VICTOR -- The cattle watched quizzically as members of the Utah National Guard's 19th Special Forces Group secured their jump gear in a field owned by local rancher Jay Bugli.

Across the field, soldiers with the Montana National Guard prepared their CH-47 for the mission as others marked a drop zone with brightly colored blocks.

The dual training exercise between the Montana and Utah soldiers unfolded Thursday on Bugli's ranch, an arid patch of ground with a sweeping view of the Bitterroot Valley.

Military experts say the terrain resembles parts of Afghanistan, a place where these soldiers are likely to return in the coming months.

"They were wondering about using some of our ground," said Bugli, watching the soldiers load the Chinook for the mission.

"These young men, and even some guys my age, are serving their county," he added. "I think it's a fine opportunity for them to practice out here. They have my support 100 percent."

Over the past week, around 30 soldiers with the Montana National Guard's 1-189th General Aviation Support Battalion, based in Helena, have worked to support an equal number of soldiers with Utah's 19th Special Forces.

The drills have included medical evacuations, air drops and insertion and extraction missions, which included Thursday's jump over Bugli's ranch.

CW2 Thomas Mendyke, who piloted Thursday's flight on behalf of the Montana Guard, briefed the jump team as ranch dogs circled their feet and the cattle closed in around them.

The team checked altitude, wind and timing, hoping for as much elevation as Mendike could get them before hitting the clouds at around 12,000 feet.

Missions like this, Mendyke said, help train Montana soldiers while keeping the Special Forces sharp.

"With today's Guard, there are a lot of young people coming in, and many haven't had the opportunity to do what we're doing today," Mendyke said. "It's valuable training, not only for the Special Forces, but also for the crewmen and the planners in the field."

Bugli's ranch sits at 4,200 feet above sea level. The plan, as Mendyke and the jump team discussed it, was to climb 800 feet above the ranch, where a crew chief and the jump master would kick a parachute bundle out the back door.

At 1,500 feet, the first six jumpers, each hooked to a static line, would exit the aircraft for a low-altitude insertion drill. Another team, which included Sgt. 1st Class Kurt Holmer, who grew up just three miles from here, would follow from 7,000 feet.

As Holmer prepared his gear, his father, Lee Holmer, stood by watching with a father's pride. It's not every day, he said, that his Airborne son trains so close to home.

"He used to watch me do it, now all of a sudden I'm watching him do it," said the elder Holmer. "Half these guys have been to Afghanistan and Kuwait. This is something different. The Guard and Reserve have become an active component of our active forces, and that's a good thing."

Since U.S. forces first entered Afghanistan in 2001, the Guard and Reserve have played an increasing role in the rotation of troops. Both units training here today have been to either Iraq or Afghanistan since the war against terrorism began eight years ago.

Among them, Master Sgt. Jim Maguire deployed to Afghanistan with the Special Forces shortly after 9/11. Once in country, he said, soldiers are expected to work among the population, much as they are today on Bugli's ranch.

As the soldiers prepared, several pickup trucks loaded with area ranchers and children pulled up to watch the exercise. They snapped photos as the CH-47 lifted off and circled up toward 12,000 feet, where the air turned cold and the view of the surrounding valley stretched far beyond the aircraft's open tail.

"The missions we get are challenging," said Maguire, who gave a thumbs up before stepping off the back of the aircraft over Bugli's ranch. "We're slated to go back to Afghanistan in the near future. So that's what we're doing, we're making sure we keep our skills sharp."

Martin Kidston: 447-4086 or mkidston@helenair.com