Lee Erwin reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com

Fort Campbell, KY. – Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team (BCT) “Rakkasans” and the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) “Wings of Destiny” of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) carried out a large scale exercise Tuesday, April 8 titled Operation Golden Eagle.

Operation Golden Eagle involved over 40 helicopters, more than 20 sling load missions and over 1,100 Soldiers. The Soldiers conducted a combined-arms exercise that showcases the Division’s ability to react with speed, surprise and lethality.

See photos here

The exercise is also the first brigade-sized Air Assault training mission held by a unit in the 101st Airborne Division in more than a decade. The 3rd BCT along with the 101st CAB held the air assault to assess the Division’s ability to plan, coordinate and execute complex brigade-sized Air Assault operations.

The Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, Major General James McConville talked about the exercise. “The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is not just something we do it’s who we are. What we’re doing today is a brigade Air Assault,” said McConville.

“During a brigade Air Assault what we do is take highly trained, disciplined and fit Screaming Eagle Soldiers and combine them with highly trained, disciplined and fit aviators and create a unique capability not available anywhere else in the world,” McConville said.

CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were two of the main players in Operation Golden Eagle. Soldiers set up sling loads of artillery, Humvees and other combat equipment and supplies in the pickup zones to be transported by the aircraft along with Soldiers.

General McConville watched much of the sling load operations from the ground and then took the controls of an OH-58 Kiowa, flying and observing from the air the drop of equipment and Soldiers in the landing zones.

Operation Golden Eagle is helping to validate the standards and procedures of the 101st Division’s Gold Book which is what defines the U.S. Army’s standards of Air Assault operations.