Ex NOCTEM WARRIOR 22

Operating out of Naval Air Facility El Centro in Southern California, the team conducted HLS recces in preparation for Chinook Squadrons to conduct their training.

The desert environment is challenging, especially when conducting underslung load serials. Not only because of the heat, but also due to “brown out” which is caused when the downwash of the helicopter combines with the loose desert surface resulting in poor visibility and additional hazards.

Most of the Helicopter Landing Sites were situated in remote desert areas which involved driving through challenging terrain to reach them. This is where prior off-road driving, vehicle recovery and navigation exercises proved to be very valuable. Fortunately, there was only a couple of vehicle-related

“hiccups”. One of which involved several hours of digging and a lot of sweating!

During the teams down time, there was plenty to do with many opportunities for Force Development. Opportunities varied from visiting the USS Midway, to surfing in San Diego, and even a round of golf at Palm Springs. The team made the most of all available opportunities.

Overall, the detachment was a very rewarding, memorable and enjoyable experience for all. For some it was their first deployment or their first time experiencing a rotary flight. Each team member gained a wealth of experience and much of the knowledge and skills gained from this exercise will prove useful for any future deployments to a desert environment.