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Blackjacks Bolster Proficiency in Field Exercise

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS121214-13
12/14/2012

From Tactical Air Control Squadron 21 Public Affairs

VIRGINA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Tactical Air Control Squadron 21 (TACRON-21), also known as the Blackjacks, located at Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek, recently completed a three-day field exercise aimed at increasing the proficiency of the squadron's Marine Augmentation and Emergency Response Teams (MAT/ERT).

The 24-person detachment conducted training in tactical combat casualty care tent setup, field survival, small unit tactics, and day/night HLZ set up. They also completed the land navigation beginner's course, ran the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team's (EOD) obstacle course, and provided air traffic control for MH-60S helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadrons 26 and 28.

The first day consisted of academic instruction to create a baseline of knowledge across the detachment.

Lecture topics included basic land navigation, radio operation, first aid, field hygiene, helicopter landing zone (HLZ) and tactical landing zone setup.

The remaining days of the training took place at a bivouac site provided for overnight training operations. The Blackjacks took advantage of the cold and wet weather to perform operational checks on camping gear which is rated to withstand adverse weather.

Officer in Charge, Lt. Jeremiah Holland summed up the night's evolution, 'If it ain't raining...we ain't training.'

All completed training enabled the detachment to get one step closer to completing their Professional Qualification Standard (PQS) for Marine Augmentation Team/Emergency Response Team (MAT/ERT).

The culmination of the exercise was the Helicopter Sea Combat Weapon School Assault exercise, during which Blackjacks prepared a landing zone as well as augmented an assault force. Select Blackjack members were transported into a mock-up indigenous village via helicopter to conduct a raid. Additional training included casualty and medical evacuation.

TACRON 21's mission is to train, deploy and support combat-ready detachments in order to provide centralized planning, control, coordination and integration of amphibious and expeditionary combat air operations.