Colorado National Guard Responds to Fire
Colorado National Guardsmen from Army Aviation Support Facility, Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, utilized aerial fire suppression against the Cold Springs fire, near Nederland, Colo. at Boulder Municipal Airport, on July 11, 2016. By the end of the aerial firefighting operations CONG aircrews dropped 100 buckets carrying 156,500 gallons of water onto the fire. Great job, CONG! These photos were originally found here.
Learn More2016 Functional Awards Open for Nominations
The following awards are now open and accepting nominations. Nominations will be accepted until August 1. A complete nomination must include a nomination form, a 200 word summary, a 1,500 word supporting document, a biography and head/shoulder photograph of the individual being nominationed (or the Commander, Senior NCO, CCWOB for the unit awards). More information can be found by clicking below. Logistics Unit of the Year Award Materiel Readiness Award for a Contribution by a Small Business or Organization Materiel Readiness Award for a Contribution by an Individual Member of Industry Materiel Readiness Award for a Contribution by a...
Learn MoreArmy’s First Female Master Gunner Brings Weapons Training Expertise to Reserve Unit
Sgt. 1st Class Sarah Saunders is the first female graduate of the Army’s Master Gunner Common Core Course, marking yet another first for the service as it lifts gender-based restrictions on jobs across the force. Saunders, an Army Reservist and petroleum supply specialist with the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa, completed the month-plus course on June 27. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It was challenging. It was refreshing because most Army courses I’ve taken were not that difficult.” This course will allow Saunders to train other soldiers on a number of weapon systems...
Learn MoreHouse Approves Measure to Bar Women from Draft Registration
The Republican-led House supported a measure on Thursday that seeks to bar women from being required to register for a potential military draft. By a vote of 217 to 203, lawmakers approved an amendment that would block the Selective Service System from using any money to alter draft registration requirements that currently apply to only men between the ages of 18 to 25. The United States has not had a military draft since 1973, in the waning years of the Vietnam War era, and the odds for another wide-scale draft are remote. Still, the draft registration requirement remains for men,...
Learn MoreSoldiers Earn Medals for Quick Reaction to Fiery Crash
Spc. Benjamin Rogers was driving home with his family when he came across the accident; a vehicle had struck a tree and had caught on fire. Rogers saw that the driver was stuck inside the vehicle. Making proper use of his training, Rogers, a Black Hawk helicopter repairer with D Company, 2nd Aviation Assault Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, acted quickly and calmly. Along with help from his son, Spc. Rogers attempted to subdue the fire. Minutes after Roger found the vehicle, Gassaway, a military police officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 503rd Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade,...
Learn MoreBlackhawk Flyover
Check out this video footage of a Blackhawk Flyover before an MLB Fort Bragg Game on July 3, courtesy of the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. The video was taken by U.S. Army Sgt. Anthony Hewitt, of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
Learn MoreIndependence Day
Dear AAAA Members, This Fourth of July, we celebrate the Declaration of Independence. As we enjoy picnics, parades, fireworks and time spent with family and friends, let us remember to give thanks to the men and women who have sacrificed to defend our liberty and our rights. To those in our AAAA family who have served and who continue to serve, we thank you, we are grateful for you and we will always support you and your family! Have a happy and safe Independence Day! E.J. Sinclair Brigadier General, U.S. Army, Retired President, AAAA “Supporting the U.S. Army Aviation Soldier...
Learn MoreFinal Deployment for Army’s Kiowa Helicopters
Members of 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, arrived in South Korea earlier this month to complete the Kiowa’s final deployment. In nine months, the unit will return to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the unit’s OH-58Ds helicopters will be replaced with more modern AH-64D Apaches. The National Guard’s Apaches will be redistributed to the Army in exchange for UH-60 Black Hawks. The transition is a product of the Army’s Aviation Restructuring Initiative; a controversial five-year plan to retire “legacy systems” like the 50-year-old Kiowa, and to make use of newer technologies while maximizing the number of...
Learn MoreHuey Pilot to Receive Medal of Honor 5 Decades Later
The White House announced on Tuesday afternoon that Charles Kettles will be receiving the Medal of Honor from President Obama on July 18. The details of heroism that will see Kettles receive this award come back clearly and quickly even five decades later. Kettles, who is now 86, recalls the events of May 15, 1967: flying his UH-1 helicopter time after time into the withering fire to save the lives of dozens of soldiers being ambushed by North Vietnamese troops in the Song Tau Cau river valley; nursing the shot-up, overloaded bird out of harm’s way with the final 8...
Learn MoreFlight Company Prepares for Deployment
Check out this video which shows footage of Soldiers with Company B, 1st Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment training at Fort Hood, Texas, in order to prepare for their upcoming deployment overseas. We wish them all the best on their deployment, and pray for a quick return.
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