STURGIS - In the distance, above the sound of the wind rustling through the grass, the low mechanical drone of rotors cuts through the air. Soldiers look to the sky, and what initially was a small, black spot in the distance quickly becomes the outline of a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.

The Blackhawks from the Nebraska Army National Guard arrived Friday at the Sturgis Municipal Airport to give soldiers from across the country hands-on sling-load training as part of the 2008 Golden Coyote training exercise, hosted by the South Dakota Army National Guard.

Sling-loading - the process of taking supplies and rigging them to a helicopter as it hovers overhead - has proven to be a critical skill for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In many instances, supplies and equipment must be flown to remote areas inaccessible by ground vehicles. In those situations, soldiers trained in sling loading become instrumental in sustaining the mission and supporting fellow soldiers.

A seven-person training team from Fort Lee, Va., the only team of its kind, conducted the training. Its members travel the world to train members of the armed services.

Instructor Lovell Willis, a retired solider from Birmingham, Ala., stressed the importance of safety and paying attention to detail. With loads of up to 10,000 pounds being attached to the underside of the helicopters, the dangers of improper procedures were explained and shown to the students.

"You don't want anything to go wrong," Willis said. "You miss one thing and it can cost somebody their life."

The physical loads may be heavy, but the burden of responsibility weighed even heavier on the minds of the students.

When she started the course, Spc. Monica Jacobs felt intimidated by the task of remembering the details. As she progressed through the training, her skills at sling loading and her confidence grew.

"The coolest thing was seeing the Blackhawks flying around and seeing people hooking the loads up. I didn't think I would be doing anything with helicopters," said Jacobs, an administrative specialist with the Army Reserve's 484th Medical Detachment from Kalamazoo, Mich.