Department 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 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 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 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...
Learn MoreTraining the Force to Fly, Fight, and Survive
Aviation Mission Survivability / By CW5 Michael S. Kelley: When an aircraft in combat is engaged by enemy fire, the most important task is to immediately identify what threat system is being used. Threat system identification dictates the specific counter tactic or evasive maneuver used in order to achieve optimal survivability. Our current aviation force is well versed in some threat categories while other capabilities have atrophied over time. In the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom, misidentification of threat systems being used exacerbated the situation, presenting Army Aviation with undesirable loss rates. CW5 Michael S. Kelley is the Branch...
Learn MoreROBD & Hypoxia Training
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By Dr. (LTC) Joseph Puskar: Q: Can we use the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device (ROBD) for altitude physiology periodic “chamber card” training instead of going to an altitude chamber? The Joint Service Aircrew Mask-JSF integrates with the F-35 life support system and pilot flight equipment to provide combined chemical-biological and anti-gravity protection. / ARMY.MIL FS: Initial training is still being conducted in the altitude chamber, but soon even initial altitude physiology training will be done with ROBD for Army rotary wing crews. Fixed wing aviators will continue to use the chamber for initial training, but...
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