AMCOM’s Support to Soldiers
Aviation Maintenance / By Mr. Sammy Burns: While Soldiers are the forefront of the readiness equation, the Army remains reliant on external support to meet the high OPTEMPO inherent to aviation. The AMCOM Logistic Center’s (ALC) Aviation Field Maintenance Directorate (AFMD) enhances the Army’s Aviation maintenance support capabilities and aircraft readiness worldwide. As one of AMCOM’s key enablers to the field, AFMD provides augmentation to help meet requirements and continuously adapts to support dynamic global maintenance needs. A UH-60 covered at Dobbins AFB, GA. AMCOM employees provide a wide range of support, including deployment/redeployment, phase maintenance, transport, and other tasks...
Learn MoreReadiness is a Team Sport
Aviation Maintenance / By MG James M. Richardson: We make better decisions when we have less money. –Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder,Apple Computer: It is fifteen years since I deployed with my Apache battalion to Afghanistan during the earliest stages of Operation Enduring Freedom. At that moment in time, Army Aviation had spent the previous ten years training for combat at a reduced operational tempo (OPTEMPO), and essentially living off the parts purchased to support Operation Desert Storm. While we were trained and proficient in our battle tasks, Army Aviation as a whole was not prepared to sustain deployed forces in combat...
Learn MoreUAS Operations at Home Station – A Template For Safety
Combat Readiness Center / By CW5 (Ret.) Michael J. Carroll: Since 9/11, the world of unmanned aircraft systems has rapidly evolved to meet the needs of combatant commanders and our Army as a whole. Once a unique specialty of Military Intelligence, UAS are now fielded to combat aviation brigades (CABs) and brigade combat teams (BCTs) and utilized from squad/platoon levels up to division and corps. An RQ-7 Shadow (left) and MQ-1C Gray Eagle at Fort Huachuca, AZ. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY 2-13 AVN PUBLIC AFFAIRS Operating in potentially high-threat environments without risk to human crews, UAS are proving indispensable...
Learn MoreNoise-Induced Hearing Loss
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By CPT Scott A. Cygan, MD: Q: I failed my annual audiometric screening and was told that I show early signs of noise-induced hearing loss. What can I do to protect my hearing from getting worse? NIHL and TinnitusNoise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a permanent loss of hearing that results from exposure to hazardous noise without the use of proper hearing protection devices. NIHL can occur gradually over time or result from a single, unprotected exposure to high-intensity noise. NIHL usually occurs at higher frequencies and unfortunately, speech sounds that give meanings to words (consonants...
Learn MoreArmament Integration
AMRDEC Tech Talk / By Mr. Tuan Pham: The Sensors Weapons Aircrew Integration (SWAI) Branch of the Army Aviation Engineering Directorate (AED) is responsible for the airworthiness aspects of armament integration into Army aircraft, including certification of external stores. External stores are mission related external devices such as guns, rockets, external fuel tanks, and test equipment. During the airworthiness qualification process, the SWAI Branch considers armament integration safety (including safe firing envelopes, armament clearance, and engine gas ingestion), armament performance (including accuracy, effective firing envelopes, and bore sighting), and human factors (including operability, night vision compatibility, and cockpit gas ingestion)....
Learn MoreBird Dog Monument Dedicated at Fort Rucker
News Spotlight: Members of the Bird Dog Association of America were hosted and recognized for their service in the Republic of Vietnam during a Welcome Home Ceremony and Monument Dedication on Friday, October 9 at Fort Rucker’s Veterans Park. Bird Dog unit veterans salute toward the newly dedicated memorial during the playing of “Taps” in honor of their fallen comrades at Fort Rucker’s Veterans Park, Oct. 9. / PHOTO BY JENNIFER CALHOUN, THE ENTERPRISE LEDGER LTG Kevin W. Mangum, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command deputy commanding general and chief of staff, offered his thanks to each and every Bird...
Learn MoreU.S. Army Reserve Aviation Maintenance Enabling the Force
Reserve Components / By BG Scott R. Morcomb: The year 2015 has provided many outstanding moments to be proud of within U.S. Army Reserve Aviation. These moments and all of our success is the direct result of our Soldiers, civilians and contractors who labor each day to ensure our units are trained and mission ready. 90th Aviation Support Battalion personnel prepare aircraft for military air (MILAIR) redeployment operations in Kuwait. / U.S. ARMY RESERVE PHOTO BY 11TH TAC PAO Collectively they form the heart and soul of our force. It is through their unparalleled commitment to excellence that U.S. Army...
Learn MoreTraining – Leveraging the Team
AMCOM Command Sergeant Major / By CSM Glen Vela: As the Army continues to reshape both structure and manning levels, leaders at all echelons are faced with the challenge to accomplish their missions with fewer soldiers. Within the aviation community, this challenge is compounded by an aging fleet that in some cases requires more man-hours to maintain. A Soldier trains on advanced welding techniques at Corpus Christi Army Depot. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY CCAD PUBLIC AFFAIRS It is essential to have highly qualified and skilled mechanics and crew chiefs if equipment readiness targets are to be achieved under these...
Learn MoreReadiness: Essential roles of the Warrant Aviation Maintenance Officers
Aviation Branch Maintenance Officer / By CW5 Leonte I. Cardona: Within the Army team, Soldiers have unique positions within critical mission sets. In Army Aviation, we continuously operate, employ, maintain and manage attack, assault, or cargo assets in support of the ground combatant commander. A 101st Combat Avn. Bde. UH-60 at Forward Operating Base Bastion, Afghanistan. AMOs are critical to generating the sorties the joint team expects from Army aviation. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY CW5 LEONTE I. CARDONA As a branch, we conduct individual, crew and collective training to focus and prepare our personnel, resulting in the best aircrews...
Learn MoreFuture Vertical Lift – Getting Affordability into the Design
AMCOM Commander / By MG James M. Richardson: The Future Vertical Lift (FVL) effort is gaining momentum across the Army and across the Department of Defense (DoD). It may be unprecedented in DoD procurement to have such a wide range of aviation users come together to participate in the development and acquisition of a family of systems. The H-60 rebuild line at Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD). Army Aviation must leverage its knowledge of current system performance to build affordability into future aircraft designs. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY CCAD PUBLIC AFFAIRS All DoD Services are contributing to the capabilities...
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