Today’s Fight, Tomorrow’s Challenges
Aviation Survivability / By CW5 Christopher A. Johnson: As I begin my 4th year as the Project Manager for Aircraft Survivability Equipment, I am sincerely thankful for the incredible opportunity to protect our Nation’s most valuable assets – the lives of American Soldiers. And along with that reflection, I also marvel at the technical skills, dedication, professionalism, and passion that the ASE enterprise displays to accomplish that mission. Soldiers from JagerBattalion 291 pose in front of a Tiger Attack Helicopter and an AH-64 Apache from 12th Combat Aviation Brigade during exercise Strong Punch near Fritzlar, Germany. Strong Punch is an...
Learn MoreThe Aviation Safety Officer
Combat Readiness Center / By BG David J. Francis: For more than 40 years, aviation safety officers have proven an indispensable asset for commanders across the Army, both in peacetime and at war, at home and deployed. SPC Joseph Merrill, a door gunner with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, Task Force Lightning Horse, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade checks his passengers before taking off in Afghanistan./ U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY 25TH CBT. AVN. BDE. PAO There is little doubt they have played a tremendous role in sustaining the Army’s aviation fleet and preserving the lives of our aviators, all...
Learn MoreOver-the-Counter Cold Medications
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By CPT Jessica Warneke, D.O.: Q: Doc, a lot of guys are getting a cold and have started taking over-the-counter (OTC) meds. Are we supposed to come in to see you if we are taking OTC medications? Photo Credit: U.S. Army FS: As an aircrew member, you operate in an environment that requires you to be more aware, focused, and healthy than the typical Army population. The environment in which you operate is very unforgiving and one small mistake or error can be fatal. If you become sick over the weekend and take an OTC...
Learn MoreSolutions for Aviation Survivability
Tech Talk / By Mrs. Sammie M. Smith: Other than completing the mission at hand, warfighters strive to return home to family and friends, and the U.S. Army wants safe soldiers and equipment. A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk assigned to Task Force Flying Dragons, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, 7th Infantry Division departs for a mission in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, July 6, 2017. / .S. ARMY PHOTO BY CPT BRIAN HARRIS, 16TH CAB Surviving without the properly qualified equipment makes those goals more difficult to attain. This is the area that the employees at...
Learn MorePost Career Civilian Opportunities for Army Aviation Maintainers
128th Aviation Brigade / By SSG Deniz Wesley: According to the Atlantic Journal-Constitution, the worldwide airline industry will need 34,000 new airplanes by 2031 (twice the current number) and 601,000 new aircraft maintenance technicians in the next 20 years to maintain that fleet. U.S. Army aviation maintenance training programs are recognized and accredited by the American Council on Education and produce some of the most technically competent Soldier-maintainers in the world. It seems as though the private sector has realized this valuable resource pool of future maintainers and is more than eager to provide former military aviation technicians unique –...
Learn MoreU.S. Army Reserve Aviation Assists In Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts
By BG Scott R. Morcomb: On August 26, just days before Harvey was scheduled to make landfall in the Houston, Texas area, elements of the Army Reserve Aviation Command (ARAC) readied themselves to respond to the needs of our nation’s citizens in Conroe, Texas. L to R: U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers from the Army Reserve Aviation Command, transport senior citizens off of an HH-60 MEDEVAC helicopter, to first responders in Conroe, Texas, Aug. 30. SGT Sara Cashdollar, a U.S. Army Reserve Flight Paramedic from Charlie Company, 7th Battalion (General Support Aviation) 158th Aviation Regiment, escorts a mother and her child...
Learn MoreEnlisted Aviation Soldier Spotlight
SSG Matthew A. DeckerCompany F, 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation RegimentFort Knox, Kentucky 2016 Army Aviation DUSTOFF Flight Medic of the Year AwardSponsored by Air Methods Corporation On 5 January 2016, SSG Decker was acting as the lead flight medic in response to an urgent MEDEVAC in the Helmand province, Afghanistan. Enroute to the point-of-injury the ground forces reported taking fire to the north and Air Weapons Team advised landing zone might not be secure. The crew decided to land, but upon landing the aircraft struck a wall and performed an emergency engine shutdown. SSG Decker immediately began treating the urgent...
Learn MoreAntidepressant Medications
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By CPT Steven E. Brown, D.O.: Q: I was prescribed an antidepressant medication but I’m not depressed. U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY CAPT. BRIAN HARRIS FS: The term antidepressant is a misnomer. While it is true that antidepressant medications are used to treat depression, they are also used to treat a wide variety of psychiatric disorders. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders, anxiety and even premenstrual syndrome can be effectively treated with antidepressants under the right circumstances. Medication, however, is certainly not the only treatment option for any of these problems. With the help of a...
Learn MoreAirframe Condition Evaluation
AMRDEC Tech Talk / By Mr. Mike Vourcos: The Airframe Condition Evaluation (ACE) program provides a method for capturing data for the U.S. Army to supplement identification of aircraft candidates for depot-level maintenance in accordance with Army Regulation (AR) 750-1. ACE defects for the 1,432 H-60 aircraft evaluated in 2016. The color coded points represent defect locations and type of defect. / AMRDEC AED GRAPHIC The Corrosion Prevention and Control Evaluation (CPCE) is an integral part of the ACE program and provides additional data for corrosion prevention initiatives. Aircraft are evaluated annually by aircraft ACE teams which results in the...
Learn MorePreserving Our History
128th Aviation Brigade / By SSG Jeremy McNichol: When we think of Army Aviation history, we most often think of Fort Rucker, Alabama, home of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence. An OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and other historical aircraft being washed by Soldiers of Co. A, 1st Bn., 210th Avn. Regt. at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA. / U.S. ARMY PHOTOS BY CPT MATTHEW MURRAY And rightly so, since the first class began there on January 29, 1955 when the school moved from Ft. Sill, Oklahoma to Camp Rucker it has been the home of...
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