A former Headquarters and Headquarters Battery and later Bravo Battery commander in 2nd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment - a Patriot missile equipped unit - Major Matthew Rauscher, in January 2003, became the assistant operations officer for the 108th ADA Brigade and deployed with them to Kuwait the following month for what became Operation Iraqi Freedom. Principally responsible for supporting the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force with Patriot missile coverage, the brigade was co-located with the Marine Air Wing at Al Jaber Airbase. "We didn't know what to expect since we had never worked with the Marines before," Rauscher said, "but I'll tell you, if we asked for it we pretty much got it. Patriots are one of those things people like to see and have around, and the Air Force guys pretty much give us what we want, but it went well working and maneuvering with the Marine Corps for the first time." In this interview, he discusses the full range of the air defense support his brigade provided during the major combat phase of OIF, the challenges of working in a joint environment and Army air defense's new primary mission of unmanned aerial vehicle, cruise and theater ballistic missile kills. Reflecting on Patriot performance in OIF, Rauscher observes that, "after Desert Shield and Desert Storm everyone was very happy with the Patriots and then they found out it didn't do extremely well. But this time it actually made its money. Every engagement the Patriot could have engaged a missile, it engaged and destroyed it, and I think it's moving in the right direction for the future." Next, Rauscher talks about his experiences as an exchange officer with the Canadian Army. From June 2003 through July 2005, he taught at the Canadian air defense school and conducted numerous officer professional developments throughout the Canadian forces. "As we transform, they're transforming," Rauscher said. "They're going through the same growing pains we're going through. We're learning from their lessons and vice versa." About the benefit of such exchange programs, he is confident that they "make life much easier and make sure that whenever and wherever we get on the battlefield together, we're capable of coexisting."

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