'Gunslingers' continue to distingquish themselves in training
Nov 23 2001

Soldiers of TF 2-153 are continuing to conduct training in specialty skills involving resupply and medical procedures in preparation for their peacekeeping mission in the Sinai, Egypt, following a four day weekend for Veterans day.

TF 2-153 will have many outposts to man during their Multinational Forces and Observers mission in the Sinai, Egypt. Some of these outposts are in remote areas of the Sinai desert and are nearly impossible to reach by vehicles. Lieutenant Jody Callahan said, "Some of the outposts are more easily accessible by air, which means that any supplies needed by these remote sites can be brought in by helicopter."

This transport of supplies, known as "sling loading", is a vital part of the overall success of the MFO mission.

The "Gunslingers" have trained intensely and successfully with the 75th Readiness Training Detachment on sling loading operations. "The sling load training went real well, the men were nreally enthused about the training," commented Staff Sergeant Wallace Odom, the unit's support platoon sergeant. "This was something they hadn't got to do before."

Officials said that safety is always top priority when the soldiers do any type of training, especially when aircraft is involved. Sergeant Nathan Payne, resident of Fort Smith and an engineer with TF 2-153, reiterated that point when he said, "Safety is always first. We wore Kevlar's, ear and eye protection and stayed alert. You have to stay alert when you have something the size of a bus coming down over you."

Sling loading operations training was split across two days. Day one of training was devoted to the fundamentals of sling loading operations and on day two the "Gunslingers" applied their classroom training by conducting various sling loading operations during the day with a UH-1D Helicopter. The soldiers also received "hands-on" MEDEVAC training involving a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter.

Staff Sergeant Odom explained, "The soldiers enjoyed the actual sling loading, but were a little hesitant at first because they were getting that close to a chopper which was hovering over them. But they stayed right in there, no one panicked, everyone did what they were trained to do and did a great job."

TF 2-153 recognized soldiers for exceptional performance last week. Captain Eric Martin from the Headquarters Headquarters Company received the Army Commendation Medal for his exceptional performance at Annual Training this past summer. Sergeant Gregory Hellmann from the Headquarters Headquarters Company, who has had twenty-three years with the Arkansas Highway Department and nineteen years with the Arkansas Army National Guard, was recognized by Colonel (P) Bruce Barlow for his outstanding performance in maintaining his military equipment. Sergeant Hellmann has also made other sacrifices outside his duties in order to deploy to Egypt.

"I had 29 teeth pulled during the Soldier Readiness Process in order to be able to deploy to Egypt," Hellman commented about his preparations.

2-153 Infantry Battalion was also recognized when the unit received the Arkansas Quality Award at a recent awards ceremony in Arkansas. Brigadier General Ron Chastain accepted the award on behalf of 2-153 Infantry Battalion due to the unit being in Fort Carson, Colorado.

"Receiving this award is a huge accomplishment for our unit, a lot of Fortune 500 companies vie for this distinction," Major Franklin Powell said.

The 2-153rd Infantry Battalion was nominated for this prestigious award for the way the soldiers have handled their day-to-day business and the professionalism they have exhibited. They were evaluated by the Arkansas Quality Award panel, which is based on the Malcolm Baldridge Performance Evaluation Program.

The "Gunslingers" continued their train up for the peacekeeping mission in Sinai, Egypt by certifying soldiers in the Multinational Force and Observers Stakes in the next week just before the Thanksgiving Holliday.

The soldiers go through a series of tasks they must pass in order to be deployed to the peacekeeping mission. They will then focus on squad level tasks after the Thanksgiving holiday.

In a telephone interview with The Daily Citizen, Lieutenant Colonel Steve Womack, the unit commander, said the soldiers have completed individual MFO training and will begin colective training immediately following the Thanksgiving holiday.

"Now we will physically occupy mock buildups of remote sites that are built up like what the troops will find in the Sinai," Womack said.

He noted that the remote sites on the training base are more spartan than the accomodations the soldiers will find in actual use in Egypt, as the remote sites have been in use for 20 years.

Womack said the collective training will be done in stages, with troops learning how to work together as squads, then squads working as platoons, and finally, platoons working together at the company level.

"They will start learning to operate collectively in the training they have had as individuals," he said.

The commander said the training has thus far gone very well, and the troops of the 153rd are being recognized throughout the military for the level of professionalism and readiness they have demonstrated while at Fort Carson.

"We have not experienced near the problems some other Guard units have had coming through Colorado," he said. "I think we have pretty well raised the standard for Guard units relating to the level of deployability of soldiers coming to training. The Arkansas Guard members have proven themselves to be at a higher state of readiness than many other units. I am proud to be associated with the Arkansas Guard."

Veterans Affairs