Rat Pack forms to fill mission gap

With the on-going war in Iraq, and the uncertainty of when Iraqi forces will be ready to take over, some missions still belong to the American Soldiers.  Controlling the air is one of those missions.

Since airplanes were first introduced in war in World War I and the use of helicopters in Korea, airplanes were first used in war for photographic reconnaissance, artillery observation, and communicating with advancing infantry while flying over the battlefield. Helicopters were first used for primarily search and rescue, and medical evacuation. Times have changed since the early days of aviation in which airpower was used to support the war on the ground.  Today, if you control the air you control the ground. 

Forces that once had the opportunity to setup and control an area for months or even years unchallenged, now face forces with the ability to move large amounts of troops, supplies and equipment onto the battlefield over night. Now even though this is not a new concept, the battlefield itself is.  Wars are no longer fought out in the open away from cities and civilians; it is now fought from door to door and from house to house fighting people dressed like everybody else.  Our enemies no longer fight us face to face; they set up roadside bombs and plant Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs) that we cannot see. So our biggest mission has been to find ways to protect ourselves from these kinds of attacks. 

Having the ever increasing ability to protect our troops has become one of our top missions.  Responding to the use of roadside bombs and IEDs, we are faced with finding ways to keep our Soldiers safe.  One way we accomplish this mission is by ferrying these troops on helicopters out of the enemies’ reach.  

Recently a void has been created as the C Co., 1st Battalion 244th Assault Helicopter Battalion, who has been ferrying American Soldiers throughout Iraq on UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, is redeploying back to the States.  With the loss of the 1-244th AHB in theater, a realignment of present units in theater is taking place.  However, this will take a few months to happen leaving a gap. 

To fill this void, command pilots of Headquarters Co., 2-149th General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), calling themselves “The Rat Pack,” received the call to fill that gap.  The group, lead by CW4 Todd Moorhead, 2-149th GSAB Pilot of Austin, TX,  is pulling pilots and crew from traditional support positions to cover missions seven days a week. 

Now ten pilots have come together, along with crew chiefs and door gunners, from throughout the battalion, stepping up to carry out this important mission; fighting the continuing War on Terror. 

By SGT Edward Thorne
HHC 2-149th GSAB Unit Public Affairs Representative                                                      
1 Mar. 2009