Ground 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...
Learn MoreAviation Networks and Mission Planning (ANMP) Product Office
Aviation Support / By MAJ Jeremy Scott, Mr. Danny Mahan, and Mr. Tim Vinson: The Aviation Networks and Mission Planning (ANMP) Product Office is an integral part of the Aviation Systems Project Management Office. PD ANMP interfaces with all aviation platforms; rotary, fixed wing, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the U.S. Army fleet. Additionally, PD ANMP’s reach touches many foreign governments through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases, as most of the products developed by PD ANMP are essential to the successful planning and execution of the Army Aviation mission. PD ANMP products and current activities are described below. Improved...
Learn MoreAviation Ground Support Equipment (AGSE)
Aviation Support / By Amanda Medley: The personnel within the AGSE Product Office are dedicated to fielding, modernizing, and sustaining the Right Tools, at the Right Time, in the Right Place, ensuring our Soldiers have the most effective systems to conduct aviation maintenance any-where at any time. AGSE recently completed a refresh of our “big three” Theater Provided Equipment (TPE) systems pre-positioned in Afghanistan: Standard Aircraft Towing Systems (SATS), Generic Aircraft Nitrogen Generators (GANG), and Auxiliary Ground Power Units (AGPU). Utilizing TPE for combat rotations rather than unit organic equipment unburdens units from packing and shipping these critical systems, significantly...
Learn MoreFort Wolters Texas: Aviation Gateway to Vietnam
News Spotlight / By LTG Daniel J. Petrosky, Retired: Fort Wolters, Texas was the place where the Army Primary Helicopter Flight Center/School was conducted during the Vietnam War. Many, if not most, of the newly minted Vietnam helicopter pilots trained at Ft. Wolters. I was one of them. I graduated from Primary in August 1967. To this day Ft. Wolters remains a mystical place for me. It was a place where significant events in my life began. Former 101st Abn. Div. Vietnam veterans: (left to right) Stan McGowen, 2-327 Inf.; Jim Mitschke, Dan Petrosky, Rick Freeman, and Clint Miller, all...
Learn MoreProject Management Office for Aviation Systems
Aviation Support / By COL Gerald R. Davis: The Project Management Office for Aviation Systems (AS) consists of over 50 product lines, spanning across four unique product offices: Aviation Ground Support Equipment (AGSE), Aviation Mission Equipment (AME), Aviation Network & Mission Planning (ANMP), and Air Traffic Control (ATC). Our dedicated team of Soldiers, Army Civilians, and Support Contractors daily manages both software and hardware that touches every aircraft in the Army’s aviation portfolio. The PM AS team is committed to the mission of developing and integrating a wide spectrum of world class aviation products and services to meet Soldier’s needs,...
Learn MoreA Small Team with a Big Mission
Aviation Survivability Development and Tactics (ASDAT)Team / By CW4 Mitchell K. Villafania: As the sun rose over the ridgeline, a flight of Army UH-60s threaded their way up the valley toward a growing purple cloud from a smoke grenade that had been tossed out by the ground security forces. The cloud was growing on the flat open terrain of the valley floor, and it helped mark the landing zone (LZ) and wind direction for the inbound aircraft. After the aircraft landed, three Army warrant officers jumped out and quickly moved to meet with the security forces on the LZ. After...
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