Current Issue Articles
Unified Action – Enabling Readiness at the Point of Need
Aviation Maintenance / By Mr. William P. Marriott and Mr. David L. Ward: In February 2016, in an effort to better enable unity of command, and provide improved support for our Warfighters, the Army Materiel Command (AMC) directed a major reorganization initiative. Published as OPORDER 16-189, AMC aligned the research, development, and engineering centers (RDECs) and contracting centers under the operational control (OPCON) of their associated life cycle management commands (AMCOM, CECOM and TACOM). For AMCOM, this meant that the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) and the Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal (ACC-R) fell under...
Learn MoreSustaining Army Aviation in the Future: Readiness in a Complex World
Aviation Maintenance / By COL Shawn T. Prickett and Mr. Tod L. Glidewell: Army Aviation is deployed world-wide with simultaneous missions on several continents in support of Joint Forces. To win, Army Aviation forces must provide the commander with multiple options, integrate the efforts of multiple partners, and operate across multiple domains to provide solutions while presenting our enemies and adversaries with multiple dilemmas. As we seek to comprehend the environment of the Army Operating Concept (AOC), we must remain cognizant of what our leaders have challenged us to accomplish. That is, “to focus on big questions and not focus...
Learn MoreTobacco Cessation
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By MAJ Sonya Horwell, M.D: Q: Doc, I want to stop smoking. What resources are available? Can I use any medications and still remain on flight status? FS: You are making the right choice. More than 400,000 deaths in the United States are attributed to cigarette smoking every year. Studies have shown associations between smoking and coronary heart disease, lung disease, peptic ulcer disease, impotence, and pregnancy complications. It also has been shown to increase your risk of developing certain cancers within the lungs, head, neck, esophagus, pancreas, and bladder. In addition, smoking accelerates skin...
Learn MoreLiaison Engineers
Tech Talk / By Mr. Clarence Hitchings and Mr. Miguel Sanchez: You’re a maintainer performing a scheduled maintenance inspection on your UH-60M Black Hawk and you notice one of the main rotor blades has a small puncture on the upper honeycomb surface. You consult the current technical manual for this aircraft and to your surprise there is no repair for this area. Your production control and quality control come to the same conclusion so you ask your AMCOM Logistics Assistance Representative (LAR) who agrees with your assessment and tells you to contact your Liaison Engineer (LE). Liaison Engineers (LE) are...
Learn MoreAvionics Training
128th Aviation Brigade / By SSG Jerome Penwright, Jr.: Avionics is the amalgamation of two words, aviation and electronics. It is a general term for all electrical equipment used in Army aircraft. C/1-210th Avn. Regt. Chinook Avionics Trainer (CAT) with Instructor Operating Station, far right, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA./ 128th AVN BDE PHOTO BY SSG JEROME PENWRIGHT The Military Occupational Specialty 15N Avionics Repairer performs maintenance on tactical components the pilot directly uses, such as navigation, radio communication, survivability and flight control equipment. In addition, avionics repairers maintain other electronic systems not directly used by the pilot that control...
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