On Final to the Atlanta Summit!
President’s Cockpit / By BG E.J. Sinclair, Ret.: As many of you know, MG Bill Gayler was recently announced as the next commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence – congratulations to Bill! As MG Mike Lundy moves on to another assignment, we thank him for the great leadership he has provided over the past two years for the branch. Active duty, Guard, and Reserve Soldiers can relax and get reduced cost meals at The Soldier Café again this year. / AAPI PHOTO BY RENÉ BIDEZ Mike has navigated Army Aviation during some very fiscally challenging times...
Learn MoreArmed Scout Helicopter Project Office Update
Rotary WIng / By Mr. Jimmy E. Downs, Mr. William J. Petree, and Ms. Christian Sumner: In its last year as a project-level organization, the Armed Scout Helicopter (ASH) Project Directorate focused on its final mission sets – divesting the Army’s remaining single engine rotary wing platforms, providing safety-critical sustainment for aircraft remaining in service through the end of divestment, and preparing to draw down the project-level organization into a product office by mid-2016. U.S. ARMY 2ND SQUADRON, 6TH CAVALRY REGIMENT PHOTO The 2013 Aviation Restructure Initiative (ARI) calls for the divestment of the OH-58A/C and TH-67 training helicopters over...
Learn More1109th TASMG – Helping to Bring 101st CAB Aircraft Home
Spotlight / By SGT Jeanne Bujalski: Working together with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade and an aviation contractor team from Illesheim, Germany, Soldiers from the Connecticut Army National Guard 1109th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group (TASMG) mission focused on monitoring and offloading Black Hawk, Apache and Chinook helicopters from C-5 Galaxy aircraft, staging them and loading them on a naval vessel for transport back to the United States. SGT Jeffrey Monteleone assists with unloading a Chinook aircraft from a C-5 Galaxy at the Naval Station in Rota, Spain. Throughout the months of December and January,...
Learn MoreWhat to Give Up In Order to Move Forward in 2016
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: So here we are having made our New Year’s resolutions, and I know that I am among the distinguished group of those who consciously did this. It all started when the Christmas decorations came down, followed by the desire to pursue a thorough house cleaning and then declutter and maybe even resolve to start downsizing. When moving frequently isn’t a consideration because the Army isn’t changing our duty station any longer, these resolutions have become even more important to me. I personally feel vindicated when I am able to take a large load of...
Learn MoreApache Helicopter Project Office Update
Rotary WIng / By COL Jeffrey E. Hager with COL (Ret.) Robin D. Cofer: The Army’s Aviation Restructure Initiative focuses the attack and scout roles on the AH-64 Apache, combined with Unmanned Aerial Systems. The Apache fleet is transitioning to one of the most technologically advanced weapon systems on the battlefield. The AH-64D Longbow Block I aircraft are completely out of Active Duty units and less than 100 exist in the Army Reserve, National Guard, and the training base at Fort Rucker. Block II Longbows will begin returning to the production facility in 2018. We begin fielding the 5th AH-64E...
Learn MoreCorneal Refractive Surgery (CRS)
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By CPT Albert J. Lee, MD: Q:Are Soldiers on flight status allowed to have corrective eye surgery like LASIK or PRK? If so, what are the differences among the types of surgeries? YOUR CAPTION HERE FS: Corneal refractive surgery is becoming widely accepted in the aviation community. Currently U.S. Army Aeromedical Activity (USAAMA or AAMA) waives three types of corneal refractive surgery – LASIK, LASEK, and PRK. For Soldiers already on flight status, careful planning that involves the command and medical provider is needed to ensure the mission is not affected and the Soldier has enough...
Learn MoreThe Tougher Nut …
Reserve Components / By COL J. Ray Davis: Greetings again from your Army National Guard (ARNG). This month I’d like to highlight our ARNG Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) capabilities, capacities, and challenges. I know that UAS isn’t this venue’s focus area until November, but I’m hoping to generate some good ideas to help attack a few of our burgeoning “areas to improve,” well before that time. An RQ-7 Shadow Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in front of the Wisconsin Army National Guard Tactical UAS facility at Volk Field, Camp Douglas, WI./ WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD PHOTO BY CW2 LUCAS GORDON And since...
Learn MoreWhy Do We Need CBM+?
Branch Command Sergeant Major / By CSM Glen Vela: Army Aviation’s Condition Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+) initiative, launched over a decade ago, has four objectives: reduce soldier maintenance burden, increase platform availability and readiness, reduce operations and support costs, and enhance safety. These objectives are still relevant today, perhaps more now than before. Working Condition Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+P) on the flight line./ U.S. ARMY PHOTO Generating combat power, whenever and wherever needed, for as long as needed, without compromising safety, and at a cost affordable to the Nation – that’s why we need CBM+. Historically, commanders require more combat...
Learn MoreThe Greatest Asset – Soldier Mechanic Productive Available Time
Aviation Logistics Officer / By CW5 Donald L. Washabaugh Jr.: Demand for aviation assets continue to increase as the ground force commander relies upon our ability to project combat power worldwide. The fleet must train new replacements, maintain a reliable ready reaction force, and prosecute the battlefield wherever required. SPC Patrick Travis, aircraft structural repairer, with Bravo Co., 122nd Avn. Spt. Bn., 82nd Cbt. Avn. Bde., repaints a section of the tail-boom from an AH-64 Apache, during a 500 flight hour phase maintenance on Simmons Army Airfield, Fort Bragg, N.C., Nov. 9, 2015. Aviators must meet a defined regulatory performance...
Learn MoreRamping Up for Spring
President’s Cockpit / BG E.J. Sinclair, Ret.: We just finished the Aviation Senior Leader Forum at Fort Rucker, Alabama the first week of February. MG Lundy and his team did a fabulous job bringing together all the current aviation commanders, command chief warrant officers, and command sergeants major as well as current and retired general officers. Attendees at the Aviation Senior Leader Dinner in the Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker, AL on Feb 3./AAPI PHOTO BY BILL HARRIS They did a great job of laying out the path ahead for Army Aviation as well as the challenges being faced....
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