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Exercise IRON RESOLVE

SEOSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea - Pfc. Austin Wecker (right), fire control crew member with Battery A, 6-52 ADA, warns Sgt. Ronald Jean-Batiste, who is role-playing as a civilian on the battlefield, to keep clear from their operations center during the Iron Resolve field training exercise at the Seosan AB, Feb. 24. (Photo by Pfc. Shin, Young-Jae, 6-52 ADA Public Affairs)

Exercise IRON RESOLVE

SUWON AIR BASE, Republic of Korea - Pfc. Joel Joseph, a combat medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 6-52 ADA, provides medical treatment to a casualty injured by a simulated improvised explosives blast during the Iron Resolve field training exercise at Suwon AB, Feb. 24. (Photo by Pfc. Shin, Young-Jae, 6-52 ADA Public Affairs)

Exercise IRON RESOLVE

SEOSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea - Spc. Brandon Lindholm applies his belt as a makeshift tourniquet to a simulated casualty, Spc. Porsha Grady, both launcher crew members with Battery A, 6-52 ADA, during the Iron Resolve field training exercise at Seosan AB, Feb. 24. (Photo by Pfc. Shin, Young-Jae, 6-52 ADA Public Affairs)

6-52 ADA shows they are “Always Prepared” during Field Training Exercise

Published March 11, 2014
By Spc. Kendrix Lima
6-52 ADA

SUWON AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Soldiers from 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery participated in the "Iron Resolve" Field Training Exercise, Feb. 18 -27 across the ROK.

Part of a larger 35th ADA Brigade exercise, Iron Resolve marked the first time that the battalion's command and control operations deployed along with the Patriot missile batteries.
Deploying command and control elements brought on new challenges for the Iron Horse Battalion, including communications difficulties that the Soldiers worked around the clock to overcome.

"It was the first time 6-52 [ADA] had moved their [command and control] operations [to an area] without any pre-existing infrastructure or communications setup," said Sgt. Rafael Roca, an engagement controller with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery. "It was a real challenge getting everything up and running."

With the early technical issues solved, the Air Defenders carried out their air and missile defense mission, successfully completing crew evaluations and demonstrating their combat readiness by defending their sites from simulated enemy attacks.

The early difficulties only made the training more realistic, said Roca.

"In a war-time situation not everything is going to go according to plan," Roca said. "You have to work through it."

The second week of Iron Resolve overlapped with Key Resolve, a combined and joint annual command post exercise that allows allied forces across the ROK to hone their war fighting skills.