III Corps commander visits air defenders at Patriot site

Sgt. Maria Kappell, 69th ADA Bde. Public Affairs
Thursday, September 20, 2012

Troops from the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade welcomed the III Corps and Fort Hood commanding general to their Patriot missile system site Sept. 11 at Fort Hood.

Lt. Gen. Don Campbell Jr. had an opportunity to learn firsthand about the Patriot mission and equipment from the 69th ADA Bde.’s commander, Col. Randall McIntire, and the Soldiers throughout the brigade.

The Soldiers in the brigade were in the middle of a two-week field training exercise when the commanding general came to call.

Upon his arrival to Battery B, 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment’s training site, the commanding general was welcomed by Lt. Col. Mark Holler, 1-44’s commander, Capt. Rashaun Warren, the battery commander, and 1st Sgt. Matthew Perton, the battery’s first sergeant.

While at the site, Campbell inquired about the capabilities of the Patriot equipment and how the Soldiers felt about their jobs in air defense. The Soldiers and leaders showed Campbell how the equipment is set up and explained to him how it all works. The Soldiers also enjoyed a little one-on-one time with the general, as he spent time getting to know them.

69th ADA currently has several batteries deployed in southwest Asia, and one battery is deployed to Afghanistan. The brigade headquarters is preparing for a deployment to southwest Asia at the beginning of next year. This field exercise was part of the training that will help to prepare the Soldiers for the challenges they will face while down range.

The units throughout the 69th ADA Bde. are constantly preparing for their rotations throughout Southwest Asia and the Middle East, where the Air Defense mission of “Guarding the Skies” remains an intricate part of force protection.