WAR BIRDS
Soldiers from Ft. Hood swoop in for exercise

BY LELAND ACKER

A Blackhawk helicopter takes off after dropping off soldiers in a hay field near the Cherokee County Airport. The Army chose Cherokee County as a training site due to the hospitality of the airport staff. PHOTO: LELAND ACKER

Six Blackhawk helicopters loaded with troops from the U.S. Armys 4th Infantry Division landed in Cherokee County Wednesday in a practice air assault, preparing the troops for an upcoming deployment to Iraq. The exercise took place in a hay field across U.S. Highway 69 from the Cherokee County Airport.

"An air assault mission is a way soldiers can go into hostile areas quickly," said Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt. "We do a lot of this in Iraq and Afganistan. Its a way to avoid roadside bombs."

Cherokee County was chosen as a location partly because the Cherokee County Airport is a fuel stop for military aircraft.

"They come here and need fuel and services, and they get it," said Joe Casey, captain in the U.S. Army Reserves and owner of Skyways Aero, which supplies fuel and services at the airport. "They performed this exercise, assaulting 'terrorists,' and we thought it would be a good idea to grill some burgers and have some fun with them. It's their biggest exercise here so far, and hopefully just the beginning."

Capt. Casey said he believed the Army was attracted to Cherokee County because Cherokee County citizens were willing to let them use their land for the training mission.

Capt. Casey spent 10 years on active duty in the U.S. Army, including one deployment to the Persian Gulf.

Chief Warrant Officer Joseph O'Rourke said it was the hospitality of Skyways Aero and the local property owners that made the difference.

"They let us use the field, fed us and let us use the hangars for meetings," Chief Warrant Officer O'Rourke said, adding that training in locations other than Ft. Hood allowed the Army to better practice navigation and landing in unfamiliar places.

"We train at Ft. Hood all the time," he said. "You have to take (the troops) somewhere else."

Chief Warrant Officer O'Rourke was the air assault mission commander.

"About three weeks ago, I had an idea. I wanted to do something… an air assault," he said. "I flew out here, checked it out and coordinated where we could use the fields. Then, I created the scenario."

Chief Warrant Officer O'Rourke said the training mission was a success.

"It's rare to have six (helicopters) on a mission like this," he said. "It was good training across the board. We had good performance from the (Blackhawks), about 165 miles per hour is what we got coming out here. That's quick for a helicopter. I'd rate this at a 10 easily. We had good dedication and the motivation (of the troops) was great."

The U.S. Army uses Blackhawk helicopters to move troops quickly in hostile areas. Air assaults, such as the one practiced Wednesday at the Cherokee County Airport, are carried out when troops are being flown into hostile areas. Sgt. Hunt said air assaults are widely used in Iraq, where the 4th Infantry will deploy later this year.

Skyways Aero has been a fuel supplier for the U.S. military since it obtained the contract in July 2007.