Current Issue Articles
Reflections from National Awardee Family Members
AAAA Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: As always, Nashville’s Opryland provided AAAA visitors a most memorable experience. This year I was very interested in hearing from the awardee family members and what this event meant to them. What follows is the first of a two part series. Joseph P. Cribbins Department of the Army Civilian of the Year— Mr. Ellis W. Golson “I am very proud of my husband’s accomplishments and the work he does. I am also very pleased that someone else noticed his commitment to Army aviation and the continued service that he dedicates himself to each...
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From the Field / By LTC Candice E. Frost and CW5 Jerry D. Hollars: One of the primary concerns of ground commanders is executing missions while protecting forces and equipment. Soldiers providing security while capturing or killing the enemy becomes a manpower-intensive effort and minimizes the commander’s primary mission effectiveness. In an atmosphere of military downsizing, aviation and intelligence must provide better intelligence oversight directly to ground commanders freeing up more manpower and resources. This is done through the expansion and modernization of its Aerial Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (A-ISR) capabilities. Army Chief of Staff, GEN Raymond Odierno, is briefed...
Learn MoreOperational Support Airlift Agency
Fixed Wing Aviation / By COL James W. Ring: Activated on October 2, 1995, the Operational Support Airlift Agency (OSAA) and its operational subordinate unit, the Operational Support Airlift Command (OSACOM), merged fixed wing assets and personnel of the Active Component and the Army National Guard to form one of the Army’s first multi-component operational commands. As an Army Field Operating Agency and a subordinate operational fixed wing command, OSAA and OSACOM are optimally structured to sustain fixed wing readiness in support of total Army fixed wing requirements. OSACOM aircrew with TF ODIN returning from a mission in Afghanistan./ U.S....
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Fixed Wing Aviation / By COL Steven B. Clark and Ms. Tracey Ayres: The Fixed Wing Project Office (FWPO) continues to emerge as a multi-faceted organization transitioning from its traditional sustainment role of a diverse fleet of niche capabilities to the full-on modernization and life cycle management of the Army’s fleet of transport and manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft. “The fixed wing fleet is dynamic and diverse; it affords the Army increased capabilities,” said BG Robert “Bob” Marion, the Program Executive Officer for Aviation. “From providing executive transport for the Army’s key personnel to conducting aerial ISR missions...
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U.S. Army Reserve Aviation /By BG Troy D. Kok: As I wind down my time here as the commanding general of the 11th Theater Aviation Command (11th TAC), located at Fort Knox, KY, I would like to share some of the key reasons for our success as the home of United States Army Reserve (USAR) Aviation. USAR Aviation is a complex enterprise whose success relies on its multiple partners that include the Department of Defense (DOD), State, Federal, and private industry. Due to the current fiscal realities, Army Aviation is undergoing a transformation. Aviation is consolidating its number of locations,...
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