3-58th Aviation Regiment
Air Traffic Services / By MAJ Archie L. Smith: With U.S. Army Europe’s (USAREUR) ongoing force structure transformation and the onset of Aviation Restructure Initiative (ARI), one would think executing a unit relocation from Europe back to the U.S. would be a simple operation. This operation would be all the easier, considering the unit has an authorized Modified Table of Organization & Equipment (MTOE) strength of only 71 personnel. However when the 3rd Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment (an airfield operations battalion) received orders to execute a unit relocation from Illesheim, Germany to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, it was anything but...
Learn MoreSomething Different in Advanced Individual Training
Unmanned Aircraft Systems / By LTC Daniel L. Isabell and CPT Justin M. Kuhlmann: Experience is often what separates the victor from the vanquished. As such, coordinating and resourcing realistic training that best replicates the adversities of combat will always be one of the cardinal objectives of any commander. The current situations in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere show us that the modern battlefield remains as dynamic and fast paced as always. Inexperienced or poorly trained armies have a tendency to approach combat reactively, practically ceding the position of relative advantage to their opponents. On the other hand, challenging, realistic...
Learn MorePM UAS – Posturing for Force 2025 and Beyond
Unmanned Aircraft Systems / By COL Courtney P. Cote: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), although used earlier, gained their operational birth in the Balkans and then UAS grew up during the Global War on Terrorism. Today UAS and the situational awareness they provide continue to experience an insatiable demand in support of current operations around the globe. Perhaps a fair comparison to what the UAS brings to current Army operations is what the helicopter brought to air mobility operations in Vietnam. In order to posture the Army’s UAS fleet for Force 2025 and Beyond it must establish a firm foundation with...
Learn MoreDeveloping Common Standards to Improve Interoperability
Unmanned Aircraft Systems / By Mr. Shad Reese: Unmanned Systems (UxS) have become an important and integral component of the U.S. military’s warfighting arsenal. Thousands of these systems have been acquired by the Services and employed in combat operations around the globe, but unfortunately, most of these systems were purchased with proprietary control systems. This limits the Department of Defense’s (DoD) levels of interoperability and our ability to seamlessly operate, communicate and share critical intelligence across the Joint Commander’s battle space. A paradigm shift is needed to push the unmanned systems interoperability envelope by developing common standards and promoting the...
Learn MoreAlcohol Awareness
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By Dr. (LTC) Joseph Puskar: Q: I have a history of an alcohol related incident. Is it possible to get a flying waiver for this? PHOTO: www.army.mil FS: A single episode of alcohol misuse will be filed as information only provided that a current Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) evaluation reveals no underlying problem with abuse or dependence. But for an active duty service member the flying waiver will likely be the least of the worries. The effects for example of a DUI will at a minimum be painful and difficult, and potentially disastrous, depending...
Learn MoreGround Based Sense and Avoid
AMRDEC Tech Talk / By Mr. Mike Foley and Mr. Adam Hendrickson: The Army’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Project Office is leading the way towards full integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS) with the Aviation Engineering Directorate (AED) serving as the Airworthiness Authority. GBSAA installation at Fort Hood, Texas/PMO UAS COURTESY PHOTOS Since UAS do not have an on-board pilot looking through a cockpit window to “See and Avoid” other aircraft, an alternate means of compliance to this critical Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) is required. Ground Based Sense And Avoid (GBSAA) provides the missing airspace awareness to...
Learn MoreDepartment of the Army Civilians
128th Aviation Brigade / By SFC James Conover: Trust is the bedrock of the Army Profession. The 128th Aviation Brigade’s primary mission for the past 27 years has been to train and certify Aviation maintainers to perform their MOS. Mr. Gary Moore provides one on one instruction to an IET student on the AH-64D Sighting Systems./U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY SSG VICTOR GONZALEZ, 128th AVN BDE The tour of duty for a uniformed Army Professional is three years, and mirrors most other assignments in Army Aviation with the force structure and mission as a key difference. The Brigade’s NCOs serve as...
Learn MoreHeliports – More Than Just Concrete and Asphalt
Reserve Component Aviation / By COL J. Ray Davis: One aviation training capability that may surprise some is the roster of ARNG-owned-and-operated Army airfields (AAFs) and heliports (AHPs). Sprinkled throughout the 54 States and Territories, these sites are most often not the bed-down locations of our Guard aviation units, but rather facilities where folks can come to train. 2-111th Airfield Operations Battalion, Florida ARNG, deals with a surprise snow storm at Blackstone Army Airfield, Fort Pickett, Virginia, during Exercise Southbound Trooper 12./ U.S. ARNG PHOTO BY GREG ALEXANDER Among this list of 47 airfields and heliports, 7 have manned air...
Learn MoreWelcome Home and End of an Era!
Branch Command Sergeant Major / By CSM Eric C. Thom: Always do your best at any job you do regardless of how menial it seems. Any job worth doing is worth doing right. – Michael Eddie Ryan Some members of the 597th Maintenance Detachment Forward’s Special Repair Activity are recognized during a welcome home ceremony on October 7, 2015 at Fort Rucker, AL./ U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY FORT RUCKER PUBLIC AFFAIRS Far too often when we talk about air traffic control we tend to focus on or talk about the controllers, or the equipment they use to keep our aviation...
Learn MoreAce: The Story of Lt. Col. Ace Cozzalio By Rex Gooch
Book Review / Reviewed by LTC Hugh L. Mills, Jr., U.S. Army, Retired: Ace Cozzalio was a friend of mine and I jumped at the chance to read and review Rex Gooch’s new book, “Ace: The Story of Lt. Col. Ace Cozzalio.” The similarities in our careers are amazing. Both raised on ranches, both Armor officer candidate school (OCS) grads from Ft. Knox, both commanded scout platoons in the Air Cavalry in Vietnam and both flew Cobras as well. We both went absent without leave (AWOL) from hospitals in combat, both captured enemy personnel by helicopter and both commanded attack...
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