1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Raven Training Jan 2013

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

Regulars Train on UAV's

January 2013

FORT CARSON, Colo. - Specialist Alston Tatum, infantryman, Company B, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment,
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and Second Lieutenant Theresa Ross, intelligence officer, Headquarters
and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div.,
launches a QR-11 Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicle into the air during a two-week training course on Fort Carson, Jan, 17, 2013.

"Raiders" enter the wild blue

Published January 23, 2013 by Spc. Andrew Ingram

1st Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs
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FORT CARSON, Colo. Unmanned aerial vehicles soared through the sky under the control of 1st "Raider" brigade
Soldiers during QR-11 Raven training on Fort Carson, Jan. 7-18.

During the two-week training certification course, Soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division,
in a variety of career fields, learned how to launch, maneuver and land the small, unmanned aircraft in a variety of situations
including aerial security during movement operations, terrain reconnaissance and target acquisition during night operations.

"The benefit of this training can't be overstated," said 2nd Lt. Theresa Ross, intelligence officer, Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st BCT. "The Raven is small, lightweight, and portable.
We use it for everything from site reconnaissance to target acquisition, so having several Soldiers trained and qualified
to operate it is a huge combat multiplier."

The hands-on approach to the training helped the Raiders get a feel for the tactical importance of the unmanned aerial vehicle,
as well as a solid understanding of its capabilities and limitations, said Ross.

"Not a whole lot of intelligence officers get the chance to learn about this hardware first hand," she said. "Because I have
first-hand knowledge of the Raven, I will have reasonable expectations of what we can accomplish with it during a combat deployment."

The Raven is designed for quick assembly and deployment at the lowest levels of the military structure.
Weighing only four pounds and operated by remote control the Raven can gather video or photographic intelligence,
or direct forces to a target using an infrared laser.

Having Soldiers from both combat arms and support career fields participating in the training ensures that no matter
what the situation, U.S. Forces can always get an "eye in the sky," said Steve Rocovitch,
small unmanned aerial system instructor, Rally Point Management.

"The Raven is a great asset to the military, but only if it is used properly," Rocovitch said. "I have confidence that these Soldiers
can take what we've practiced these past two weeks and implement them in a complex deployed environment."

While one Soldier flew the Raven via remote control, others viewed the UAV's flight on a laptop,
implemented flight patterns and controlled its cameras and other tools.

The QR-11 Raven UAV

"In addition to learning how to operate the Raven, I gained a better understanding of all the things going on
in an operating environment," said Pfc. Glen Default, infantryman, Company B, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT.

"When I fly I have to be aware of everything going on in my airspace and know what is going on groundside
to accomplish my mission. It's a much bigger picture than I have been exposed to."

The Raider Soldiers will continue to train in preperation for an upcoming deployment in support of U.S. Army Central Command.

FORT CARSON, Colo. - Private First Class Glen Dufault, infantryman, Company B, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment,
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, operates a QR-11 Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicle via remote control
during a two-week training course on Fort Carson, Jan, 17, 2013.

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