Sharing the Gratitude for 2020 AAAA Scholarships
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: This year AAAA awarded 313 Scholarships totaling $537,000 to deserving students, spouses, and Soldiers. Many showed their appreciation with thank you notes, and I want to share some excerpts from a few who captured the essence and gratitude of all for these awards, AAAA, and military life as well. Lorie A. Hanna (Lawrence ‘Larry’ D. Bell Memorial Scholarship)My husband is celebrating 20 years of service in the TX Army Aviation National Guard. Other than motherhood, being a military spouse has been the greatest honor of my life. I have met true patriots, selfless heroes,...
Learn MoreArmy Air Traffic Controllers Support Operations in East Africa
Air Traffic Services / By LTC Keith A. Haskin: October 2019 marked the beginning of a now-enduring capability as the Army assumed responsibilities of airfield management and air traffic control support to multiple airfields within the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) area of operations. The deployment of 1st Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment (Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB)) into this area of operations initiated a cycle of Active Duty and National Guard forces to support the strategic goals of AFRICOM in East Africa: to enhance partner nation capacity, promote regional stability, dissuade conflict, and protect U.S. and coalition interests. 1-58th...
Learn MoreArmy Special Operations Aviation UAS Integration In Multi-Domain Operations
Unmanned Aircraft Systems / By MAJ Joshua Bell and MAJ Kristin Yampaglia: In preparation for the future fight, Army Special Operations Aviation (ARSOA) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) continues to exploit the MQ-1C Extended Range Gray Eagle capabilities and limitations through challenging, realistic training events and supporting U.S. Army Futures Command initiatives. Earlier this year, MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (ER) crews from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) participated in two keystone exercises that highlighted the versatility and adaptability of ARSOA UAS. The first event was in China Lake, CA known as the Special Operations Aviation-Advanced Tactics Training (SOA-ATT). SOA-ATT...
Learn MoreOsteopath, Chiropractor and Physical Therapist
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By CPT (Dr.) Frank C. Stafford: Q: Osteopath, Chiropractor, Physical Therapist? What is the difference and who should I see? FS: In the military, we have a wide variety of medical providers that use hands-on techniques such as stretching, gentle pressure and resistance in order to diagnose, treat and prevent illness and injury. These include osteopaths, chiropractors and physical therapists. Photo/army.mil Osteopaths are licensed physicians who hold a four-year medical degree of Doctor of Osteopathy and bear a “DO” after their name. This degree is earned after completing a bachelor’s degree. As with their “MD”...
Learn MoreUnity Through Community in the 128th Aviation Brigade
By SSG Israel D. Lopez: This summer, as protests erupted across the nation, marches, stand-ins, and riots all began to coincide. America seemed to be at a reckoning, a moment where racial atrocities would no longer be acceptable, but the turmoil would be far-reaching. Members of the 128th Avn. Bde. help clean up the Elmerton and Bassette Cemeteries in Hampton, VA./ U.S. ARMY 128TH AVN BDE PHOTO The 128th Brigade, like every unit in the Army, could not escape this reality, as the towns surrounding Fort Eustis, Virginia, saw civil unrest become the norm. Many sat and wondered what could...
Learn MoreOpportunities, Make the Most of Them!
By CSM Brian N. Hauke: As I sign off the net and gather my thoughts for my final article as our Aviation Branch Command Sergeant Major, I thought it would be fitting to write about opportunity and making the most of those opportunities given to us. With my pending retirement rapidly approaching, I find myself reflecting on the last 30 years of “opportunities.” In 1990, I was a wide-eyed, naïve young man who stepped off the bus at Fort Jackson, South Carolina for basic combat training. Never, and I mean never, would I have thought back then the Army and...
Learn MoreSurvivability – Outlook for Today and Tomorrow
Aviation Survivability / By CW3 Paul Olson: The Aviation Survivability Development and Tactics (ASDAT) team occupies a unique position in U.S. Army Aviation. ASDAT, the Army component of the Joint Combat Assessment Team (JCAT) underneath the Joint Aircraft Survivability Program (JASP), started as a forensics-focused team that examined enemy tactics techniques and procedures (TTP) utilized to affect U.S. aircraft and provided the joint aviation community with counter TTPs against the threats posed to them. These efforts resulted in increased U.S. military aircraft effectiveness and survivability. The team’s mission has expanded tremendously since its inception, with two new pillars of training...
Learn MoreS&T Advancements in Threat Detection
Aviation Survivability / By Mr. Ralph Troisio, Dr. Frances Bodrucki, Mr. Thomas Z. Provencher and Mr. Paul Restine: The development and proliferation of advanced anti-aircraft munitions including surface-to-air missiles (SAM), man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) and air-to-air missiles (AAM) present a significant threat to Army Aviation. These high-speed guided missile systems give crews little time to react to incoming threats and can prove fatal if not avoided or neutralized before impact. The U.S. Army Ground Combat Vehicles (GCVs) face similar threats in the form of Anti-tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs). EWAGS GRAPHIC A passive threat warning sensor (TWS) can increase aircraft and...
Learn MoreHow Are Our Youth Coping with COVID-19?
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: No doubt about it. We are living in a deeply altered world with a dramatic change in what is “normal.” Without a vaccine, and maybe even with one, COVID-19 may be here to stay indefinitely according to a growing consensus of scientists. Masks, full-to-the-max back packs and social distancing before, during and after school are the daily norm for most students physically returning to school./ PERSONAL PHOTO CW4 (RET.) JOE PISANO But as doctors improve treatments, and people embrace best practices like wearing a face mask, washing hands, and practicing social distancing, we are...
Learn MoreIntimate Partner Violence
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By CPT (Dr.) Gurdeep Buttar: Military service presents unique psychological, social, and environmental challenges that can strain families and relationships within it. ARMY.MIL photo Of considerable public health significance is intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV encompasses a range of physical, sexual, or psychological harms or stalking behavior by a current or former partner along a spectrum of severity. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience physical violence by their intimate partner at some point during their lifetimes. About 1 in 3 women and...
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