Back Pain
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By MAJ Erik S. Johnson, DO: Q: I experience a lot of back pain and I am worried I might have a bulging disc. I am concerned that I may need surgery and won’t be able to fly again. What should I do? FS: Back pain, in one form or another, is one of the most common reasons people seek medical attention, and aircrew members are no exception. There are a myriad of potential causes, including occupational overuse, compression injuries, poor lifting techniques, poor posture, and excessive body weight. In the aviation environment there are...
Learn MoreTask Force Marauder MEDEVAC Conducts K-9 Medical Training
News Spotlight: Soldiers with Detachment 1, Charlie Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC), Task Force Marauder conducted K-9 medical training with a U.S. Army veterinarian Jan. 8, 2018, in Afghanistan. The MEDEVAC Soldiers learned how to diagnose and treat symptoms for the military K-9s in the event they transport or provide medical care to a K-9 or handler. Task Force Marauder consists of Soldiers from South Carolina National Guard, Illinois National Guard, Iowa National Guard, as well as active duty component and provides aviation capabilities with AH-64 Apaches, UH-60 Black Hawks, CH-47 Chinooks, and MEDEVAC assets in...
Learn MoreWill You Be The One to Save a Life?
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: Have you ever thought to yourself “Why is that person so skinny or why is he/she such a picky eater?” We are inundated by super-thin models who display the clothes we would love to wear, but might not look the same on us. We think, “They must starve themselves to look like that. Or maybe they are anorexic!” I personally hurt for someone I love who is trying to deal with anorexia, but hopefully it was discovered early enough to benefit from current treatment. I shared her symptoms and on-going treatment with a good...
Learn MoreDisruptive Operational Risk Management
Combat Readiness Center / By BG David J. Francis: The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center recently assessed long-term mishap trends for the last 35 years, dating back to the birth of the Aviation Branch in 1983 to present day. Soldiers assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division fuel and perform systems checks on an AH-64 Apache during Decisive Action Rotation 18-02 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, CA. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY SPC DANA CLARKE, OPNS. GRP., NTNL. TNG. CTR. The study indicates that our Army suffers a steep increase in Class A aviation and...
Learn MoreModernization and Looking to the Future
PEO Aviation / By BG Thomas H. Todd III: Aviation Family, as I enter my second year as the program executive officer for Army Aviation, we are faced with a demanding set of missions as well as a host of other challenges that impact the Aviation Enterprise in numerous ways. U.S. Army Apache AH-64E helicopter pilots assigned to 1st Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, 7th Infantry Division participate in Raptor Fury, a month-long exercise to validate 16th CAB’s mission readiness with the support of close to 1,500 7th ID Soldiers. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO I, alongside a...
Learn MoreMaking Your Voice Heard
President’s Cockpit / By BG Steve Mundt, Ret.: Wow, how time flies! I can’t believe that the 2018 AAAA Annual Summit, in Nashville, TN is almost upon us. We are looking forward to seeing all of you there! Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis testifies alongside U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Oct. 13, 2017. / DOD PHOTO BY U.S. ARMY SGT JAMES K. MCCANN April 25-27, 2018 are the official dates but we have all kinds of set up, board meetings,...
Learn MorePlanning for Expeditionary Operations and Sustainment
Maintenance / By CW5 Michael D. Cavaco: In today’s ever-changing operational environment, we must be ready to deploy, fight, and win on a moment’s notice anywhere in the world. But the time to plan is not upon receipt of the warning order, but instead must be woven into all we do, at home station and deployed. Soldiers from C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 17th U.S. Cavalry Regiment perform inspections and maintenance on an AH-64E Apache helicopter at Qayyarah West Airfield, Iraq, September 2, 2017. The 2-17th Cav. will provide attack, reconnaissance and surveillance capability for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation...
Learn MoreMilspousepreneur will be Trending in 2018
Family Forum / By Elizabeth Scruggs and Judy Konitzer: Flexible work arrangements, technology, and the cultural shift to remote business arrangements are just a few of the reasons military spouses are finding entrepreneurship and business ownership a solution to unemployment and underemployment. According to the 2017 Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey, the unemployment rate for military spouses is 28%, and 55% are underemployed earning $20,000 less than civilian counterparts. Spouse employment is an issue that continues to top quality of life challenges for military families, and the following spouses from across multiple branches (Coast Guard, Army, and Marine)...
Learn MoreAMCOM – Supporting Army Aviation Today and Into the Future
AMCOM Commander / By MG Douglas M. Gabram: The U.S. Army’s aviation legacy can be summed up in a single word: overmatch. We are stronger, better armed, and more skillful in battle than our adversaries. This global reputation has been hard won, and exhibited daily on the battlefield for the last 16 years. Today we risk becoming outmanned, outgunned, and outdated. To combat this, we must resuscitate a healthy focus on sustainment life-cycle planning, build depth in our supply chain, and reverse leveraging our future capabilities for immediate readiness. As the Aviation Enterprise continues to execute the Army’s readiness priority,...
Learn MoreKeeping Pace With the Force
128th Aviation Brigade / By CPT Matthew J. Murray: Since its activation in 2012 the 128th Aviation Brigade has been responsible for training more than 80% of the enlisted Soldiers within our Aviation Branch and providing the force with more than 5,000 trained Soldiers, NCOs and warrant officers each year. AH-64D L7 MAVWEST training devices in Ottenburg Hall, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA./ U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY CPT MATTHEW J. MURRAY I have commanded Alpha Company, 1-210th Aviation Regiment for 18 months. The company is responsible for all enlisted 15Y AH-64 Armament/Electrical/Avionics Systems Repairer and all warrant officer 151A Aviation Maintenance...
Learn More
