Idaho Army National Guard Rescues Injured Hiker Near Stanley
The Idaho Army National Guard’s State Aviation Group assisted Custer County Search and Rescue with the rescue of an injured hiker July 6 on Thompson Peak of the Sawtooth Range, outside of Stanley, Idaho. The hiker, a 19-year-old male, suffered an ankle injury following a fall while rock-climbing near the mountain range’s highest peak, located approximately 75 miles outside of Boise. “Our crew did an incredible job under some very challenging environmental conditions,” said Capt. Katherine Smith, commander of Det. 1, Company G 1st of the 168th Aviation Regiment. “The rescue required a great deal of crew coordination, as well...
Learn More2024 Summit an Outstanding Success!
To all our members, it is so great to be back to the business of executing AAAA presidential duties after addressing a pesky medical issue for the past few months. So much so, that I had the honor and privilege of attending a day (May 30) of the ARSOAC and 160th SOAR activities at Fort Campbell, KY, which included a special and impactful Memorial Service where they honor their fallen. Many thanks to BG Wilkenson and COL Waleski for having me be among their amazing community of Night Stalkers… and for the opportunity to induct Mr. Steve Blasey into the...
Learn MoreSoaring at the Summit in Denver
Welcome everyone to the 2024 AAAA Annual Mission Solution Summit! Our Branch Chief, MG Mac McCurry, and the entire Army Aviation Leadership will be bringing you all up to date on everything from training and operations, to acquisition and sustainment, special operations, Reserve and National Guard priorities and so much more all under the theme “Transforming Aviation Warfighting – Strengthening Our Sacred Trust.” It is with great regret that I’ve had to ‘take a knee’ due to a medical condition, and as a result am unable to attend and participate in what I know will be an incredible Mission Solutions...
Learn MoreOn Final to the Annual Summit
It is hard to believe that another month has flown by. As you read this, we will have convened a meeting with the National Executive Group and our committee chairs to review several areas, importantly our efforts at developing an organizational strategic plan, and to set expectations for the upcoming National Executive Board meeting in April at the Summit. More to follow, but please check the AAAA website to make sure you know who the committee chairs are and get your issues to them; they are your conduit to each mission area from membership to awards, and Hall of Fame...
Learn MoreArmy 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...
Learn MoreRoaring 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...
Learn MoreDetermined to Fly Again
CONCORD, NH, UNITED STATES 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 sending...
Learn MoreChinook 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...
Learn MoreEnding 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...
Learn MoreUpdating 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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