving the United States the upper hand in war. On several

In theory, utilizing helicopters could relocate their forces fast enough to keep the enemy from conversing on any one unit. On the contrary, an American Force discovering an NVA unit would fix its position while the reinforcing battalion flew in to cut off the enemy's retreat and annihilate them (E-History, 2012).

One key battle that shows usage of helicopters was the battle for Quang Tri City. This battle was a part of the 1968 Tet-Offensive. The Tet Offensive was a surprise attack on key points on the United States in South Vietnam during the Vietnamese holiday Tet. It involved when 2 battalions of People 's Army of Vietnam and 2 Vet Cong battalions attack the East of the city of Quang Tri. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam was able to block them off before the whole city was taken. With ARVN reinforcement’s days away, US Colonel Rattan planned an attack to regain the city. That plan was landing airmobile forces by the enemy rear and communication lines

Early realignment and retaining eight OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Helicopter Armament / Electrical / Avionics Systems Repair (15J) Soldiers work in A Troop remained paramount to launch-recover-launch operations, an Operational Readiness (OR) rate of over 98%, and leading TF Wolfpack with over 11,000 hours flown

Their entrenching tools, these holes may after be deepened so that a soldier can stand up in one of them safely; in making a trench, soil from the digging is used to create raised parapets in front of and behind the trench.

Everyone has seen movies that portray aviation and the use of helicopters in wars and conflicts throughout the years. Even that first sentence alone was enough to conjure up an old time favorite scene of a favorite movie. One thing that Hollywood always seems to leave out of movies is the reality that a helicopters mechanical limitations take on the flight, the calculations and actions of the aircrew based on these limits, and the overall impact these place on the mission. There are also environmental limiting factors that take place on a helicopter, whether it is temperature, moisture, or the terrain itself. We get it. Showing

Airlift of supplies and equipment for various landing zones in the region is one of their assignments. Pilots never known when they will be shut down, so their life in the sky is as dangerous as those soldiers in the woods. Being informed about the condition in the landing zone is one of the first thing needs to be done before taking off the helicopter for the cargo. Always have to be to look up for a Viet Cong activity, the enemy might shoot the helicopter down anytime.

During this type of warfare, the enemy may have already infiltrated, destroyed, or damaged a foreign nation’s government, essential services or infrastructure vital to the indigenous populace for survival and governance. Aviation elements accomplish the transport and swift insertion of personnel, supplies, and materials to assist our forces and to help maintain or rebuild infrastructure. These activities achieve the overarching effects of building trust and confidence within the local populace to foster support for our efforts. Additionally, air assets bring tremendous combat power to the irregular warfare fight. An assortment of ordnance i.e.; precision guided munitions, rapid insertion and extraction methods, and troop and equipment transport enable our forces to quickly strike, maneuver and gain the advantage in an irregular warfare engagement. The Aviation Combat Element also allows both the Ground and Logistic Combat elements to rapidly deploy anywhere in the world. More specifically the Marine Expeditionary Unit provides a mobile sea based warfighting unit capable of deploying on short notice. The Aviation Combat Element has the ability to move those combat forces from ship to shore with an over horizon capability. The ability to quickly move forces around the battlespace provides opportunities for United States forces to influence the population by conducting meetings with local leaders and proving our commitment to the people of the affected country. This capability not only enhances but solidifies the Marine Corps ability to utilize maneuver warfare principles while engaging in an irregular

These trenches allowed for soldiers to be able to stand tall and shoot at enemies with their bodies well protected. Despite the fact that these seem quite safe for soldiers, if an enemy was to throw a bomb into the trench, everyone would be in grave danger as there is virtually no escaping its’ blast.

The current amphibious concepts and capabilities of the US ensure that we are better prepared to conduct forcible entry operations than we were during the landing at Inchon, and subsequent liberation of Seoul. Amphibious concepts, such as seabasing, amphibious command and control (C2), and the Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) allow forces to project power across domains. Proof of concept exercises like Bold Alligator continue to refine our amphibious capability to provide flexible, scalable, responsive forces that can conduct a multitude of missions. Inchon, during the Korean War, highlights the benefit of maneuver warfare and joint operations. However, security operations, intelligence, and speed were deficient during Operation CHROMITE. World War II demonstrated a lack of preparedness to conduct amphibious operations in the Pacific by the US and Great Britain. The Pacific Campaign and Inchon prove the need to maintain a professional amphibious force and the importance of concepts like seabasing, C2, and the ESG in amphibious operations. Applying the concepts of seabasing, C2, and the ESG in joint exercises with platforms such as Maritime Prepositioning Force, multipurpose amphibious assault ships (LHD), Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), AV-8B Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (VSTOL) jets, and MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft ensure that we are better prepared to conduct forcible entry operations than we were during the landing at Inchon, and subsequent liberation of Seoul.

The Department of the Army XXXXXXX, in coordination with XXXXXX and XXXXXX, ordered the restructure of the XXXX Aviation Brigade and augmentation of aviation capabilities with the first Rotational Aviation Forces (RAF) concept in the US Army. The mission of the RAF is to support the XXXXXXX alliance in XXXXX and XXXXX.

As distinctive as these definitions seem to be, the reality is that many military units are at least “dual use” if not multi-use or multi-role. This is true from numerous perspectives. First, as dedicated irregular units are normally small, conventional forces become the mass behind counterinsurgency operations. Second, capabilities and capacities designed for conventional combined arms operations have great value in irregular warfare. Army attack helicopters and Air Force close in support aircraft designed for operations in Europe during the Cold War have proven adept during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. If we drop to military operations other than war, we can see how amphibious and rotary wing lift to support a Marine amphibious assault becomes essential parts of U.S. military efforts during a humanitarian assistance/disaster relief scenario.

I chose this book for my first book review for a few reasons. First, to bring to light and to honor the memory of Command Sergeant Major Basil L. Plumley, who recently passed away on October 10, 2012. He is a true inspiration to be followed; a career U.S. Army Infantry Soldier, a Sergeant Major, and key leader during the Battle of Ia Drang. He fought in every major Airborne Operation of World War II, including Operation Husky, D-Day, and Operation Market Garden. He