Look, It’s a Bird In The Sky! 10th Mountain Division Trains At Griffiss

Aircraft from the U.S Army’s 10^th Mountain Division at Fort Drum have spent the past several days at Griffiss International Airport in Rome for a summer training mission.

U.S. Army AH-64’s and UH-60’s, commonly referred to as Apache and Blackhawk Helicopters, are taking part in the exercise known as “Falcon Peak.”

“We’re incredibly lucky to live in this great North Country community,” said Col. Travis L. McIntosh, commander of the 10^th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10^th Mountain Division. “The diverse terrain of Northern New York provides ample opportunity for us to safely train our aircrews with minimal impact on the community.”

The 10th Combat Aviation Brigade is conducting flight operations and training in order to build proficiency as Army Aviators and prepare for future combat.

The aviation brigade deploys all over the world, so its training must be tough, realistic and adaptable for any environment.

The U.S. Army’s 10^th Mountain Division is one of the Army’s most heavily deployed divisions, and the 10^th Combat Aviation Brigade is frequently one of the first aviation units into theater.

Designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division is the only one of its size in the US military to receive intense specialized training for fighting in mountainous and arctic conditions.

More recently, the 10th Mountain has been conducting operations in Iraq advising and assisting Iraqi Security Forces.

Take a close up look at the Apache and Blackhawk helicopters from Fort Drum in these photos.