SgtJim
10-09-2011, 07:35 AM
all pictures got descriptions - mouse over it, and also all are available in hi-res, just reply here
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Mountain Eagle team recovers damaged aircraft
Combined Joint Task Force 1 - Afghanistan
Story by Pfc. Michael Syner
July, 2011
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11768BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – While helicopters have proven their value during Operation Enduring Freedom, from protecting Afghans and soldiers to delivering supplies, sometimes these versatile aircraft are forced to the earth, unable to continue their mission. This is where downed aircraft recovery teams come in, rescuing the remains of aircraft to investigate what happened, to bring the aircraft back to coalition forces and in some cases to repair and return the aircraft to duty.
DARTs are responsible for the extraction of grounded aircraft from the downed location to a nearby post where inspections and assessments take place.
Soldiers of Task Force Mountain Eagle, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, recovered an AH-64 Apache helicopter, July 7, thanks to the efforts of the task forces’ DART.
“We were notified around 5:30 a.m.,” said U.S. Capt. Benjamin March of Saint Johnsbury, Vt., the officer-in-charge of the operation with TF Mountain Eagle who deployed from Fort Drum, N.Y. “Our prep time was about five hours between notification and our [launch time].”
In those five hours, they held briefs and made plans.
“We gathered information about the crash site and the condition of the aircraft; getting our tools and equipment ready based on [the information], linking up with our convoy elements, and doing the necessary mission briefs and pre-combat inspections,” March said.
Due to the location of the aircraft, the DART determined a vehicle convoy would be the best choice for the mission and brought in Company A, TF Mountain Eagle, as well as a recovery team with 584th Maintenance Company, 101st Sustainment Brigade.
Once the convoy made it to the crash site, the first thing on the agenda was the inspection. Subject matter experts took photographs of the site, getting images of the downed aircraft from all angles and documenting the damage the aircraft sustained.
“They took pictures of everything before we touched anything,” March said.
After the inspection, the DART began its work.
11769
“Once we could start, we de-armed the weapon systems and removed a number of components, such as the main rotor blades, to allow it to fit onto the trailer,” March said. “Then we worked with the 584th SMC guys to get all the pieces hoisted onto the trailers and strapped down. Altogether, we spent about two hours preparing and loading the aircraft onto the trailers, which is pretty good.”
After loading everything up, it was a smooth ride back to the safety of the base. Getting back to Bagram didn’t mean the job was complete, however.
“Once we got back to BAF, download was essentially the same as loading. The only difference was that we had to set the AH-64 down on some cradles so that it could be moved as needed,” March said.
“After we were done downloading all the pieces, we ended mission,” March said.
11770
Now that the aircraft has been returned, a thorough investigation can be performed to determine the cause of the crash, as well an assessment as to whether the Apache can be repaired.
“It’s important to conduct DART missions,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Morgan of Bluemont, Va., a standardizations instructor with the 10th CAB. “Because of their work, we can recover U.S. property, and may even be able to repair it.”
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Mountain Eagle team recovers damaged aircraft
Combined Joint Task Force 1 - Afghanistan
Story by Pfc. Michael Syner
July, 2011
---
11768BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – While helicopters have proven their value during Operation Enduring Freedom, from protecting Afghans and soldiers to delivering supplies, sometimes these versatile aircraft are forced to the earth, unable to continue their mission. This is where downed aircraft recovery teams come in, rescuing the remains of aircraft to investigate what happened, to bring the aircraft back to coalition forces and in some cases to repair and return the aircraft to duty.
DARTs are responsible for the extraction of grounded aircraft from the downed location to a nearby post where inspections and assessments take place.
Soldiers of Task Force Mountain Eagle, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, recovered an AH-64 Apache helicopter, July 7, thanks to the efforts of the task forces’ DART.
“We were notified around 5:30 a.m.,” said U.S. Capt. Benjamin March of Saint Johnsbury, Vt., the officer-in-charge of the operation with TF Mountain Eagle who deployed from Fort Drum, N.Y. “Our prep time was about five hours between notification and our [launch time].”
In those five hours, they held briefs and made plans.
“We gathered information about the crash site and the condition of the aircraft; getting our tools and equipment ready based on [the information], linking up with our convoy elements, and doing the necessary mission briefs and pre-combat inspections,” March said.
Due to the location of the aircraft, the DART determined a vehicle convoy would be the best choice for the mission and brought in Company A, TF Mountain Eagle, as well as a recovery team with 584th Maintenance Company, 101st Sustainment Brigade.
Once the convoy made it to the crash site, the first thing on the agenda was the inspection. Subject matter experts took photographs of the site, getting images of the downed aircraft from all angles and documenting the damage the aircraft sustained.
“They took pictures of everything before we touched anything,” March said.
After the inspection, the DART began its work.
11769
“Once we could start, we de-armed the weapon systems and removed a number of components, such as the main rotor blades, to allow it to fit onto the trailer,” March said. “Then we worked with the 584th SMC guys to get all the pieces hoisted onto the trailers and strapped down. Altogether, we spent about two hours preparing and loading the aircraft onto the trailers, which is pretty good.”
After loading everything up, it was a smooth ride back to the safety of the base. Getting back to Bagram didn’t mean the job was complete, however.
“Once we got back to BAF, download was essentially the same as loading. The only difference was that we had to set the AH-64 down on some cradles so that it could be moved as needed,” March said.
“After we were done downloading all the pieces, we ended mission,” March said.
11770
Now that the aircraft has been returned, a thorough investigation can be performed to determine the cause of the crash, as well an assessment as to whether the Apache can be repaired.
“It’s important to conduct DART missions,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Morgan of Bluemont, Va., a standardizations instructor with the 10th CAB. “Because of their work, we can recover U.S. property, and may even be able to repair it.”