Current Issue Articles
OV-1 Mohawk and the Oregon ARNG
News Spotlight / By MG (Ret) Charles Rosenfel: In October 1972, a lone Mohawk departed Fort Rucker, Alabama en route to the Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) in Salem, Oregon. This was the beginning of the 1042 Military Intelligence Co. (Aerial Surveillance) of the Oregon Army National Guard. The 1042nd would become one of only six aerial intelligence units focused on detecting the strength, disposition and activity of enemy forces day or night, regardless of weather. One of two OV-1 Mohawks providing surveillance of the Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980. While optimized for battlefield surveillance, the ‘weekend warriors’ recognized...
Learn MoreMaintenance Mission Command in the Army Reserve
By COL Andrew Cecil and Robert Singler: The Army Reserve’s (AR) CH-47F fleet consistently meets or exceeds Department of the Army (DA) standards in Operational Readiness (OR) rates. The average AR CH-47F fleet OR rate for 2018 was 79% and for 2019 it was 82% Making 2019’s OR rate even more impressive is the fact that the AR Aviation Support Facilities (ASF) are operating at 60% of their authorized personnel strength but still maintaining 100% of their CH-47 fleet. The key to this success is effective Mission Command which enables and promotes engaged leadership, unity of effort, pride in ownership,...
Learn More“1.0 or I Don’t Go!”
Maintenance / By CW5 Michael D. Cavaco: The Stubby Pencil Maintenance Burden. We’ve all been there… Showtime three hours prior to takeoff, crank to meet commo check, takeoff at noon for a five-hour mission, hit the FARP, and back to the house – mission complete. Or is it? AH-64 Apache helicopters from 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, await to be reassembled October 27, 2019, in Volos, Greece. 3-CAB is arriving in Europe in support of Atlantic Resolve to conduct bilateral, joint, and multinational training. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY SPC ELLIOTT PAGE, 21ST THEATER SUSTAINMENT CMD The chances...
Learn MoreMastering the Fundamentals
Branch Chief’s Corner / By MG David J. Francis: The adversaries we face in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) will employ multiple layers of standoff across all domains in an attempt to disrupt our operations in competition as well as in conflict. This change of strategy requires a counter stratagem on our part, which is what the concept of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) provides. Central to Army Aviation within MDO is the concept of independent maneuver. This entails continuing operations in a contested environment for an extended period without continuous support from higher echelons while retaining the ability to converge capabilities...
Learn MoreTaking Off Into the New Year!
President’s Cockpit / MG Jeff Schloesser, U.S. Army Retired: We start off 2020 with a deep dive into the fundamentals of our Army Aviation profession: maintenance, sustainment, and logistics. As a deputy division commander in Iraq and a division commander in Afghanistan, it was clear to me that no matter how well planned and led our operations were, our ultimate success was equally dependent on logistics, and everything and everyone that support our combat formations’ sustainment. Attendees at the opening professional session of the 2019 Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit on April 16 in Nashville, TN./ AAPI FILE PHOTO BY...
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