5 Avn Regt take to the skies over Iraq. Photo by Sgt John Coombes, 1JPAU(P)

5 Avn Regt busy behind the scenes

By LS Rachel Irving
While much media attention has been focused on SF elements, members of 5 Avn Regt have played a busy role away from the spotlight in the current operation in the Middle East.

Army spoke with CO 5 Avn Regt Lt-Col Shayne Elder and Task Unit Commander Maj Jim Vince in the MEAO.

Lt-Col Elder said 5 Avn Regt has conducted combat service support tasks from their base outside Iraq.

They provided logistic sustainment to the rear areas, carrying cargo and passengers between the major nodes of the operation.

He said, like other units, pre-deployment training for the detachment was conducted in-country.

“We have many people from the regiment with us here and it has been a major learning experience,” he said.

He said the biggest challenge has been operating in a totally different environment and supporting a coalition environment, which the regiment had never done before.

“Night work and night work over the desert at high altitudes was quite challenging for the troops initially. Lots of dust work.

“We bought three Chinooks with us and they have come up very well. The maintainers have managed to have all three online almost the entire time.”

Both Lt-Col Elder and Maj Vince agreed that 5 Avn Regt had learnt many valuable lessons from their participation in the operation.

Maj Vince said their skills at night in this terrain had improved considerably.

“The maintainers who keep the aircraft serviceable have learnt lessons there, to improve system knowledge to shorten servicing times,” he said.

“Basically, operating in a larger coalition environment are the lessons we will take back.”

Lt-Col Elder said another big lesson learned was working in an electronic warfare environment, in terms of the surface-to-air threat which was here and actually prevented us from going into Iraq.

“We had to sit in the rear areas and I think that’s a big thing that Army aviation will have to look at. We have to train for the high-level intensity to be able to operate within a whole spectrum of conflicts.”

Lt-Col Elder said he thought they had done an exceptional job and they should be very proud of their efforts and what they had achieved.

“I think the way we’ve come so far in terms of aviation just getting here in such a short time and the fact that it’s going to give us a stepping stone to go further is more than enough and is only what we’ve achieved so far. They mightn’t see it themselves – they’ve worked exceptionally hard.”

Both men said their troops were looking forward to returning home.

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