Fort Bragg All American DUSTOFF performs first in-flight prehospital blood transfusion
Story by Capt. Shervon Pope FORT BRAGG, N.C. -The “All American” DUSTOFF company executes first in-flight whole blood transfusion over Fort Bragg Apr. 30. Charlie Company of the 3-82 General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) is the first active Army unit to perform an in-flight prehospital blood transfusion outside a combat zone. Also known as the Fort Bragg “All American”, DUSTOFF Charlie Company conducts medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) operations year-round to support the installation and the surrounding area. DUSTOFF is an acronym that stands for Dedicated Unhesitating Service to Our Fighting Troops and is synonymous with life-saving...
Learn MoreChief Warrant Officer Circles the Globe in C-12 Huron
Story by Maj. Jeffrey Windmueller Chief Warrant Officer 4 Nicholas Demas was admiring the jagged peaks of the Swiss Alps cutting through the clouds when the radio crackled to life. “Be advised, you are going to be intercepted by a Swiss fighter jet for training purposes,” the voice said. Seconds later, an American-made F/A-18 Hornet appeared just 10 feet off his wingtip. Demas and his co-pilot snapped a quick photo, but the moment served as a stark reminder: this was no sightseeing trip. As an Army Reserve aviator, Demas was on a mission—flying halfway around the world to support Exercise...
Learn MoreArmy Successfully Tests In-Flight Life-Saving System for Incapacitated Pilots
OINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. — Imagine a future where a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot, mid-flight, loses consciousness, and an onboard automated system reads the pilot’s vitals and autonomously flies the aircraft back safely, even alerting a medical crew to be at the airfield ready to treat the incapacitated pilot. A groundbreaking fusion joining autonomous flight and operational monitoring of pilots’ vital signs just made that future possibility a present-day reality recently at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. “This is the first time we have integrated the pilot’s health status to an autonomous flight control system,” said Carl Ott, a U.S. Army...
Learn MoreFace of Defense: Father, Daughter Helicopter Pilots Fly Together
Army Warrant Officer Meghan Polis, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the New York National Guard, doesn’t remember it but she logged her first three hours of helicopter flight time when she was just 3 months old. Her father — New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen Polis — and her mother were going to a barbecue in Albany. They lived on Long Island and they decided to make the trip north by air instead of driving. The flight school Stephen Polis worked for at the time as an instructor pilot allowed him to borrow a...
Learn MoreMisty Dawn Tests National Guard Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO)
Story by Master Sgt. Arthur Wright ELKINS, West Virginia — To ensure an understanding of Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) and increasingly contested battlespace by adversaries, the District of Columbia National Guard led over 20 air and ground units across the U.S. Army and Air Force for exercise “Misty Dawn” in Elkins, West Virginia, between March 4-14, 2025. The joint readiness exercise highlighted coalition interoperability and high-end integrated tactics. “Misty Dawn is an apex example of grassroots, unit-led, readiness and lethality innovation – Right Now! When leadership tells units to get after readiness, move faster, and increase lethality; Misty Dawn is...
Learn More3-25 “Hammerheads” Welcome New Commander During Change of Command Ceremony
Story by Capt. David Block WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii – Soldiers, families and friends gathered to witness the ceremonial passing of the battalion colors as Lt. Col. Andrew S. Howell assumed command of 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, during a change of command ceremony held recently on Wheeler Army Airfield. Lt. Col. Samuel J. Diehl relinquished command after leading the Hammerheads through a period marked by high operational tempo, strategic innovation, and vital aviation support missions across the Pacific. Col. Matthew J. Scher, commander of the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, praised Diehl’s leadership and the Hammerheads’...
Learn MoreWrenches Down, Ranks Up: 15R Maintainer SGT Ronald Roberts Named 2024 Aviation Soldier of the Year
Story by 1st Lt. Courtney Huhta FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — What began as a proud moment quickly turned into a career-defining milestone on stage for Sgt. Ronald Roberts after being named the AAAA Gary G. Wetzel Army Aviation Soldier of the Year at the 2025 Army Aviation Association of America Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. Roberts was preparing to return to his seat as followed by other recipients after delivering his acceptance speech—but instead, his wife was invited on stage. Maj Gen. Gill, Commanding General of the Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Novosel, took to the podium and pulled out...
Learn MorePresident’s Welcome
I am honored and humbled to have been elected as your new AAAA National President a few weeks ago at our annual Mission Solutions Summit in Nashville. I know many of you from my long Army career and even more during the past six years as the AAAA Secretary, Treasurer and Senior VP. I look forward to meeting many more of you among our military, industry, and civilian members over the next few years. I would like to thank our outgoing President, and my friend, MG (Ret.) Walt Davis, who led AAAA during the last two years and established such...
Learn MoreWelcome to the 2025 AAAA Annual Summit!
As I scribe my last message as your AAAA National President, all indications are that we will have an exceptional Summit, just given the level of attendee registration and the record exhibit commitments from industry and our other partners; and the strong support from our Army and Aviation Branch leadership to develop and deliver a comprehensive and meaningful agenda and program of activities which showcase the strength of the entire Army Aviation community and family. In addition, we will also induct our newest Army Aviation Hall of Fame members, recognize our many outstanding individual and organizational Aviation awardees, and importantly,...
Learn MoreSummit Is Almost Here!
As we enter the final days of preparation for the AAAA Annual Summit in Nashville May 14-16, 2025, we recognize the importance of your Association to serve as THE catalyst and enabler for the gathering of our entire Army Aviation Community. So grateful to be able to report that we are looking at our largest annual gathering ever in terms of attendee registration and Industry commitment and sponsorship. The Gaylord Opryland is sold out (with over 800 folks on the waiting list), exhibits are sold out, and we are opening a second exhibit area to accommodate the incredible support and...
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