Happy New Year!
AAAA begins this new year in great shape with membership near record levels of over 20,000 members and our strongest ever financial balance sheet. The future also looks bright as we prepare for the rapidly approaching Army Aviation Warfighting Summit April 15-17, 2026 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville. By the time you read this I will have returned from visiting our Badger Chapter in Wisconsin for their annual ball and will have also attended the Aviation Senior Leaders Conference at Fort Rucker, AL. In many respects these two very different events show the breadth and depth of AAAA’s...
Learn More‘I’ve Got Him’- Missing Child Found Safe by Fort Rucker Soldiers
Story by Brittany Trumbull FORT RUCKER, Ala.– While away for military training, a Fort Rucker Soldier received the call that every parent fears – his son was missing. Hours later, a second call from a fellow soldier and friend brought three words of relief – “I’ve got him.” The Enterprise Police Department (EPD) responded to a report of a missing 9-year-old boy at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2026. Home surveillance video showed the child running into a wooded area after being dropped off by a school bus, according to the EPD media release. Shortly after seeing the notice...
Learn MoreT2COM CG Highlights Transformation at Fort Rucker’s Aviation Leaders Forum
Story by Kelly Morris The commanding general of U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command, Gen. David M. Hodne spoke to Army Aviation leaders gathered for the Aviation Senior Leader Forum at Fort Rucker on Jan. 26. The previous day, he toured the installation’s facilities and talked with Soldiers and leaders. The tour included a stop at the MV-75 prototype simulator, the Aviation Captain’s Career Course where he spoke with students about their current challenges and the direction the Army is headed, and an orientation flight in the UH-72 Lakota helicopter. “It’s great to get back to the home of Army...
Learn MoreActivation of Foxtrot Company, 1st Attack Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade
FORT RILEY, Kan. -Soldiers and families from the 1stInfantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade gathered during a ceremony to mark the activation of Foxtrot Troop, 1st Attack Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade on January 23, 2026. The Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System – Launched Effects (TUAS-LE) unit introduces advanced technology to the 1st Infantry Division, signifying a new chapter in Army aviation. “Standing up a new unit is a significant moment,” said Army Cpt. Paul Shorkey-Chacon, company commander. “We’re here to activate a Troop that will push the Army forward. But as we look forward, we also need to acknowledge the legacy...
Learn MoreOne Last Flight: Aviation Unit Delivers WWII PBY “Catalina” To Its Forever Home
Story by Joseph Siemandel A story, years in the making, came to an end for the city of Oak Harbor when a CH-47 Chinook air crew from the Washington Army National Guard air lifted a World War II-era PBY-5a bomber from downtown Oak Harbor to the Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum on January 21, 2026. “This event marks a proud and memorable milestone not only for the PNW Naval Air Museum but also for the many volunteers, agencies, and government officials whose dedication and perseverance made it possible,” said Barry Meldrum, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum....
Learn MoreFour Decades, One Legacy: The Rademacher Family’s Generational Service
Story by Staff Sgt. Robert Whitlow CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Ga. – Master Sgt. Jerome “Jay” Rademacher’s military journey began in 1984, long before many of today’s Soldiers were born. On Dec. 7, 2025, surrounded by family, friends, and fellow Soldiers, he closed out more than 40 years in uniform at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Marietta, Georgia. Before his retirement ceremony began, the focus was on a new beginning. Rademacher’s youngest son, Nathan, raised his right hand and took the oath of office, joining his father and two brothers in the ranks of those who wear the nation’s...
Learn MoreApache Pilot Fueled by Competing in Triathlon Endurance Races
Story by Joe Lacdan SAN DIEGO — Last October, 1st Lt. Waverly Schnetzler jogged along rocky paths of Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, an expanse of the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico that sits 4,500 feet above sea level. There in the backdrop of the Robledo Mountains, Schnetzler entered a backyard ultra; a grueling elimination ultra marathon where competitors run four-mile loops until one competitor remains. Also known as a “last man standing” race, exhausted runners file out one by one and the last remaining competitor gets crowned champion. Competitors run backyard ultras often more than 100 miles. “She’ll approach something...
Learn More2-2 AHB Conducts Joint Fast-Rope Air Assault Training
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 2d Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division, alongside 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conduct fast-rope air assault isolated personnel extraction training, Dec. 18, 2025. The training integrated aviation assets with infantry elements, as well as small unmanned aircraft systems and U.S. Air Force joint terminal attack controller capabilities, demonstrating 2CAB’s ability to operate with both conventional and unconventional joint forces in support of readiness across the Korean Peninsula. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Nicholas Childers)
Learn MoreTask Force Brawler Maintainers Keep the Mission Flying
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Task Force Brawler work on a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk assigned to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania, Dec. 5, 2025. The 3rd Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade’s mission in Romania is to conduct training while generating warfighting readiness and combat-credible forces along NATO’s Eastern Flank. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joseph Bartoszek)
Learn MoreTransitioning Into the New Year Full-Throttle
We just completed our “new-format” 2025 Cribbins Futures Forum in Huntsville, AL. It was touch-and-go for a while with the government shutdown, but AAAA staff, our exhibitors and attendees executed with aplomb! At the end of the day, very few exhibitors cancelled, our sponsorship was up, and attendance was only slightly down. Truly a remarkable result considering that early Monday November 10, three days before the AAAA staff arrived on site in Huntsville, we made the decision to go ahead after cancelling the prior Friday night when all Senate talks had completely collapsed! Thank you to our Soldier and Industry...
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