(MENAFN- Arab Times) The Fourth Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment - sister unit of an aviation battalion in Fort Bliss known for dispatching troops to combat Ebola in Liberia - has started preparations to send around 400 soldiers to Kuwait, according to an article in the El Paso Times.
These soldiers, who are from the Pistoleros - an attack-reconnaissance battalion equipped with Apache helicopters, will be involved in a significant mission. Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Lance Van Zandt disclosed an advance party consisting of 60 soldiers arrived in Kuwait last week, while the others are expected to arrive in the first week of December.
He explained, "We conduct attack, reconnaissance and security operations in support of ground maneuver forces." He added the battalion returned to Fort Bliss in August 2013 after completing a similar mission and it has been preparing for the nine-month deployment to Kuwait since early this year. It has been reported that the battalion will be part of the Operation Spartan Shield under US Central Command. They will undergo training, alongside Middle Eastern allies, to prepare for defending American interests and allies in the region.
Meanwhile, the Pistoleros' sister unit with the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade - the 2nd Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment - has been preparing and training in the past two months. The Iron Knights, a general support aviation battalion, is in the process of sending 330 soldiers to West Africa. A final group of about 130 is expected to leave next week. "The Liberian mission gets a lot of attention because it is national-level news and it's new and fresh in a way," Van Zandt said. "What 2nd Battalion has done from notification to rolling out the door has been tremendous." His battalion, meanwhile, has had a "little bit more predictability" and has known for the past 10 months that it would be going back to Kuwait.
On the other hand, Colonel Carey M. Wagen, commander of the Combat Aviation Brigade, disclosed the Pistoleros went through an "exceptional" training program last year and it has enabled them to "be the best trained attack battalion (in the Army), fully prepared to execute this important mission" to Kuwait. Van Zandt confirmed "the soldiers, officers and warrant officers in this battalion have been training their hearts out for the past year." He added they have taken advantage of the vast Fort Bliss training area.
They have done stepping-stone training starting from the individual level and ending with a full National Training Center rotation they did at Fort Irwin, California from early June to early July. There, they attached to 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division out of Joint Base Lewis- McChord, Wash. It was a traditional training model, but they added an additional step. In September, they went to Miramar, California and did a joint overwater training exercise with Marine F-18 pilots. - El Paso Times
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