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Army Aviation Senior Leaders Forum


Your AAAA leadership has just returned from the Aviation Senior Leaders’ Forum at Fort Novosel, AL, held January 22-25, 2024. What an extraordinary forum hosted by our Branch Chief, MG Mac McCurry, and his Branch Team, with the theme of “Transforming Aviation Warfighting – Strengthening the Sacred Trust.” From the opening “Gathering of Leaders” reception at the Army Aviation Museum, to the classified and unclassified briefings covering the status of Army Aviation and our Army, to the Aviation Awards Dinner that recognized both AAAA Functional Awards winners and the LTG Ellis D. Parker Aviation Unit Award winners, it was simply...

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Roaring Into the New Year!


The Annual Summit in Denver will be barely 90 days away by the time you read this. Incredible! We hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s holiday; really looking forward to the year ahead and the great work that your Association will do in support of our Aviation family. Bill Harris and I had the privilege of travelling to Lubbock, Texas after Thanksgiving to join the leadership of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) Legacy Committee to see how our Association might best support them in the future, as it plans its inevitable ‘sunset.’ Art Jacobs and...

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Determined to Fly Again


CONCORD, NH, UNITED STATES 01.03.2024 Story by Staff Sgt. Courtney Rorick 114th Public Affairs Detachment After receiving intel of a potential Iranian attack on Al Asad Air Base, in western Iraq, Capt. Brendan Meehan began calling units from the operations tent, warning them to seek shelter. In the early morning hours of Jan 8, 2020, Iran sent a barrage of 22 missiles targeted at coalition headquarters in Al Asad and Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq, in response to the U.S. assassination of Iranian Commander Qassem Soleimani. A missile struck only 100-yards from Meehan’s location, causing a 500-yard shockwave and...

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Chinook Instructor Pilot Retires from Federal Service at 10,000 Hours


FORT NOVOSEL, AL, UNITED STATES 12.22.2023 Story by Kelly Morris U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence FORT NOVOSEL, Ala. — It is said that students are often just one encouraging instructor away from being a success story. For many Chinook pilots over the past 20 years, that instructor was Department of the Army Civilian Charles Mineo, a retired chief warrant officer 4 who served during Desert Storm. Upon his recent flight in the Chinook marking his 10,000th incident-free flying hour, the well-known instructor pilot at Knox Army Heliport, who is often described as “unorthodox” in his methods, stepped away from...

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Ending the Year with a Bang!


First, on behalf of the entire AAAA National Executive Board, and Bill Harris and Janis Arena’s team at the Monroe, Connecticut AAAA global headquarters, I would like to wish you and your families all the peace that is the promise of this holiday season. We hope you have had some time to enjoy each other’s company and appreciate all we must be thankful for. As we start the new year, we are blessed for all that AAAA does, and will do, for you and your families in the future. We have just concluded our Cribbins Readiness Conference in Huntsville, Alabama...

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Updating Summit 2024 Information


MG (Ret.) Todd Royar, Mr. Bill Harris, Ms. Janis Arena and I are just back from the retirement ceremony for Mr. Geoffrey Downer, Director Special Programs (Aviation), AMCOM and PEO, Rotary Wing, USSOCOM at Fort Eustis, Virginia. Hundreds of Geoff’s co-workers, friends, family, personnel from supported units and Army Aviation Branch leaders, and our industry partner representatives packed the Jacobs Conference Center… providing one of the most sincerely heartfelt expressions of gratitude and appreciation for his incredible service that I’ve have seen in many years. Since 1983, Geoff has been a singularly consequential leader in developing and providing the most...

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Moving Forward


It is hard to believe that five months have elapsed since our Annual Summit in Nashville. As reported previously, your National Executive Group (NEG) met at the Connecticut Headquarters to synchronize our path ahead back in June. Part of our discussions centered around the identification and selection of our new Standing Committee Chairs; I am grateful to those that have agreed to take on the Chairman duties and responsibilities and am pleased to announce the following appointments: By-Laws and Legal – COL (Ret.) Shelly Yarborough; Civilian Affairs – BG (Ret.) Kelly Thomas; Finance – BG (Ret.) Tim Edens; Hall of...

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Army Aviator Lauded for Diversity Outreach Efforts


One Army aviator’s passion to raise awareness among minorities about opportunities in Army Aviation is not going unnoticed. As a flight school student in 2015, Capt. Matthew Manning began guest speaking at historically Black colleges and universities to inform cadets about the Aviation branch and encourage them through his motto, “Don’t self-eliminate.” Since then, the program idea he envisioned when he first entered the Army has grown, in conjunction with diversity and outreach initiatives at the Organization and Personnel Force Development directorate. Lt. Col. Erika Salerno, the OPFD deputy director, said Army aviation is seeing a marked increase in the...

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Cobra Hall Veterans Reunite at Hunter to Share, Make Striking Memories


FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES 10.04.2023 Story by Kevin Larson Fort Stewart Public Affairs Office The sight of helicopters on display at Hunter Army Airfield stirred up smiles and memories for more than 200 Army aviator veterans and their families on Oct. 3. The Cobra Hall association held its 50-year anniversary reunion in Savannah Oct. 1-5 to celebrate the legacy of Hunter once being home to the Cobra Training and Qualification School. Hunter Army Airfield’s mission from 1967 to 1973 was to train Cobra pilots during the height of the Vietnam War. Two helicopters caused the biggest reactions; an AH-1Z...

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1st “Air Cav” Takes to the Skies Over Texas Motor Speedway


FORT WORTH, TX, UNITED STATES 09.23.2023 Story by Sgt. Elliot Alagueuzian 1st Cavalry Division FORT WORTH, T.X. – The Lone Star State has always had a deep appreciation for both its rich military heritage and the thrilling world of motorsports. When these two worlds collide, it creates a spectacle that captures the hearts of Texans. One such breathtaking moment occurred when Troopers of the 2nd Battalion, 27th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division conducted a stunning flyover at the Texas Motor Speedway on September 23rd, 2023. This unforgettable event showcased the skill, precision, and unity of the...

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