Taking Off Into the New Year!
President’s Cockpit / By BG Steve Mundt, Ret.: We hope that everyone had a wonderful Holiday Season and that your 2019 has started off with a bang. We on the National Executive Group, the Board and the National Office join in wishing you all a great 2019! Army Vice Chief of Staff, GEN James McConville (center) talks with (right to left) MG (Ret.) Jeff Schloesser (AAAA Sr. VP), CW5 (Ret.) Steve Davidson (Army Aviation Hall of Fame), MG William K. Gayler, Army Aviation Branch Chief, and (partially hidden) AAAA President, BG (Ret.) Steve Mundt at the 2018 Army Aviation Mission...
Learn MoreTransitioning into the New Year
President’s Cockpit / By BG Steve Mundt, Ret.: Wow! Where did 2018 go? It seems the old adage may be true, “Time flies when you are having fun!” 2018 comes to an end and 2019 is just around the corner. AAAA challenge is 20,000 members by the Summit in 2020 The last couple of months have been a flurry of AAAA activities from the National Executive Board, to the Senior Executive Associates meetings to the Cribbins and ASE symposia, to chapter meetings that keep us focused on our mission, “Supporting the U.S. Army Aviation Soldier and Family” – as well...
Learn MoreStray Voltage for Building Student Success
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: Grandparents remember the good old days when we communicated face-to-face, with pens & typewriters, and we survived. Today students cannot survive without some form of social media, but to become a successful student some basics remain important. DoD PHOTO Parents getting involved early sets the stage for success at all levels especially if a child has special learning needs. Additional meetings with teachers and other appropriate staff allows the set up or revision of gifted education plans, as well as individualized education plans (IEPs) and 504 education plans, which are also available at college...
Learn MoreSmoking Cessation
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By MAJ Jacob Mathew, Jr., DO, FACOI: Q: I’m a 24-year-old crew chief, who took up smoking during a deployment and now I want to quit. I have seen soldiers in my unit “vaping” and I was wondering if it is an effective method to quit smoking. Are there any risks to e-cigarettes? Will this affect my flight status? FS: Tobacco smoking is the single largest preventable cause of many chronic diseases and deaths, claiming the lives of more than 5 million people worldwide each year. In 2014, the U.S. Surgeon General released a report...
Learn MoreThe Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Gravity
Aviation Branch Chief Update / By MG William K. Gayler: Clarity is the counterbalance of profound thoughts. —Luc De Clapiers Soldiers with the 91st Engineer Battalion mount an AAI RQ-7 Shadow Unmanned Aerial Vehicle on a UAV launch assembly during the Saber Junction 18 exercise in Hohenfels training area, Germany, Sept. 20. Don’t let accuracy get in the way of clarity; in other words, as we weave the minute details into a plan, an explanation, or a requirement, we often become so enthralled with the process that we drift away from the original intent and completely lose sight of the...
Learn MoreGiving Thanks and Throttle Full Open!
President’s Cockpit / By BG Stephen Mundt, Ret.: Happy Veterans Day and a very Happy Thanksgiving everyone! As we take a day out of our routine to reflect on our blessings, I thank each of our 17,000 members of AAAA for all you do every day to make this country safe and secure. Chairman GEN Scott Wallace, Ret., opens the 11 October 18 Senior Executive Associates meeting. I hope that each and every one of our members took time to “Vote” on November 6th as it is one of the liberties that those in uniform have fought so hard to...
Learn MoreOur Family’s Journey Thru Autism
Family Forum / By Laura Townsend Kane: I have a child with autism. He is nine years old, completely nonverbal, and must be supervised at all times. Author Laura Kane’s son Peter enjoying his time with a volunteer from “Autism on the Seas” on a December 2017 cruise with his family to include his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. The program is in collaboration with major cruise lines and is offered at a very nominal fee above the cost of the actual cruise. It provides respite care and affords families the opportunity to really relax and enjoy their time./ PERSONAL...
Learn MoreAttacking Aviation Readiness Drivers
AMCOM Commander / By MG Douglas M. Gabram: As I reflect on the past year, the Aviation Enterprise has accomplished a great deal through incredible teamwork and determined leadership. That said, I am often asked the question, what keeps me up at night? Two things: Overall Fleet Readiness – specifically, fixing our Apache issues. Are we ready for a near-peer fight? Soldiers with Company D, 1st Battalion (Attack Reconnaissance), 3rd Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, conduct routine maintenance on a AH-64 Apache helicopter on Aug. 17, 2018, at Katterbach Army Airfield in Ansbach, Germany. /US Army Photo by Charles...
Learn MoreAntibiotics
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By MAJ Steven E. Brown, DO, MPH: Q: I have had a cold with a cough for a few days, but when I went to see my flight surgeon, I was not given antibiotics. Why not? Photo Credit: U.S. Army FS: It is a common misperception that people with cold or flu symptoms require a prescription for an antibiotic from their provider to get better. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections such as seen in strep throat, most inner ear infections or bacterial pneumonia. The majority of cold and flu symptoms however are caused by viruses and...
Learn MoreMembership and Recognition
President’s Cockpit / By BG Stephen Mundt, Ret.: The pace of all things AAAA is certainly picking up now as we head into Fall with the Luther Jones event at Corpus Christi (October 24-25), and both the Joseph P. Cribbins (November 13-14) and the Aircraft Survivability Equipment symposia (November 15-16) coming up in Huntsville. Membership Booth at 2018 AAAA Summit We have just had our semi-annual AAAA Board Meeting in October during the AUSA Annual Meeting so please ask your chapter leadership for an update on where we are and how we are set for the 2019 Army Aviation Mission Solutions...
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