RDECOM: Providing Soldiers with More than Just the Basics
CSM Guest Editorial / By CSM James P. Snyder: The Army relies on its aviation fleet to provide situational awareness and tactical flexibility for ground commanders. Experimental test pilots from the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center Aviation Development Directorate (AMRDEC ADD) conduct flight control, cueing and sensor testing in brownout conditions during testing at Yuma Proving Grounds in September 2016. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO Army aviators rely on world-class equipment to fly into combat, which increasingly means not only the aircraft itself, but systems such as radar, communications, sensors, munitions and even cyber defense. The Army team...
Learn MoreFinding Balance
Chief Warrant Officer of the Branch / By CW5 Joseph B. Roland: Don’t worry – I haven’t gone soft. We will talk under-accessions, revised programs of instruction, high attrition rates, defragging, emerging tactics, techniques, and procedures and doctrine in future articles. I want to take some time to address the subject of finding balance as we approach the holiday season. Children play with SGT Rocky, the 3rd Infantry Division mascot, during the Marne Week Ultimate Frisbee tournament November 16, 2016 at Fort Stewart, GA. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY 3RD CAB PAO For over thirty years I’ve been in search...
Learn More101st Aviation Soldiers Honor Their Fallen
Current and past members of the 101st Airborne Division Aviation community gathered to honor their fallen Aviation Soldiers during the week of November 7th at Fort Campbell, KY. On Monday, 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment conducted a remembrance ceremony for those who made the ultimate sacrifice at the site of the new Aviation Memorial where all Lancer monuments have been co-located. (l to r) CW5 (Ret.) Robert L. Huffman, BG (Ret.) William H. Forrester, Jr., Nancy Forrester, Aviation Branch Chief, MG William K. Gayler and Michelle Gayler at the newly dedicated Screaming Eagles Aviation Memorial at Ft. Campbell, KY Nov....
Learn MoreInnovative Procurement Practices Today Help Control Future Costs
PEO for Aviation / BG Robert L. Marion: The rising cost of aviation systems in the face of ongoing fiscal challenges underscores the importance of maximizing the effectiveness of every dollar we spend.Years of funding decrements, operating under a continuing resolution and the impending implementation of the Budget Control Act and Sequestration continue to create challenges with an already difficult task of balancing current readiness with investment in future modernization. UH-60V Black Hawk Cockpit / U.S. ARMY PEO AVIATION PHOTO For those in the Army Aviation community, it comes as no surprise that many of our major weapon systems were...
Learn MoreRemembering How We Got Here
President’s cockpit / By E.J. Sinclair, Ret.: This year has truly flown by. In fact, it seems like the last nearly two years of my presidency has flown by. AAAA National President, BG (Ret.) E.J. Sinclair meets with the chapter-sponsored Soldiers attending the Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit on April 29, 2016 in Atlanta, GA. Under the Professional Forum Soldier Sponsorship program, the chapter selects a junior Soldier and underwrites the travel cost of getting them to the Forum site; AAAA provides one room, registration and tickets to all events for the Soldier and his/her spouse. See the AAAA website...
Learn MoreURIs
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By CPT Erik S. Johnson, D.O.: Q: Doc, I always catch a couple of colds every year. When is a cold considered grounding and what treatments can I use? www.army.mil photo FS: Upper respiratory infections (URIs) such as the common cold are, well, common. While not everyone may experience them every year, most of us experience them at some point in our lives. It would not be surprising for an otherwise healthy pilot to experience two to three bouts with the common cold in a single fall-winter season. Due to their frequency, let’s take a...
Learn MoreUAS: Enhancing Army Aviation Capability for Multi-Domain Battle
Aviation Branch Chief / By MG William K. Gayler: During the past fifteen years of counterinsurgency (COIN)-centric combat where Army Aviation was a fundamental element of our Joint force overmatch, our enemies and adversaries took note and invested in their own capabilities to counter our advantages in continuous mission command and fully integrated combined arms maneuver. A U.S. Army Soldier assigned to 16th Combat Aviation Brigade pushes a Shadow Unmanned Aircraft System back to a maintenance hangar following a successful training flight at Orchard Combat Training Center, Idaho, Oct. 4, 2016. Over 1,000 soldiers from 7th Infantry Division participated in...
Learn MoreMaking Your Voice Heard
President’s Cockpit / By BG E.J. Sinclair, Ret.:We are right in the middle of our Fall busy season and the Christmas holidays are quickly approaching. COL Allan H. Lanceta, commander of Corpus Christi Army Depot, addresses the opening session of the 12th Annual AAAA Luther G. Jones Aviation Sustainment Forum Oct. 19, 2016 in Corpus Christi, Texas. / AAPI PHOTO BY BILL HARRIS Last month featured the AAAA National Executive Board and Scholarship Board meetings during the AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC and the Senior Executive Associates led by GEN Jack Keane also in DC. We also held the...
Learn MorePrograms for Military Kids
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: I enjoyed the opportunity to attend AUSA’s Annual Meeting held on October 3-5 in Washington D.C. Not only was I able to network with many of the organizations that support our Soldiers and their families, but I also attended several of the Family Forums that were offered. Cherri Verschraegen, Chief of Army Child and Youth Programs at Installation Management Command headquarters, addresses attendees at the AUSA Family Forum in Washington, DC on October 3, 2016. / ASSOCIATION OF THE U.S. ARMY VIDEO CAPTURE One entitled “An Update on Military Kids: How Are They Doing?...
Learn MoreSmall UAS Human Factors Study
By CW2 Eric Roberts: Army aviation has a historical pattern of undergoing major changes, but the recent proliferation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is a cogent variation from the typical airframe upgrades, modifications or unit restructuring to which we have become accustomed. While larger UAS systems like Shadow and Gray Eagle function under Army Aviation branch, one of the most abundant groups of UAS known as small UAS or (SUAS) are most often placed in the hands of the barely trained junior Infantry Soldiers. There is no denying that SUAS provides vital capabilities for Infantry commanders, yet, is the asset...
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