During World War II, the Air Defense Artillery Center of Excellence at Fort Bliss, Texas, used radio controlled planes as anti-aircraft artillery targets.
Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, also out of Fort Bliss, have carried on with the rich history of unmanned aerial
vehicles.
Soldiers from the 1-1 Special Troops Battalion deploy, operate, and maintain the Shadow RQ-7B.
The Shadow is an unmanned aerial surveillance platform that can be launched from a catapult and recovered with the aid of a hook an arresting gear.
Unlike the early remote controlled aircraft used at Fort Bliss, the Shadow provides more than just training.
Equipped with gimbal-mounted camera systems, the Shadow can take video footage and pictures of the area and relay those images back to the battlefield commanders within seconds.
"It is good that the Shadow is a brigade-level asset," said Staff Sgt. Kenneth Hay from the 1-1 STB. "We can shift or deploy the Shadow to anywhere it is needed within the [area of operation]."
"Since it is a UAV we can even switch pilots when one becomes fatigued, allowing for continuous service," Staff Sgt Hay said.
"My favorite part of the job is searching for high-value targets," said Spc. Brandon Proffit from the 1-1 STB, a native of Princeton, W.Va. "I also like the fact that I am enlisted and get to fly an aircraft."
"For every hour the Shadow spends in flight, we spend an additional hour in maintenance," said Staff Sgt. Hay, a native from Freemont, Calif.
"We do preventative maintenance every day," said Spc. Andrew Bunch from the 1-1 STB, a native of Easton, Md. "It is good training and a good trade to know. I am glad to have gotten in the career field as the use of UAV's is expanding," said Bunch.
Fort Bliss has had a long tradition of unmanned aerial vehicles, the Soldiers of Ready First have added a modern chapter in that history with the RQ-7B Shadow.
Soldiers from the 1-1 Special Troops Battalion deploy, operate, and maintain the Shadow RQ-7B.
The Shadow is an unmanned aerial surveillance platform that can be launched from a catapult and recovered with the aid of a hook an arresting gear.
Unlike the early remote controlled aircraft used at Fort Bliss, the Shadow provides more than just training.
Equipped with gimbal-mounted camera systems, the Shadow can take video footage and pictures of the area and relay those images back to the battlefield commanders within seconds.
"It is good that the Shadow is a brigade-level asset," said Staff Sgt. Kenneth Hay from the 1-1 STB. "We can shift or deploy the Shadow to anywhere it is needed within the [area of operation]."
"Since it is a UAV we can even switch pilots when one becomes fatigued, allowing for continuous service," Staff Sgt Hay said.
"My favorite part of the job is searching for high-value targets," said Spc. Brandon Proffit from the 1-1 STB, a native of Princeton, W.Va. "I also like the fact that I am enlisted and get to fly an aircraft."
"For every hour the Shadow spends in flight, we spend an additional hour in maintenance," said Staff Sgt. Hay, a native from Freemont, Calif.
"We do preventative maintenance every day," said Spc. Andrew Bunch from the 1-1 STB, a native of Easton, Md. "It is good training and a good trade to know. I am glad to have gotten in the career field as the use of UAV's is expanding," said Bunch.
Fort Bliss has had a long tradition of unmanned aerial vehicles, the Soldiers of Ready First have added a modern chapter in that history with the RQ-7B Shadow.
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