2CAB expand War Path II Training

by SSG Vincent Abril

WANJU, South Korea – Soldiers of the 2nd Assault Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, participated in a battalion field training exercises at Tactical Training Assembly Area Tom near Wonju, South Korea, Oct. 3-7.

In conjunction with Warpath II, an annual training exercise, 2-2 Avn., also known as the “Wild Cards,” took the opportunity to expand on the current training mission to train their Soldiers on aircraft and crew decontamination procedures. This unique training allowed Soldiers to gain experience and prepare for any potential real-world nuclear, biological or chemical threats. The Soldiers had their fair share of practice before the simulated contaminated bird landed.

“We did five rehearsals in preparation for the real simulated mission,” said 1st Lt. Tori Brown, the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear officer of 2-2 Avn., and officer in charge of the decontamination exercise.

This exercise also allowed the Soldiers to practice completely decontaminating a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and its entire crew. Upon the arrival of the Black Hawk and crew, two ground decontamination teams were prepared to get to business. One team received the contaminated crew and began going through measures to decontaminate and medically care for them. The other team immediately began decontaminating the UH-60 by pressure washing the aircraft using soap and water as a simulated decontamination agent.

As the exercise unfolded, the Soldiers’ swift actions proved they were prepared for any real-world threat.

“We worked out all the kinks during rehearsals and it’s pretty much flawless and everyone knows their job,” said Spc. Donovan L. Camelin, a 2-2 Avn. CBRN specialist.

The team effort for a successful mission did not stop with the aviation Soldiers alone. Soldiers from the 4th Chemical Company, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, and the 38th Chemical Company, were flown in by 2-2 Avn. to support the exercise training. Soldiers from the 618th Dental Company, 65th Medical Brigade CBRN office, also participated alongside their aviation counterparts.

Once the exercise was complete everyone took a sigh of relief as Lt. Col. Eric Gilbert, the 2-2 Avn. battalion commander, called everyone to rally on him as he congratulated them on a job well done and handed out coins to those who helped make the mission a success.

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