Why 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....
Learn MoreLeveraging the Strength of the Aviation Materiel Enterprise
Program Executive Officer / By BG Robert L. Marion: The Program Executive Office-Aviation (PEO AVN) and the Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) partner daily at the tactical and strategic level. Attendees at the Aviation Senior Leader Dinner in the Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker, AL on Feb 3. / AAPI PHOTO BY BILL HARRIS AMCOM personnel are embedded (matrixed) within PEO Aviation’s program management organizations, performing key sustainment functions, and providing logistics and engineering expertise. In addition to providing a full complement of sustainment functions for our aircraft, AMCOM holds the authority for independent oversight of airworthiness, and assesses...
Learn MoreUsing Emerging Technologies
128th Aviation Brigade / By SGM Martin J. Moreno: The 128th Aviation Brigade is continually improving institutional training with key stakeholders and specialists ensuring instruction maintains fidelity to the Army Learning Concept. Group-style, course-based learning was effective in the past, but today’s Army consists of Soldiers and civilians that rely on learner-centric adaptive learning techniques. Screenshot of UH-60M interactive training, an example of a digital maintenance training module that exists and is currently being used in the 15T10 UH-60 Helicopter Repairer Course./ 128TH AVN BDE GRAPHIC To meet these demands, courses at the 128th AB are being developed with increased...
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 MoreHow We as a Nation Will Remain Resilient
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: Our entire family spent an amazing Thanksgiving holiday in New York City. And although I hate to admit it, I was a bit intimidated when thinking about all the possibilities for terrorist activity especially after the Paris incident. We had family arriving on 5 separate flights from different parts of the country and made plans to take in the many attractions that New York had to offer, especially for the holidays. Bonnie Carroll was one of 17 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 24, 2015 at the White House. She is...
Learn MoreAviation Restructuring Initiative (ARI)
By COL John M. Cyrulik and CPT John M. Commerford: The 1st Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB, 1ID) recently completed a significant milestone in ARI by modernizing the CAB’s Heavy Attack Reconnaissance Squadron (H-ARS). The 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment (1-6 H-ARS) at Fort Riley, Kansas is the first active component Army unit to transform its fleet of OH-58D Kiowa Warrior aircraft to the AH-64D Apache from the Army National Guard (ARNG). LTC Travis M. Habhab, commander, Gunfighters, 1-1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, arrives at Marshall Army Airfield, Oct. 15 at Fort Riley, Kansas....
Learn MoreInnovation In Today’s Fiscal Environment
Arming the Force / By MG L. Neil Thurgood and COL James S. Romero: PEO Missiles and Space (PEO M&S) and the Joint Attack Munition Systems (JAMS) Project Office are mission focused to develop, field, and sustain versatile weapon systems for the U.S. Army, the Joint Force, and our coalition Warfighters providing a decisive combat advantage. HELLFIRE launch illustration Production of these weapons and improving them remain key aspects of providing critical capabilities to Warfighters ensuring the Army can effectively destroy current and future threats. The challenge we continue to face is being able to conduct modernization of existing equipment,...
Learn MoreCCAD – Looking Beyond the Horizon
Aviation Maintenance / By COL Billingsley Garner Pogue III and CSM Stephen D. Odom: The Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) has a single unwavering mission: to support U.S. Army and Department of Defense Aviation with Joint helicopter readiness and sustainment. Our Joint Force’s helicopters are critical to national security around the globe where they provide transport, combat support, rescue, and humanitarian aid. In today’s complex security environment, our Nation’s Warfighters are called to respond to a growing number of never-before-seen challenges in Army Aviation as we face increasing threats from emergent adversaries employing the latest technology and weapon systems. With...
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