Current Issue Articles
Fighting Fires: Task Force Heavy Cav Soldiers Train to Combat Fires
By CPT Roxana M. Thompson: Petroleum supply specialists are trained to receive, store and ship petroleum in large quantities safely and securely to ensure that all military aircraft are properly fueled to accomplish operations. However, the work of these Soldiers can be dangerous given that petroleum is a highly flammable substance and handling it requires detailed procedures and training. If not properly trained, the mishandling of petroleum can lead to fires causing serious damage to aircraft in an aviation unit and result in severe injuries or can even cause the death of a Soldier, to include pilots, if not extinguished...
Learn MoreMeet Our New Army Aviation Center of Excellence First Lady
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: MG David J. Francis took command of USAACE and Fort Rucker on June 17, and shortly after while still unpacking boxes and settling into her new role, his wife Jodie graciously agreed to this interview and allow our readers to get to know her. – Judy MG David J. Francis and his wife Jodie are surrounded by all but three of their family members after MG Francis’s promotion ceremony and his assumption of command of U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker on June 17, 2019. It was a very special day...
Learn MoreEvolving Standards
DAMO-AV / By CW5 Michael L. Lewis Jr.: CW5 Jon Koziol and I conducted a handover of the Army Aviation standardization desk at DAMO-AV earlier this spring. As he departed for Ft. Rucker, he told me that the nine square feet of the standardization desk may be overshadowed by the other 6.6 million in the Pentagon, but those square feet never contain a dull moment. A paratrooper with 3-82 Avn. at Ft. Bragg, NC deploys a Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS). / U.S. ARMY PHOTO By the time an issue reaches the desk, all the easy questions have been answered. Hard...
Learn MoreThe Military Does Take Care of Us!
Family Forum / By Gabriela Lopez, With Edits by Judy Konitzer: My husband, Chris, and I met in 2001 while attending Oxnard college in California. He had transitioned from active duty to California National Guard. Author Gabriela Lopez with her spouse, CPT Laurencio C. Lopez, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, who received the 2018 Army Aviation Medicine Award sponsored by Gentex Corporation during the AAAA Functional Awards dinner on January 30, 2019 at Ft. Rucker, AL. / AAPI PHOTO BY RENÉ BIDEZ When he finished college, he announced he was returning to active duty and in...
Learn MoreCommon Challenges and Means to Mitigate Them
Simulation & Training / By LTC Eric Megerdoomian and numerous DES SME: The Directorate of Evaluation and Standardization (DES) is afforded a unique perspective of our branch. Through assistance and assessments of our aviation units, we are exposed to units who struggle with similar challenges and are witness to creative means to overcome them. RCMLeaders of Rated Crew Members (RCMs) allow improper procedures to manifest due to mission requirements. This creates a culture that accepts deviations from the standard dictated by our regulations. It is common to find organizations disregarding AR 95-1, TC 3-04.11 and their own unit Standard Operating...
Learn More
