
By 1lt. Kristoffer Egeberg
First published in
SFOR Informer#102, December 6, 2000
Nevesinje
- The flapping sound of rotor-blades cutting air rumbles through the
valley. Loaded with French and German soldiers, four American Black-Hawks
and two German CH53 helicopters take off to their different landing
zones. Two AH64 Apache gunships supported by two OH58 Kiowas work as
guardian angels for the landing party. Nothing must go wrong. The Mintlanders
lives depend on it.
Our
mission is to protect two villages with refugees from Mintland. Paramilitary
groups from Cherryland are threatening them. Early this morning they
cut off the road to Mostar. Therefore the commander of MNDSE decided
to fly in our Tactical Reserves, said Maj. Olivier Barnay, leading
the operation on the ground.
With
soldiers storming out from helicopters, Exercise Condor
is well underway. The Apaches have already encountered the first group
of hostile Cherries firing mortar grenades into a village with Mintlanders.
The Apaches returned fire, said Barnay. Dry-fire that is.
Now, more hostile Cherries are coming in from the East.
At
one of the landing zones, a German platoon is reassembling. They are
experienced in working together with French units, being a part of the
Franco-German Corps in Strasbourg.
We know each other because we work together in Germany. One aim
with this exercise is to handle the common procedures of command and
to insure the comradeship between Germans and French, said Capt.
Michael Richter.
Together
with French Capt. Martial Courtot, they lead a mixed company with two
German platoons from the German Battle Group in Rajlovac, one French
platoon from the Battle Group in Mostar and a detachment of sharpshooters.
Altogether,
two infantry companies and a mortar platoon were launched to the area
by helicopters - helicopter deployment being the main aspect to the
exercise. The 120mm mortars were sling-loaded to the field, so were
several French VBL armoured cars.
This is the first time we have done this, although
we have trained at the airfield at Mostar, said Sgt. Yannick Dewalles,
leading one of the sling-loaded VBL-teams.
The
hard thing is to know the exact weight and procedures to make a perfect
sling. We are three people in one VBL. All has to be well-prepared,
as a reflex, he said.
His team enjoyed the 10 minutes extra flight-time they got due to a
delay among escorting helicopters.
The mortar platoon has more experience with helicopters, training with
Puma helicopters back in France.
The
Blackhawk is quite different from our Puma. The mortar seamed to swing
more. It is good for us to try this with different types of helicopters.
Up until now, we have only tried it with the Puma, said mortar
platoon leader Lt. Charly Pouplin.
Soldiers
from the American 2nd Battalion, 3rd Helicopter Task Force assigned
from Commanche Base in Tuzla, also enjoyed the training.
Its a very good exercise, but also a chance to work with
French and German Battle Group soldiers, and German helicopters from
BATALAT (Light Aviation Battalion).
Its
a fully integrated combined arms operation, said task force commander
Lt. Col. Gary Servold, who brought with him 43 soldiers for maintenance,
air-crew and a command control unit.
And at the end of the day, they saved all the Mintlanders from the hostile
groups of Cherries. They could enjoy a safe flight home after a job
well done.
Related links:
Nations of SFOR: Germany,
France
Training and Exercises
Helicopters of SFOR