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Unmanned Aerial Systems Training Battalion (Provisional)

On 14 June 2011, the Unmanned Aerial Systems Training Battalion (Provisional) was inactivated at a ceremony at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The unit was subsequently reflagged as the 2nd Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment, which took on the UAS training mission.

The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Battalion (Provisional) was located at Fort Huachuca, Arizona and consisted of 4 companies with 270 Soldier authorized, 120 Department of the Army Civilians, and 471 contractors. It was dispersed over 750 acres with more than 350,000 square feet of training area and support facilities, including 3 separate runways, totaling over 17,000 linear feet. The Battalion's mission was to develop, maintain, and administer Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Operator Training, UAS Repairer Training, Tactical UAS Warrant Officer Technician Training, and the UAS Command and Staff Officer's Course to provide ground force commanders with highly trained, combat ready Aviation Soldiers and Marines. The primary focus towards accomplishing this mission had been to instill aviation rigor throughout the schoolhouse and UAS community. Specific airframes trained included the RQ-5 Hunter, RQ-7 Shadow, and MQ-1C Warrior-A / Extended Range-Multi Purpose (ERMP) UAS.

The Battalion's A Company was the Advanced Individual Trainee (AIT) company that did the care and feeding of the AIT and MOS-T students. B Company conducted daily flight operations for all AIT and MOS-T students going through the Shadow and Hunter UAS Operators Course, while C Company conducted all Warrior-A / ERMP UAS operator training and the ERMP maintainer training. The Battalion's Headquarters and Headquarters Company was responsible for the development and administration of 5 programs of instruction for the RQ-7 Shadow and RQ-5 Hunter UAS Repairers, UAS Operator Common Core, 150U UAS Warrant Officer Technician, and UAS Staff Officer Leader Course.

Formed from elements of Company E, 305th Military Intelligence Battalion, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Battalion (Provisional) was activated on 19 April 2006 during the transition of authority for UAS training between the US Army Intelligence Center and the US Army Aviation Center.

From FY08 to FY09, the Battalion completed its 7th consecutive annual student throughput increase from 1,103 to 1,849 students, a 68 percent increase. The surge most affected maintainer courses, which increased from 160 to 533 students, doubling each class size.

During FY09, the Unmanned Aerial Systems Battalion also increased its training footprint with temporary facilities. Though operating at only 57 percent manning strength, the expansion allowed training to increase to 3 shifts, conducting 24-hour operations from select runways. In order to support increased operations, the Battalion hired and trained an additional 126 contractors, who completed the baseline operator course as per the parameters of the Training Requirements and Arbitration Panel (TRAP). Also, these contractors exceeded requirements by completing the Instructor-Operator Course and the Method of Instruction Course.

The Battalion adopted an "apprentice to journeyman" concept to remind personnel, down to the lowest level, of the Battalion's infancy in both aviation operations and accident prevention. This concept allowed the Battalion to view itself in a manner that allowed room for improvement, especially in risk mitigation. Through this concept, the Battalion successfully implemented the first Directorate of Evaluation and Standardization (DES) approved crew chief progression program for UAS maintainers. This program was a key element in the RQ-7 Shadow program's ability to reduce accidents by more than 50 percent while simultaneously increasing student throughput, a task that had never been accomplished previously.

The Battalion developed an Enlisted Launch and Recovery (LRE) Course due to a lack of available rated Army Aviators to launch and recover the Warrior-A platform. As a result the first ever enlisted takeoff and landing class that the Warrior-A program had ever seen, successfully graduated 5 Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) in June 2009. The five NCOs, in a matter of weeks, conducted more than 500 takeoff and landings with no incidents, a task that would have taken a tactical unit more than two years to complete. Following the training, 3 of the 5 NCOs were immediately deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

The Battalion also supported US Army Forces Command's (FORCSOM) requirement for a Quick Reactionary Capability (QRC). The QRC was a Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Target Acquisition (RSTA) asset that operated at division level supporting division and Brigade Combat Team (BCT) requirements. The Battalion trained Soldiers on MQ-1C ERMP UAS in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in FY09. In mid-October 2008, the Battalion activated Company E as the first of these units, also known as Quick Reactionary Capability 1 (QRC 1). This unit subsequently deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, ending its deployment in August 2009.

The Battalion increased throughput from FY09 to FY10 from 1,446 to 2,042 personnel. This increase was due to the need of UAS operators and maintainers on the battlefield. A large portion of that increase was to come from the training of operators and maintainers for the MQ-1C ERMP Program of Record (PoR). ERMP training would coincide with the Army's plan to field the ERMP PoR between FY11 and FY21. By May 2010 the UASTB was expected to have transitioned to conducting all AIT training for the new 15E MOS.

The Battalion was also involved in the development of a QRC in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (QRC 2) and a replacement QRC for forces in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and after 1 September 2010, in support of Operation New Dawn (QRC 1/R1). As of March 2010, the US Army planned to activate and deploy a total of 7 QRCs between FY10 and FY13. A single QRC would be made available in support of operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, with the additional units be activated in order to rotate personnel in theater. It was hoped that by third quarter FY13 that the first formal MQ-1C unit would be activated. It was unclear whether E Company had transitioned to providing the training for all the QRC units, or was still only associated with QRC 1.

The QRC 1/R1 deployed to Iraq in June 2010. The US Army conducted a Limited User Test of the QRC 2 capability in conjunction with training for unit deployment to Afghanistan from May to June 2010. During these tests, the MQ-1C Grey Eagles (previously known as the ERMP or Sky Warrior) fired 8 HELLFIRE missiles successfully at 8 targets.