Behind the Curtain…
Reserve Component Aviation / By COL J. Ray Davis: Greetings again from your Army National Guard (ARNG). It’s been a few months since I last wrote; I hope your summer was safe, enjoyable, and productive. 37 Black Hawk helicopters from 12th Cbt. Avn. Bde. arrive at Port Charleston, South Carolina, from Germany on Jul. 16, 2015./ U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD PHOTOS We’re all familiar with the exciting, high-profile, deployments and training events that dominate our calendars. But sometimes what goes on “behind the curtain” is just as impressive, if a bit less heart-pounding. Such an event recently occurred in Charleston,...
Learn MoreAccident Trends
Combat Readiness Center / By LTC James T. Donovan: Army Aviation units continue to do an outstanding job of mitigating risk to acceptable levels, thereby conducting missions safely in complex environments both at home and across the globe. Today’s aviation force is the most seasoned, dedicated and capable in our Army’s history, and without question the safest. Yet, we must ask ourselves, are we doing enough to proactively prevent the next accident? CH-47F on a low illumination NVG training flight contacted a sand dune during a dust landing approach. / USACRC courtesy photo Safety metrics are notoriously difficult to quantify,...
Learn MoreEducation is Only a Tool
Branch Command Sergeant Major / By CSM Eric C. Thom: Its Effectiveness Depends on the Workman Who Uses It. NCOPDSAs most of you are aware there are changes happening across the board when it comes to Professional Military Education (PME) and promotions for our enlisted Soldiers. So I am taking this opportunity to make sure that our entire enterprise knows what is happening and how it will affect our NCOs. To start with our Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES) is now our Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development System (NCOPDS), and the first course in the system has been renamed from Warrior...
Learn MoreWarrant Officers in the Army Profession
Chief Warrant Officer of the Branch / By CW5 Allen R. Godfrey: As outlined in Army Doctrine Reference Publication 1, the Army is a profession. As a military profession, our relationship with the American people is built on a foundation of trust, continuously reinforced as we contribute honorable service, demonstrate military expertise, provide faithful stewardship, and exhibit courageous esprit de corps. 2LT Saint Blanchard (3rd from left) leads key personnel through mission rehearsal on the terrain model prior to executing an air movement in the Aviation Leader Exercise. Pictured from left to right are: W01 Busen (flight lead), W01 Castro, 2LT Saint...
Learn MoreSurviving to Fight and Win
From the Aviation Branch Chief / By MG Michael D. Lundy: We must be ready to “fight tonight with what we’ve got.” That means we must ensure our leaders, Soldiers and equipment are up to the task. Potential adversaries strive to leverage aspects of the operational environment to create ‘niche’ overmatch capabilities against the U.S. military and counter areas of U.S. overmatch. Army Aviation is one of the areas of U.S. overmatch that adversaries are, and will continue to make efforts to counter. LTC Chris McKenna (2nd from right), commander, 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, speaks...
Learn MorePlanning for ATL in April
President’s Cockpit / ByBG E.J. Sinclair, Ret.: The 2016 AAAA Mission Solutions Summit 28-30 April 2016 in Atlanta is on the horizon and approaching fast!! We opened registration and housing on 1 October and are well on the way to a successful event already. The response has been phenomenal! Key Army Aviation leaders like BG Bob Marion, PEO Aviation, and his project managers, shown here during a Q&A during the 2015 Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit at the Opryland Hotel, Nashville, TN, March 29-31 will once again be available at the 2016 Summit in Atlanta. /AAPI PHOTO BY RENÉ BIDEZ...
Learn MoreIndustry Partners
Place Your Listing In Front of the Decision Makers You Want To Reach! You…our Army Aviation Industry Partners, make it possible for our warfighters to have the very best equipment in the world. Make sure they know who you are and what you do! Your Industry Listing will impact 20,000 AAAA members including Army Aviation leaders, Soldiers, Activity Directors, PMs, and other key decision makers who use this issue as a desk reference throughout the year. Industry Partners Form — Click Here If you have any questions, please contact Erika Burgess or Bob Lachowski at This email...
Learn MoreU.S. Army Rotorcraft Crashworthy Fuel Cell Qualification
AMRDEC Tech Talk / By Mr. Nathan Fulks: U.S. Army rotorcraft fuel cells qualified to MIL-DTL-27422 (Aircraft Ballistic-Tolerant Crash Resistant Fuel Tank) are designed for survivability in two ways. First, they are designed to retain fuel during a survivable crash in order to prevent post-crash fires. Workers prepare an MH-47 fuel cell to be released as part of a fuel cell drop test. / AMRDEC AED COURTESY PHOTO Secondly, they are designed to “self-seal” when penetrated by small arms fire. This column focuses on the crashworthy capability of these fuel cells. Prior to the development of the crashworthy fuel system...
Learn MoreGot HART? Increasing Readiness While Reducing Risk in Domestic Operations
By CW5 (Ret.) Ronald C. Moring and CW4 David P. Peveto: When Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, it pummeled Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. More than 34,000 people were rescued by the Coast Guard alone, and more than 15,000 refugees entered the Superdome in New Orleans to evade the storm surge. The after-math of the super storm which killed nearly 2,000 people and damaged over 90,000 square miles of our homeland, invigorated multi-agencies to prepare, plan and work together for future disasters. SFC Frank Palfrey of 1st Bn., 224th Avn. Regt., PAARNG, conducts rescue hoist operations in a...
Learn MoreFWAATS: Army Aviation’s Present and Future Home for High Quality, Low Cost Fixed Wing Training
By LTC James Rae: Located in scenic Bridgeport, West Virginia, the Fixed Wing Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (FWAATS) is the only Army National Guard (ARNG) training site that provides Army aviator (Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard) fixed wing training instruction. Since its inception as the Eastern Fixed Wing Training Site (later renamed FWAATS) in 1992, FWAATS has trained more than 2,500 Soldiers across all three Army components in the operation of Army standard and non-standard fixed wing aircraft. Accredited through The Army School System (TASS), FWAATS has on three occasions been certified as a “Learning Institution of...
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