Current Issue Articles
U.S. Army Aviation in Europe – Back to the Future
By COL Christopher Waters, COL Clair Gill, and LTC(P) Bassey Bassey: Tank and motorized rifle divisions massed along the border. Terrorist attacks against Americans and their kasernes. U.S. Army units training alongside their NATO counterparts in deterrence. Welcome to West Germany, 1982. Welcome to Germany, 2017. Aviators from Bravo Company, 1st Bn., 3rd Avn. Regt., 12th CAB, “Warlords,” execute deliberate planning alongside the German Tiger helicopter pilots. The 1-3rd ARB, recently completed their combined combat aerial gunnery from March 16-April 5, at the Grafenwöhr Training Area, Germany. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY CPT JAYMON BELL, 12TH CAB While the global...
Learn MoreFlying Aircraft In “Brownout” Conditions
Degraded Visual Environment / By Mr. Mark A. Schauer: Takeoff and landing are the two most dangerous periods for any aircraft. The danger is compounded when a helicopter is caught in a degraded visual environment (DVE) such as a brownout. Caused by rapidly blowing sand and dirt thrown into a vortex by the rotor blades of a helicopter, a brownout’s swirling dust gives pilots the illusion they are moving even if they are hovering stationary. Hazardous in any situation, it is particularly risky when landing in a combat zone. A Black Hawk test aircraft performs a brownout landing to the...
Learn MoreArmy Special Operation Aviation in PACOM
Army Special Ops / By MAJ Robert McBride and 1SG Ted Sager: Mission Command is a very common term in today’s Army. However, if you ask a Soldier what mission command actually means, you are likely to receive a blank stare. So, what does the term really mean and how does it enable a unit to succeed in its operational requirements? Mission Command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations (ADP 6-0). MH-47G...
Learn MoreLeading the Way – Giving Back to the Force
Special Ops / By COL Philip Ryan, CW5 Michael Hardy, and CSM Christopher Bosowski: The bonds between Army Aviation and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) run deep and strong. We’ve shared the same desert airspace, flown around the same harsh and unforgiving peaks, choked on the same dust, fought the same enemy, and, ultimately, bled the same blood. The Regiment traces the roots of its distinguished history to Army Aviation, the famed 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) to be exact; the Regiment could not exist as it does today without the lifeblood of Army Aviation. An MH-60 conducts...
Learn MoreObstructive Sleep Apnea
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By CPT Albert J. Lee, MD: Q: I have sleep apnea. I use a breathing machine while sleeping. Why is it a disqualifying condition? What other treatments can pilots use? What medical documentation do I need for this physical and future physicals? Soldiers, who are deployed, average just three hours of sleep a night. / DAVID VERGUN, ARMY.MIL FS: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition where a person stops breathing or has difficulty breathing due to an obstruction of the airway during sleep. When breathing becomes inefficient or stops, the brain will send a signal...
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