LANG engineers assist 101st Airborne with mission

By Sgt. 1st Class Scott D. Longstreet, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office

PINEVILLE, La. – Louisiana National Guard Soldiers from the 830th Engineer Detachment, 528th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade in Monroe, Louisiana, provided engineer support for the Fort Campbell, Kentucky based 101st Airborne Division on January 10, 2023.

“The 101st are conducting a large-scale, long-range airborne assault exercise that originated at Fort Campbell and will culminate with their JRTC [Joint Readiness Training Center] rotation,” said Maj. Robert L. Bratton, 528th Engineer Battalion commander. “They used the airport as the forward arming and refueling point en route to Fort Johnson.”

With assistance from A Company, 39th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st ABN, LANG engineers moved materials such as rocks and dirt to a designated location at the Monroe Regional Airport. These materials were then used to create a staging area for the 101st ABN’s aviation assets as they arrived in Louisiana for a JRTC rotation at Fort Johnson near Leesville, Louisiana.

“The 528th established the FARP by loading containers with fill material creating safety barriers for the loading and arming of Apache helicopters throughout the 101st ABN’s training exercise,” Bratton concluded.

In addition to loading and arming of the Apache helicopters, the FARP will be used to refuel and resupply the division at a more centralized location without going all the way back to Fort Campbell.

The 101st will conclude their training mission at Fort Johnson this week before heading back to Fort Campbell.