Lee Erwin reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com

Sunday, November 03, 2013 7:57 PM
Fort Campbell, KY. – In a ceremony Friday at Fort Campbell the Pathfinder Company, 4-101st Aviation Regiment of the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) was awarded a very distinguished honor. The unit received the Gold Air Assault Streamer of Excellence for having over 90 percent of their company Air Assault qualified.

Only three other units in the division the size of a company have received the award. Brigadier General Mark Stammer, Acting Senior Commander of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell was present at the award ceremony and attached the streamer to their company guidon.

Lieutenant Colonel Clair Gill, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment Commander, praised the Soldiers of the Pathfinders unit. It’s a pretty small crowd and an elite group that they’re in. Of course they’re the Pathfinder Company which makes them already one of the elite infantry company’s in the division,” said Gill

Company Commander, Captain Stephen Tangen, talked about the mission of the Pathfinders. “The primary mission for the brigade is personnel recovery. All of the pilots have a high risk of being isolated if their aircraft goes down for a mechanical issue or something like that. So our primary mission is to go rescue the pilot,” said Tangen.

The Sabalauski Air Assault School at Fort Campbell is well known for its training of Soldiers not only in the 101st Airborne Division but also many other Army units. The ten day course qualifies Soldiers on air assault helicopter operations, sling-load missions, fast roping and rappelling and aircraft orientation as part of their training.

“Every one of these guys that committed themselves to go through that process, go through the ordeal, learn all the skills and to apply that to their job just shows the quality of the Soldier that’s a member of this company,” Tangen said.

Soldiers with the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade of the 101st are currently preparing for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Around 1,800 Soldiers with the brigade are scheduled to deploy sometime later this winter.