MAJ Pete Hathaway served as the intelligence officer (S2) for the 1-501st Attack Helicopter Battalion (AHB) in Baghdad, Iraq during 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). In the first of three February 2009 interviews, MAJ Hathaway discusses juggling his role as the S2 with the battalions need to utilize every aviator due to the operations tempo (OPTEMPO), the difficulty he had seeing any kind of broad picture while carrying out his duties, and the challenges of fling combat support missions in an urban environment. MAJ Hathaway observes, "I learned a lot about flying in an urban environment and a little bit more about how to talk on the radio and support guys on the ground. I also learned how to visualize the battlefield a little bit better, especially from the air and getting to see more of it to be able to understand the terrain and how that effects operations. It was a good experience for me to learn, to fly more, and to learn a little bit more about being a battalion S2. It was a good learning environment in a combat environment."

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