Avenger Platoon Leader

The Avenger provides shoot-on-the-move, air and missile defense protection to light and heavy divisions, armored cavalry regiments and corps air defense brigades. This premier shoot-on-the-move defensive weapon system tracks and destroys low-flying helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and fixed-wing aircraft. The Humvee-mounted system includes a forward-looking infrared sensor, an eye-safe laser rangefinder, a head-up optical display and a fire control station. It is a lightweight, highly mobile, and easily transportable surface-to-air missile fire unit that has eight Stinger missiles in two missile pods, one on each side of an all-electric turret, plus a .50-caliber machine gun.

Women officers can now serve as platoon leaders in Avenger general support and headquarters batteries, and in heavy divisional air defense Avenger battalions.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, our highly mobile Avenger fire units shielded U.S. armored and mechanized infantry units from aerial attack and aerial surveillance as they crashed through Iraqi defense on the way to Baghdad. Avenger units also provided escort security for supply convoys headed north along treacherous Iraqi highways .

When the National Threat Level hits Orange, Avenger fire units deploy, along with Sentinel Radars, to protect the nation’s capital and other vital assets from terrorist air attacks. In what might be consider plum assignments, Avengers routinely deploy to provide protection for both the winter and summer Olympic Games.

As an ADA second lieutenant, you might lead an Avenger platoon, shadowing maneuver columns to protect battle tanks and fighting vehicles against attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and fixed-wing aircraft, or you may deploy your fire units to protect airfields, tactical operations centers and other vital assets.