The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) are conducting a major training event spanning various locations in Mississippi and Louisiana, including the Minden area. This past week, elements of the Division conducted operations at Camp Minden.

“My guys are benefitting from the fantastic terrain that Camp Minden has to offer, said Capt. Sean Devine, commander of Bravo Company, 1-187, 3rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault. “It’s very dense vegetation. It mimics JRTC to an extent. So it’s been beneficial for them to get this rep.”

This exercise was designed to assess the division’s ability to conduct large-scale, long-range air assault operations in conjunction with training scenarios that will test their communication, logistical resupply and tactical abilities.

“We make every effort possible to fight further, faster, and in the fiercest conditions,” Capt. Devine said. “And they’re getting exposed to some of the fiercest conditions out here because it’s uncomfortable to walk in this terrain, to not be able to see as far out as 30 or 40 meters. And it’s uncomfortable to move through such thick vegetation. So it’s been important that they get this rep in and conduct these long movements, conduct these defensive and offensive operations in this terrain so that they get more comfortable. And it’s only going to benefit this next year in JRTC.”

 The 101st Airborne is serving as the security force and opposition force for this forward arming and refueling point (FARP). The Minden area is a key refuel point for their helicopters en route from Fort Campbell, Kentucky down to Fort Johnson, Louisiana for the Joint Readiness Training Center.

“The 101st Division has been making a big effort on the L2A2 which is the large scale, long range Air Assault. And to be master of that, we have to rep(eat) it and rep it,” he continued. “How we’re doing now, which is mimicking a contested environment for the Apaches, the AH-64s, where they land refuel and re-arm. And then my company, we are defending the FARP from an opposition force looking to disrupt those operations.

“It’s important because our portion is a key portion that needs to be addressed,” said the captain. “You’ve got within an L2A2 a necessity to kind of conduct these forward arming and refueling points. And we don’t always get the benefit of those being in an uncontested environment. It’s also key that it’s one of the first times, at least within my battalion, that third brigade has gotten a chance to directly coordinate on the ground with elements of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade has been a challenge to overcome, but a good rep and we can take a lot of lessons learned back with us.”

Captain Devine thanked “the folks at Camp Minden. They’ve been very receptive and very eager to help us train and to get after our training objectives, supporting the division’s effort with the L2A2 in this contested farm. And I just thank the people down here for being very welcoming and facilitating and helping us get after good training.”