Recruiting the Future Today
Chief Warrant Officer of the Branch / By CW5 Joseph B. Roland and CW4 David J. Stock II: In order to provide no-fail support to our nation and the warfighter on the ground, Army Aviation strives to access, train, and develop the best aviation warfighters in the world. CW2 Sean Quillin, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 140th Aviation Regiment, greets Jeff Coleman, aviation instructor at Emerald Ridge High School, after landing his UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on the school’s football field. His visit to the high school was part of a partnership with the school’s aviation program which gives aspiring pilots...
Learn MoreGetting It Right
PEO Aviation / By BG Thomas H. Todd III: Aviation Family, I was deeply honored to receive the charter to become the Program Executive Officer for Army Aviation in January. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to return to the tremendous team of more than 3,000 Soldiers, civilians and support contractors who make up this world class organization. The engineering development model UH-60V Black Hawk hovers above the runway as part of its successful initial test flight Jan. 19 in Meridianville, AL. The UH-60V is being designed to update existing UH-60L analog architecture with a digital infrastructure to address evolving interoperability...
Learn MoreYour Voice – Loud and Clear
President’s Cockpit / By BG E.J. Sinclair, Ret.: As you know, the four pillars of our mission statement, to “Support the U.S. Army Aviation Soldier and Family,” are Networking, Recognition, Voice and Support. Hosted by AAAA, members of the 115th Congress House of Representatives Army Aviation Caucus and their staffs are updated by top Army Aviation leadership on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 at the Rayburn Building in Washington, DC. Pictured (l to r, front row) are co-chairs, Representatives Martha Roby, Mo Brooks, Rosa Delauro, and member, Marc Veasey. / AAPI PHOTO BY BILL HARRIS Last month we really hit the...
Learn MoreThis “Soldier’s Soldier” Did Not Serve Alone
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: Many are aware that an aviation icon recently passed at the age of 93 in his residence in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Tom [BG (Ret.) Tom Konitzer] and I had the privilege of attending MG (Ret.) James C. Smith’s Memorial Service on December 17, 2016 in Snellville, Georgia. MG James C. Smith (center) during his promotion to major general receiving his new rank from wife, Doris (right), and father and mother, Cliff and Aurora Smith. / PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SMITH FAMILY While there, we visited with his family and friends, and heard eulogies, which brought...
Learn MoreArmy Aviation Enterprise Sustainment Strategy
Aviation Maintenance / By COL K. Todd Royar and Mr. Thomas J. Barthel:There is a famous quote from writer Lewis Carroll, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” The Army aviation enterprise exists in an environment of constant change and perpetual motion. The methodologies used in developing, acquiring, maintaining and sustaining increasingly more complex aviation systems and the requirements to support those systems are numerous and often duplicative. Who decides their overall accountability or adherence to a common aviation sustainment goal, with specific objectives that make the entire aviation enterprise more efficient and...
Learn MoreUnified Action – Enabling Readiness at the Point of Need
Aviation Maintenance / By Mr. William P. Marriott and Mr. David L. Ward: In February 2016, in an effort to better enable unity of command, and provide improved support for our Warfighters, the Army Materiel Command (AMC) directed a major reorganization initiative. Published as OPORDER 16-189, AMC aligned the research, development, and engineering centers (RDECs) and contracting centers under the operational control (OPCON) of their associated life cycle management commands (AMCOM, CECOM and TACOM). For AMCOM, this meant that the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) and the Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal (ACC-R) fell under...
Learn MoreSustaining Army Aviation in the Future: Readiness in a Complex World
Aviation Maintenance / By COL Shawn T. Prickett and Mr. Tod L. Glidewell: Army Aviation is deployed world-wide with simultaneous missions on several continents in support of Joint Forces. To win, Army Aviation forces must provide the commander with multiple options, integrate the efforts of multiple partners, and operate across multiple domains to provide solutions while presenting our enemies and adversaries with multiple dilemmas. As we seek to comprehend the environment of the Army Operating Concept (AOC), we must remain cognizant of what our leaders have challenged us to accomplish. That is, “to focus on big questions and not focus...
Learn MoreTobacco Cessation
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By MAJ Sonya Horwell, M.D: Q: Doc, I want to stop smoking. What resources are available? Can I use any medications and still remain on flight status? FS: You are making the right choice. More than 400,000 deaths in the United States are attributed to cigarette smoking every year. Studies have shown associations between smoking and coronary heart disease, lung disease, peptic ulcer disease, impotence, and pregnancy complications. It also has been shown to increase your risk of developing certain cancers within the lungs, head, neck, esophagus, pancreas, and bladder. In addition, smoking accelerates skin...
Learn MoreLiaison Engineers
Tech Talk / By Mr. Clarence Hitchings and Mr. Miguel Sanchez: You’re a maintainer performing a scheduled maintenance inspection on your UH-60M Black Hawk and you notice one of the main rotor blades has a small puncture on the upper honeycomb surface. You consult the current technical manual for this aircraft and to your surprise there is no repair for this area. Your production control and quality control come to the same conclusion so you ask your AMCOM Logistics Assistance Representative (LAR) who agrees with your assessment and tells you to contact your Liaison Engineer (LE). Liaison Engineers (LE) are...
Learn MoreAvionics Training
128th Aviation Brigade / By SSG Jerome Penwright, Jr.: Avionics is the amalgamation of two words, aviation and electronics. It is a general term for all electrical equipment used in Army aircraft. C/1-210th Avn. Regt. Chinook Avionics Trainer (CAT) with Instructor Operating Station, far right, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA./ 128th AVN BDE PHOTO BY SSG JEROME PENWRIGHT The Military Occupational Specialty 15N Avionics Repairer performs maintenance on tactical components the pilot directly uses, such as navigation, radio communication, survivability and flight control equipment. In addition, avionics repairers maintain other electronic systems not directly used by the pilot that control...
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