Hall of Fame 2017 Inductees
The Army Aviation Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Army Aviation Association of America, Inc., recognizes those individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to Army Aviation. The actual Hall of Fame is located in the Army Aviation Museum, Fort Rucker, AL. The deadline for nominations for the 2018 induction is June 1. Contact the AAAA National Office for details and nomination forms at (203) 268-2450 or visit quad-a.org Brigadier General Leo E. Soucek, Sr. (Deceased) BG Leo Soucek served in the vanguard of leaders who developed our modern Army Airmobility concepts, tactics and organizations. He tested these with the...
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Commanders of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Predecessor Agencies Director, Department of Air Training, U.S. Army Field Artillery School, Ft. Sill, OK COL William W. Ford 3 August 1942 – 15 January 1944 COL Gordon J. Wolf 16 January 1944 – 2 November 1945 COL William W. Ford 3 November 1945 – 6 December 1945 Commandant, U.S. Army Ground Forces Air Training School, Ft. Sill, OK MG Louis E. Hibbs 7 December 1945 – 4 June 1946 MG Clift Andrus June 1945 – November 1946 Director, Department of Air Training, U.S. Army Field Artillery School, Ft. Sill,...
Learn MoreCarrying the Army Aviation Legacy Forward
Aviation Branch Chief / By MG William K. Gayler: For those of us who weren’t there to witness the birth of Army Aviation, it is a humbling experience to recognize that today’s Army Aviators are the heirs to a 75-year legacy of unwavering support to Soldiers, shared sacrifice, and unprecedented innovation. 12th Combat Aviation Brigade aircraft conduct sling load operations with U.S. Soldiers assigned to Cobra Battery, Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment during Exercise Dynamic Front II at the 7th Army Training Command’s Grafenwöhr Training Area, Germany, March 9, 2017. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY VISUAL INFORMATION SPECIALIST GERTRUD...
Learn MorePassing the Gavel
President’s Cockpit / By BG E.J. Sinclair, Ret.: I am sure every AAAA President feels this way, but it is truly amazing how quickly a two-year term goes by. It seems like just a few months ago I took the gavel from BG Howard Yellen at the end of the 2015 Soldier Appreciation Concert at the Summit. BG (Ret.) E.J. Sinclair accepting the President’s Gavel from outgoing president, BG (Ret.) Howard Yellen, at the Soldier Appreciation Dinner during the 2015 AAAA Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit March 31, in Nashville, TN./ AAPI FILE PHOTO BY RENÉ BIDEZ Now I am...
Learn MoreHeat Illnesses
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By CPT Jessica Mullins, D.O.: Q: I’ve always been told to drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks when it’s hot outside to help prevent heat illnesses, but is it really that big of a deal? health.mil FS: Heat illnesses are definitely a cause for concern. From 2006 to 2010 there were over 3,000 deaths in the United States attributed to heat-related illnesses alone. Heat injury occurs on a spectrum from mild heat cramps to potentially fatal heat stroke if untreated. Given the increasing temperatures over the coming summer months, it is important to...
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128th Aviation Brigade / By CPT Andrew J. Blik: Army Aviation will turn 75 on June 6, 2017 and the Army Aviation Branch celebrates its 34th anniversary on April 12th this year; both events representing a long and storied history of aviation within the Army and a bright vision for the future. 15R students from A/1-222d Avn. Regt. training with the new AH-64D landing gear trainer. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY MR. DAVE SWARTZE The 128th Aviation Brigade (AB) in its most recent incarnation is the Army aviation’s maintenance training brigade celebrating its 5th year since reactivation. The 128th AB...
Learn MoreTotal Force Approach for Wildfire Relief
Reserve Components / By BG Scott R. Morcomb: From the coasts of North Africa during World War II to the current battlefields of the 21st Century, Army Aviators and aircraft have been engaged in every major conflict this country has seen. Aircrews from the 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade (ECAB) flew three CH-47 Chinooks helicopters, specially outfitted with Bambi Bucket equipment, to assist in the relief efforts of those who were affected by the Kansas wildfires, Mar. 9, 2017. / U.S. ARMY RESERVE PHOTO BY CPT MATTHEW ROMAN, ARAC PAO As we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Army Aviation, it...
Learn MoreLife as the Spouse of an Army Aviator
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer, Sue Stevens, Joyce Hesson, and Bobbi Robinson: We all know and appreciate whatAviation spouses and their families are enduring these days, but sometimes it is worth looking back to years gone by to also appreciate what life was like for our early aviation spouses. Sue Stevens (wife of MG (Ret.) Story C. Stevens – AAAA Past President, 1987-1989)It has been a long time since I became the wife of an Army Aviator. Sto went thru OCS, an occupation in Korea, and attended Purdue for three years until his unit was called to Active Duty...
Learn MoreTransforming 160th Special Ops (Airborne) Combat Mission Simulation
Stimulating Simulations / By COL Richard Haggerty, LTC Al Niles, CPT Luke Leininger, and CW5 Jody Bridgforth: Although rotary wing flight simulation can never replace the realism and effectiveness of turning JP-8 fuel into noise, current technology has opened the door for some innovative ways to maximize it. The Product Manager for Special Operations Training Systems (PM STS), in collaboration with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (SOAR(A)), pursued an acquisition/technical strategy to transform the special operations aviation simulation training enterprise from simulated to a stimulated baseline. The goals were to reduce lifecycle cost, shorten developmental timelines and improve...
Learn MoreMEDEVAC Proponency Update
By LTC John D. Goette, Jr.: It is an exciting time in the aeromedical evacuation community. The operational tempo for air ambulance units remains high as they balance the execution of one of the most important and most rewarding missions in the Army while balancing modernization efforts. Company C, 2nd Battalion (General Support Aviation), 1st Aviation Regiment moves into its new hangar on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Nov. 9, 2016. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY JET FABARA Air ambulance units continue to provide support to ongoing contingency operations world-wide; respond to natural disasters and other emergencies at home; provide installation MEDEVAC...
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