Rr106 digital

Number 106 Summer 2009

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Single Engine Landing Checklist — A Pilot’s DiscussionTwentieth Annual Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-In Schedule

The Future of the Naval Vertical Lift Platform

Rotor Review # 106 Summer ‘09 1

Number 106 / Summer 09Naval Helicopter Association

©2009 Naval Helicopter Association, Inc., all rights reserved

EditorLCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN

Design EditorGeorge Hopson

Aircrewman EditorAW2 Kenny Sevenello, USN

HSC / HM EditorLT Julie Dunnigan, USN

HS / Special Mission EditorLT Doug Hale, USN

HSL/HSM EditorLT Anthony Amodeo, USN

USMC EditorCapt Vanessa Clark, USMC

USCG EditorLTJG Todd Vorenkamp, USCG

Book Review EditorLCDR BJ Armstrong, USN

Technical AdvisorLCDR Chip Lancaster, USN (Ret)

NHA Photographer CDR Lloyd Parthemer, USN (Ret)LTJG Todd Vorenkamp, USCG

Historical EditorCAPT Vincent Secades, USN (Ret)

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Single Engine Landing Checklist -- A Pilot’s DiscussionCAPT D.A. Yesensky, USN(Ret)

Proud Warriors, USS Carr (FFG 52) Play Host To ArmyBlackhawks DetachmentLT Dan “DK” Kuratko, USN

Taipei MEDEVACLTJG Joshua Taylor, USN

Standing Up BasrahLT Chris McDonald, USN

New Helicopter Brings Marine Squadron Home To Family MembersCpl Chris T. Mann, USMC

Surviving Wet Feet in a Helicopter: The Department of Navy ExperiencePeter B. Mapes, MD, MPH, BS

Naval Education and Training Command Changes LeadershipEd Barker, Naval Education Training Public Affairs Offi ce

National Naval Aviation Musuem Add Venom 500 to HS CollectionTravis Griggs, Pensacola News Journal and Bill Hendrix, Navy History and Heritage Command Public Affairs. Edited by NHA Editors

I, Robot: It’s Time to Embrace the Fire ScoutLCDR Benjamin “BJ” Armstrong, USN

The Future of the Naval Vertical Lift PlatformsRADM Steve Tomaszeski, USN(Ret)

Features

J.P.M.E. and Places We’ll SeeLT Matthew vernon, USN

...Leaving for Iraq on a Jet Plane, Don’t Know When I’ll be Back Again...LCDR Jamie valdivia, USN

Insight of a Helo Pilot Turned Sand SailorLTJG Robert J. Fullick, USN

A Year in DjiboutiLCDR Manning Montagnet, USN

Volunteered or VoluntoldLT Michael “Farva” Margolius, USN

My IA Experience: Goods, Bads, and OthersLT Jason Bely, USN

IA: A Work in ProgressLT Doug “Spooner” Hale, USN

FocusIA: Not Just Your Average Rotary Wing Aviator

Focus

Printing byDiego & Son Printing, Inc

San Diego, California

The cover is image of individual augmentees with an MH-60S camoufl aged in the background Cover art by George Hopson, NHA Art Editor.

Rotor Review (ISSN: 1085-9683) is published quarterly by the Naval Helicopter Association, Inc (NHA), a California nonprofi t corporation. NHA is located in Building 654, Rogers Road, NASNI, San Diego, CA 92135. Views expressed in Rotor Review are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of NHA or United States Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. Rotor Review is printed in the USA. Periodical rate postage is paid at San Diego, CA. Subscription to Rotor Review is included in the membership fee in the Naval Helicopter Association or the corporate membership fee. A current corporation annual report, prepared in accordance with Section 8321 of the California Corporations Code, is available to members on request. POSTMASTER: Send address change to Naval Helicopter Association, P.O. Box 180578 , Coronado, CA 92178-0578

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National Offi cersPresident....................................... CAPT Donald Williamson, USNv/P Corp Mem......................... CAPT Mike Middleton, USN (Ret)v/P Awards ............................................CDR Mike Dowling, USNv/P Membership .........................................CDR Chris Mills, USNv/P Symposium 2010...............................CDR Andy Danko, USNSecretary...................................................LT Sutton Feazelle, USNTreasurer ..................................................LT John Petrasanta, USN“Stuff”.................................... ................LT Jen McCollough, USNExecutive Director.................Col. Howard Whitfi eld, USMC (Ret) Admin/Rotor Review Design Editor........................George HopsonMembership/Symposium ............................................. Lucy Haase

Directors at LargeChairman........................RADM Steven J. Tomaszeski, USN (Ret) CAPT Mike Baxter, USNR (Ret) CAPT Chuck Deitchman, USN (Ret) CAPT John McGill, USN (Ret) CAPT Dave Moulton, USNR (Ret) CAPT Mike Reber, USN (Ret)

CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret)

Regional Offi cersRegion 1 - San Diego

Directors.……………….....................CAPT Frank Harrison, USN CAPT Buddy Iannone, USNR CAPT Donald Williamson, USN President..…................................. CDR Robert Buckingham, USN

Region 2 - Washington D.C.Director ..…………...………….............CAPT Bill Lescher, USN CAPT Andy Macyko, USNPresident .................................................LCDR Eric Bower, USN

Region 3 - JacksonvilleDirector ...................................................... CAPT Carl Bush, USNPresident...................................................CAPT Neil Karnes, USN

Region 4 - NorfolkDirector ............................................. CAPT Steve Schreiber, USN President .........................................CAPT Christopher Rapp, USN

Region 5 - PensacolaDirectors........................................CAPT James vandiver, USN CAPT Steve Truhlar, USCGPresident .............................................CDR Mike Fisher, USN

Far East ChapterPresident ......................................CDR Stephen McKone, USN

Corporate AssociatesThe following corporations exhibit strong support of rotary

wing aviation through their sponsorship of the Naval Helicopter Association, Inc

AgustaWestland Inc. BAE Systems / Electronics & Integrated SolutionsBAE Systems / Mobility and Protection Systems

Bell Helicopter Textron, IncBinghamton Simulator Company

Boeing Aircraft & MissileBooz | Allen | Hamilton

Breeze-Eastern CAE Inc.

Delex System, Inc G.E. Aircraft Engines

Goodrich CorporationHarris Corporation

Lockheed Martin Systems Integration-OwegoL3 Communications / D.P. Associates Inc.

L3 Communications / Ocean SystemsL3 Communications / vertex Aerospace

Navy Mutual Aid AssociationNorthrop Grumman Integrated Systems

Pen Air Federal Credit UnionRaytheon Naval & Maritime Systems

Robertson Aviation LLCRockwell Collins Corporation

Rolls-Royce CorporationSikorsky Aircraft Corporation

StandardAeroTelephonics Corporation

Whitney, Bradley and Brown Inc.

NHA Scholarship Fund

President...................................CAPT Paul Stevens, USN(Ret)v/P Operations..........................................CDR John Bushey, USNv/P Fundraising .......................................................................TBDv/P Scholarships ................................CDR Eric Pfister, USNv/P CFC Merit Scholarship.............LT Nate velcio, USNTreasurer....................................LT Price Balderson, USNCorresponding Secretary..................LT Sharon Stortz, USNFinance Committee.............................CDR Kron Littleton, USN (Ret)

Naval Helicopter Association, Inc.Correspondence and membership

P.O. Box 180578Coronado, CA 92178-0578

(619) 435-7139 / (619) 435-7354 (fax)

In appreciation of our advertisersLockheed Martin Systems Integration-OwegoNavy Mutual Aid AssociationUSAASikorsky Aircraft Corporation

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Number 105 / Spring ‘09

DepartmentsEditor’s LogLCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN

Chairman’s Brief RADM Steve Tomaszeski, USN (Ret)

President’s Message CAPT Donald Williamson, USN

NHA Scholarship Fund CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret)

Executive Director’s Notes Col Howard Whitfi eld, USMC (Ret)

View from the Labs, Supporting the FleetCAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret)

Letters to the Editor

Industry and Technology

Twentieth Annual Fleet Fly-In Schedule

Historical

A Hell of a Way to Fight a War: The Adventure and Tribulations of a Helo CSAR Pilot in VietnamCAPT David L. McCracken, USN(Ret). Edited by CAPT vincent C. Secades, USN(Ret)

Change of Command

Regional Updates

Squadron Updates

Book Review

There I WasNicaraguan NightmareLTJG Dani Garcia, USN

Building On SandLT Zach Kennan, USN

Stuff

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Editors Emeritus Wayne Jensen John Ball John Driver Sean Laughlin Andy Quiett Mike Curtis Susan Fink Bill Chase Tracey Keefe Maureen Palmerino Bryan Buljat Gabe Soltero Todd Vorenkamp Steve Bury Clay Shane

Articles and news items are welcomed from NHA’s general membership and corporate associates. Articles should be of general interest to the readership and geared toward current Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard affairs, technical advances in the helicopter industry or historical anecdotes. Submissions should be made to Rotor Review with documents formatted in Microsoft Word ® and photos formatted as high-resolution JPEG and/or PDF by e-mail to: [email protected] or by FEDEX / UPS on a MAC or PC formatted CD to Rotor Review / NHA, BLDG 654, Rogers Road, NASNI, San Diego, CA, 92135. Also, comments, suggestions, critiques and opinions are welcomed, your anonymity is respected. Send to: by email: [email protected], by mail: Naval Helicopter Association, Inc., P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA., 92178-0578, call (619) 435-7139 or FAX :(619) 435-7354 .

The Rotor Review is intended to support the goals of the association, provide a forum for discussion and exchange of information on topics of interest to the rotary wing community, and keep membership informed of NHA activities.As necessary, the President of NHA will provide the guidance to the Rotor Review Editorial Board to ensure the Rotor Reviewcontent continues to support this statement of policy as Naval Helicopter Association adjusts to expanding rotary wing community.

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Editor’s Log

LCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN Rotor Review Editor-in-Chief

Chairman’s Brief

Continue on page 5

Another busy summer is in the books and

here is your fall edition of Rotor Review. This issue is all about the Individual Augmentee (IA) experience. As of July 2009 14,000 Sailors were on

the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, 6,800 of them IA’s. That total number of Navy “boots on the ground” will be growing to 16K soon. Additionally, we have 10,000 Sailors at sea. That’s presence. Inside enjoy reading about the impact and service our rotary wing IA’s are providing.

Fall also means it’s time for the 20th annual NAS Whiting Field GULF COAST FLEET FLY IN, 20-23 October. Commodore vandiver and his team have organized another benchmark event for our unrestricted SNAs and lucky Fleet Fly-In aircrews. I also conduct an NHA board of directors meeting during the Fly-In; details to follow in RR #107.

The MH-60R/S Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) Working Group was held in San Diego, 1-3 September. The

WG evaluated current program status, provided an opportunity for the Fleet to address concerns, and discussed ways to improve engineering and logistics support for our MH-60R/S helicopters. The conference also featured an “Industry Day” where lessons learned from our fi rst MH-60R/S CSG deployment were briefed to representatives from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, MHSCO, Raytheon, Telephonics, Northrop Grumman, NAvAIR, CNAF, NAvICP, CvW-9, USS John C. Stennis, and USS Abraham Lincoln. Our commodores also hosted a Helicopter CONOPS Celebration social at HSM-41 during this working group, my favorite part of this WG!

The annual HSCWINGLANT Ball was held at the Waterside Marriott in Norfolk, vA on 19 September. Another sellout HSC gathering of over 300 came to dance, enjoy a charity Casino Night and hear RADM O’Hanlon, CNAL, speak. For those of you who haven’t had

the opportunity to attend a formal “All Hands invited” Fleet event you’ll not be surprised to hear the enthusiasm and fun of squadron life remains very well represented.

Do visit our new RR web site www.navalhelicopterassn.org. LTJG Fulmer (formerly an HSC-23 Wildcard) revamped, slicked up and inter-activized the site. Please check it out; we plan to expand it further.

For the remainder of my Brief, I want to draw your attention to the future, specifi cally, the outlook for Future Vertical Lift (FvL) platforms, which you will see on pages 30-31. Despite rhetoric about this being “the golden age of helicopters” (underscored

Welcome to Rotor Review

106!! The norm in the Rotor Review office over the last few years has been the editors

sitting around and trying to come up with new and exciting topics for the magazine. We have tried to think of issues, missions, or anything out of the ordinary that would elicit a plethora of articles submitted in order to fi ll the issue. This time we decided to focus on the individual aviator and the ever-changing career paths required for success and promotion in our Naval helicopter community. With this in mind, we concluded the ever questionable Global War on Terrorism Support Assignments (GSA) and Individual Augmentees (IA) programs would generate discussion and

be extremely informative to you.The GSA/IA has affected all

pilots, aircrew, and maintainers alike. It is not limited to the junior aviator. It requires squadrons to rework their manning and cover their bases for individuals’ qualifi cations. In this issue you will read about the experiences of several service members while serving our helicopter community in an atypical way. I will preface the rest of the magazine by saying that some of these articles highlight the goods of the GSA/IA while others focus on the issues involved in the process. I know that these articles defi nitely opened my eyes to some trials and tribulations involved in the IA, while others made me realize how versatile our aviators and maintainers in this community can be.

Of course as always we have

squadron updates, book reviews and a few historical articles those are well worth the read. In the next issue of Rotor Review we will be having our annual Photo Contest! Please go through your many photos and submit anything you can. In addition, if you have any suggestions for the focus of upcoming magazines, please don’t hesitate to submit them to the NHA website (www.navalhelicopterassn.org)

I hope you enjoy this issue of Rotor Review as much as I have and I look forward to reading about you and your squadrons in the future!


Continued from page 4

President’s Message

RADM Steve Tomaszeski, USN(Ret) NHA Chairman

CAPT Donald E. Williamson, USN NHA President

by the effectiveness, numbers and necessity of rotorcraft in Iraq/Afghanistan, and the warfi ghting advantage both the MH-60R/S air wing squadrons and HS/HSL squadrons provide the Carrier Strike Group) the future for helicopters is uncertain. Destiny, as they say, is in our hands, or at least OSD’s hands. So please take a look at my abbreviated summary of the current state of play.

More on this topic as progress is achieved. Have an opinion? Let’s talk about it on our web site. Till our next brief...

Navy individual augmentees and soldiers paying homage during a 9/11 rememberance ceremony in PRT Khost, Afghanstan. Photo taken by MC2 James D. Hamill, USN

A Refl ective View

What a great t i m e t o be a part

o f t he he l i cop te r community!

As I prepared to write my last letter as the NHA National President, I reflected upon a few of the accomplishments the helicopter community achieved in just the past year. It has truly been a memorable year!

The 2009 NHA National Symposium was one of the most successful and well attended symposiums in recent memory. Thank you to all those who helped plan, organize and those who participated in this years symposium. The national symposium remains the centerpiece of NHA and is an event you should all be justifi ably proud to attend.

This past year’s theme - “Helo CONOPS: Here and Now!” was certainly relevant. Helo CONOPS had been in the making for more than a decade – and in 2009 the fi rst Romeo/Sierra deployment was successfully completed.

Displaying exceptional teamwork, our HSM and HSC communities – along with the support of our PMA and industry partners - did a phenomenal job preparing for the fi rst ever MH-60 “Romeo” and MH-60 “Sierra” deployment as integrated squadrons of Carrier Air Wing NINE in support of Carrier Strike

Group THREE.The first Romeo/Sierra Air

Wing deployment was an unprecedented success by any measure or any standard. In an effort to solidify and expand upon the success of the fi rst deployment, the helicopter community conducted its fi rst “Industry Day” in early September. This three-day workshop, hosted by PMA-299, provided an opportunity for all of the Navy’s rotary wing stakeholders to meet and hear directly from the Fleet operators – the Sailors of HSM-71 and HSC-8. This workshop was attended by over 200 people throughout the Naval Aviation Enterprise.

The information captured at “Industry Day” will allow Naval Aviation an opportunity to correct outstanding issues in order to make subsequent MH-60R/S deployments even more effective as we look to always improve our warfi ghting capability.

The Rotary Wing community has seized the initiative. Let’s keep the momentum going as we look forward to the NHA Fleet Fly-In that will be held at Naval Air Station Whiting Field from 20-23 October. The Fleet Fly-In provides an opportunity for “Fleet Aviators” to show off our aircraft to the next generation of helicopter pilots just now earning their “Wings of Gold.”

Whether you fl y the Fleet workhorse, the MH-53, or our finest SH-60B, SH-60F or HH-60H aircraft – take the opportunity to come to Whiting Field for the NHA Fly-In and share your Fleet experiences with our brand new aviators.

Over 90 percent of NHA’s membership is comprised of Active Duty Fleet aviators. Our Active Duty membership is the life blood of NHA. I encourage each of you to continue to support our only Rotary Wing professional organization.

Shipmates, the helicopter community is coming of age. I can literally sense the changing tide for the rotary wing community. We fl y important missions. We fl y state-of-the-art aircraft. We fi ll critical billets. We are relevant. We are valued by leadership within our Navy and our Nation. It is indeed a great time to be a part of the helicopter community!

I’d like to personally thank each of you for your professional service and your contribution to our helicopter force. You are all patriots. I admire the great work you do and sincerely wish I were one of those Ensigns just now earning my Wings of Gold at Whiting Field. If given the choice, I would start my rotary wing fl ying career all over again! Our future if full of opportunity. God Bless all of you, our Navy and our Nation.

Keep your turns up...Very Respectfully,

Fly well and… Keep Your Turns Up!


NHA Scholarship Fund

CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret)NHA Scholarship Fund Chairman

Executive Director’s Notes

Col. Howard M. Whitfi eld, USMC (Ret)NHA Executive Director

I am happy to report that our new scholarship eligibility rules are fi nally in place along with the long awaited online application process. Applicants will now be able to complete their applications almost entirely online. Only offi cial transcripts and letters of recommendation are

requirements to be mailed to the scholarship committee for review. Eligibility is defi ned as follows: To be eligible for consideration for a NHA scholarship, an individual must be a prospective or current high school graduate and the natural, step, or adopted son, daughter or grandchild of a current or former Navy, USMC or Coast Guard Rotary Wing Aviator or Aircrewman. Also eligible are individuals or children of

individuals who are serving or have served in maintenance or support billets in rotary wing squadrons or Wings.As you can see, we are keeping these scholarships close to home. That means that all your donations will be directly

serving our rotary wing community. I would ask all who read this to help me get the word out to squadron/ship mates, family and friends who have served. This year we will be awarding nearly $30, 000 in scholarships with plans to increase both the number and level of awards in the future. You can also play a part in this important work by donating to the fund and/or joining my scholarship team as a regional representative. We need both!

Hold fast,

For next year’s Symposium at the Hyatt Regency in Jacksonville, FL, and future year’s Symposiums, NHA is utilizing the services of a professional meeting planner, Sherri Cook and Associates, to negotiate for us. Historically

NHA has contracted for the annual Symposium about two years ahead of time. By only contracting for a single Symposium at a time we haven’t always gotten the best dates and terms. In addition to negotiating favorable terms for 2010, Sherri was able to arrange a multi-year contract with the Town and Country Hotel, San Diego for 2011, 2013, and 2015. Sherri is working on Norfolk for 2012 and 2014. By using a professional meeting planner like Sherri Cook, NHA benefi ts from her knowledge and experience dealing with hotels and contracts to obtain the best terms and benefi ts.

If you haven’t looked at the NHA website in a while, www.navalhelicopterassn.org, take a look. LTJG Chuck Fulmer, USN, helped redo the site with new software and a new layout. We think it is a big improvement, but you the user, let us know what you think, [email protected].

Consolidated Membership Report

Year Sep 2008 Sep 20091 year 962 11052 year “nugget” 509 5333 year 751 8095 year 499 527Other* 123 124Total 2,844 3,146

* Honorary

Military Membership Sep 2008 Sep 2009 Active Duty & Reserve 1,980 2,265 Retired 456 450


By CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret)

A View From The Labs... Supporting The Fleet

U.S. Navy Individual Augmentees – The New Joint Warrior-Sailors

The focus of this issue of Rotor Review is U.S. Navy Individual

Augmentees and your Rotor Review staff has gathered a group of stories about how our naval rotary wing community is making history in these key assignments. For those readers who may not be completely familiar with this important program, here are a few Navy Individual Augmentee (IA) 101 facts:

IA Sailors are making huge - impact all over the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Djibouti, Germany, Qatar, the Philippines and many other nations – 16 in all.IA sailors are crucial contributors - to overseas cont ingency operations missions including: provincial reconstruction teams, detainee operations, expeditionary medicine, counter improvised explosive device and combat support, civil affairs, Navy construction teams, and many other important billets where Navy-unique skills are sorely needed.Since 2002, more than 79,000 - Navy Officers, Chief Petty Officers, and Sailors have served as IAs across the globe. Almost half of the U.S. Navy professionals serving on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan are IAs.Today, the number of Navy - IAs that represent “boots on the ground” are over 5,000 active duty and over 5,000 reserve force , wel l over 10,000 professionals making a difference every day.The principal beneficiaries

of this IA support – the Combatant Commanders – are lavish in their praise

of how much these Navy Officers, Chief Petty Officers, and Sailors are contributing to the joint force as well as to interagency and coalition forces. In turn, when these Navy professionals return to their parent commands, they bring a heretofore unknown knowledge of how the joint force operates and understand more fully the strengths and limitations the other Services bring to that force.

Recently, the Commander, Fleet Forces Command, Admiral John Harvey, captured the essence of what this IA program means to the Navy and how the Navy administers the program to support our IAs.

O u r s a i l o r s a r e doing a tremendous job as Individual Augmentees, and its our job as leaders to support our IA Sailors and their families. T h e c e n t e r p i e c e of our support and c o m m u n i c a t i o n s begins wi th each co mman d h av in g an active, engaged, and e f f ec t i ve IA Coordinator. Getting this position right in every command that is sending Sailors forward to the fight as an IA pays great dividends for our IA Sailors and their families.Admira l Harvey echoed

the sentiments of all of the Navy’s top leadership. As the Rotary Wing community looks ahead to the future, the knowledge, skills and abilities of these returning Navy IAs will be crucial to ensuring our community remains relevant in the future. There are many reasons

why this is so.Hybrid warfare is the wave of

the future for the Navy and the Joint Force. Our Nation’s political and military leadership, from the President, to the Secretary of Defense, to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to the Chief of Naval Operations – and on down the chain – all recognize that the neat lines distinguishing state-on-state confl ict from contingency operations, from anti-terrorism efforts, and from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief are increasingly blurred.

Traditional naval formations – carrier strike groups (CSGs) and expeditionary strike groups (ESGs) – have not felt the impact of this hybrid warfare environment yet (although they will) as the nature of their operations insulates them somewhat from this blurring of missions. But our Rotary Wing community IAs are living thishybrid warfare day-after-day. They can and will become our guides to provide our community with insights into how we can more effectively operate in the challenging hybrid warfare environment.

Why is this important? Our community has never been more stable and more “up on the step” as vital, indispensable, contributors to our Nation, our Navy, and the joint and coalition force. We do so many things well – all things that are in high demand – that we simply can’t do them all. Our IAs can help us perceive the future of warfare and enable us to anticipate tomorrow’s demand today. Then we can set about acquiring the right systems, sensors and weapons, recruiting the right naval professionals to serve in this challenging milieu, and devise the training, tactics, techniques, and procedures that help them accomplish their mission. That is the surest way to ensure our community continues to thrive.

Rotor Review # 106 Summer ‘09 8Rotor Review # 106 Summer ‘09 8

You can mail or email your letter to:Naval Helicopter Association, Inc.,

P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA, 92178-0578 or [email protected]

To Be or Not Be A Super JO

I think that the organizational/ranking/promotion issues involved in Super JOs are significant and should give us pause. U n f o r t u n a t e l y S p o o n e r ’ s suggestion that we change the FITREP system just doesn’t seem realistic, does it? Ranking one group of URL LTs separate from another just isn’t permitted by the instructions (thus when guys go on Disassociated tours they rank against all line officers which, lets be honest, generally benefits us Aviators since being a Navy Pilot is a lot like staying in a Holiday Inn Express every night.)

The other consideration is the experience level and depth of knowledge of our senior leadership. For argument’s sake and saying all other things are equal...who would make a better CAPT looking at major command: a helicopter pilot who has spent multiple back to back tours in the cockpit perfecting his tactical proficiency in a rotary-wing aircraft or a helicopter pilot with solid tactical experience as well as shipboard (dissassociated) experience and possibly Joint

operational level (rather than tactical level) experience? Its hard enough for us to compete with the CvN mafia but add to it an officer who has never moved outside his comfort zone and it becomes even harder.

from BJ

Rotor Review 105

Correction “NHA Symposium Awards Luncheon..” in RR105, page 41: The caption underneath the Mark Starr Award Recipient picture is suppose to read as “Master Chief to Master Chief: AFCM (instead of AWCM) William “Red Dogg” Moss....We extend our apologies to AFCM (Ret) Moss for the error in print. He has been great contributor towards the

historical section in the Rotor Review.

New NHA Website

NHA online (www.navalhelicopterassn.org) has a new look now. It has been up and running since July of this year. The website offers a variety of ways to keep our members informed on the latest NHA happenings.

The layout for the website was designed by LTJG Charles Fulmer with the software use of Dreamweaver™ (Adobe CS3 version) and WordPress™. He has managed to make this site user-friendlier for all to navigate easily.

Members, renewing or new, can pay their membership online via PayPal. Also articles from the current and past Rotor Review magazines are being posted online and automatically create an archive for members’ use for research or leisure reading. With each article, there’s a section that allows members to post their comments (blog) to the website or the option to share with other members by email, Facebook or, Twitter.

So take some time to check it out. If you have any comments about the website, feel free to contact us by phone: (619) 435-7139, or by mail: P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA 92178-0578 or online at http://www.navalhelicopterassn.org/forms/update_member.php.

Dear BJ,You bring up some great

points with regard to career progression and the value in diverse experiences in the Joint world and exposure to other communities within the Navy. I understand that changing the FITREP system is unlikely. However, I still fi rmly believe that a Super JO tour should not

be a hindrance when it comes to the Command Screen board nor that the individual is less capable in senior leadership positions.

If/when standing up HSC-84/85 as NSW Support squadrons becomes a reality, which has already been approved by the CNO, there will be a massive draft for tactically experienced pilots for the challenging NSW Support mission. Once that happens there will be a large talent pool in each of these squadrons who will no doubt get Joint experience during their tour, both tactically and operational. Despite the fact that many of these individuals may not get the coveted OOD letter, I do not think they would be any less capable of performing in a senior leadership position, especially with a proven track record of leadership and performance.


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gy BIG IRON CREWS GET ANOTHER SAFETY TOOL

Article by LCDR Chris “Browner” Brown

As an aviat ion enthusiast like many of you, I

try to keep up to date on the “Gucci” technology that has been incorporated into general aviation

aircraft and business aviation aircraft for many years. Whether it’s AOPA Magazine, Aviation Week and Space Technology or some other aviation magazine, I continue to be amazed at what has hit the market. From synthetic vision incorporated into the glass cockpit of a 1968 Cessna 150, XM weather overlay atop a moving map display in a 1970 Beech Bonanza or even the new EvS-100 Enhanced vision System with forward looking infrared on a Cirrus SR-22, I can’t help but laugh as I am knuckle-knocking one of the gauges to get it unstuck during an FCF and

wondering when some of this technology may come our way.

Well, I am pleased to report that it has. After years of operating in the airspace where Cessna’s, Piper’s and numerous other aircraft of lesser performance, but better technology have been operating right in the heart of the weather phenomena, Team vanguard has just implemented a new tool that you may want to look into for your crews. We recently received approval to procure and fl y with the Garmin 496 hand held device that includes an XM weather subscription. What a great tool this device has become. I use the word tool, because much like NvD’s, it is just that, and not a crutch for poor airmanship, bad decision making, or a lack of proper use of ORM. This device, which weighs very little, and is very user friendly, delivers a crisp color image of the current

aircraft position, obstacles in the area, airspace warnings, wildlife area warnings, proximity alerts, airfi eld depictions and wealth of other information, and with a push of the “nearest” button, a quick steer and distance calculation to the nearest airfi eld. Oh, by the way, it also depicts the weather in the area or at the range you select with a top down view. Additionally, the cable length allows the crew chief to monitor the Garmin while the fl ight station monitors aircraft instruments and maintains their scan.

In the short time we have had it at the squadron, it has assisted more than one crew in getting around weather safely to return to base. It proved very useful in a solid IFR cross country fl ight by keeping up the entire crews SA as well. Overall, it is a small investment that has already paid high dividends and will continue to be another tool in the bag to ensure safe mission accomplishment.

HM-14’s MH-53E getting ready for night fl ight in Norfolk, VA.Photo taken MC3 Justin E. Stumberg, USN

A maintainer does a fi nal wipe down of the helo.

Prototype Assembly Looms As First Production Parts Arrive for CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopter

Press Released by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation ™

On August 6, 2009, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has begun receiving the fi rst of the 8,500 supplier parts that will constitute the new CH-53K heavy lift helicopter Sikorsky is developing for the U.S. Marine Corps. Arrival of the parts – primarily transmission gear forgings that

Sikorsky machinists will intricately refi ne – indicates steady and solid progress toward production of the fi rst prototypes. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

“The arrival of the fi rst forgings is a signifi cant and visible milestone for the program,” said John Johnson, CH-53K Helicopter Program manager. “It means the program is advancing from the ‘paper’ stages of engineering and design to the


Industry and Technology: Prototype Assembly Looms As First Production Parts


hardware stages of castings and forgings. It is exciting to see such an impressive aircraft start coming to life with these forgings for the dynamics system.”

The parts will support assembly of the seven prototype vehicles that will be delivered during the system design and development program. Of the seven, four will serve as engineering development vehicles. The remaining three will serve as a dedicated ground test vehicle, a static test article, and a fatigue test platform. The prototypes will be assembled at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, FL.

The CH-53K will replace the current three-engine Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion™ helicopter. The CH-53E helicopter is currently the largest, most powerful marinized helicopter in the world. It is deployed from Navy amphibious assault ships and land bases to transport personnel and equipment, and to carry external (sling) cargo loads.

The CH-53K helicopter will nearly triple the payload to 27,000 pounds transportable over 110 nautical miles under “hot high” operational conditions. It will maintain the same footprint as the CH-53E and have signifi cantly lower operational costs. The CH-53K helicopter’s maximum gross weight (MGW) with internal loads is 74,000 pounds compared with 69,750 pounds for the CH-53E aircraft. The CH-53K helicopter’s MGW with external loads is 88,000 pounds as compared with 73,500 for the CH-53E helicopter.

This new build helicopter will incorporate a joint interoperable glass cockpit with fl y-by-wire fl ight controls; fourth generation rotor blades with anhedral tips; a low-maintenance rotorhead; new GE38-1B engines; a 15 percent increase in cabin size; a cargo rail locking system; external cargo handling improvements; survivability

enhancements; and reduced operational and support costs.

“The CH-53K helicopter is the only aircraft that meets the Marine Corps’ requirements for heavy lift. It will provide signifi cant improvement in operational capability and signifi cant reduction in cost of ownership. This aircraft also will operate in ‘hot high’ conditions, all of which translates to a critical tool for the Marine Corps,” Johnson said.

Sikorsky Aircraft received a $3 billion System Development and Demonstration contract on April 5, 2006 to develop a replacement for the U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E heavy lift helicopter. The program is expected to produce more than 200 new aircraft.

The CH-53K helicopter team has successfully conducted several risk reduction initiatives on two critical technologies – split torque main gearbox and main rotor blade – and has implemented many process and product improvement measures as a result. The program conducted a successful Preliminary Design Review in September 2008, and is tracking toward a Critical Design Review in 2010.

“We are pleased with the current performance of our team and partners,” said Mark Cherry, vice President of Marine Corps Systems. “The receipt of these fi rst parts is validation of our development process.”

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, CT, is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, CT, provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning potential production and sale of helicopters. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in government procurement priorities and practices, budget plans or availability of funding or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corporation’s Securities and Exchange Commission fi lings.


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Single Engine Landing Checklist — A Pilot’s DiscussionArticle by CAPT D.A. Yesensky, USN (Ret). Photo courtesy of NHA Archives.

One of ‘em just quit, what now coach! Executing the single engine-landing checklist guides us, but do we really understand? This article will be written from a pilot’s perspective, not an aerodynamic discourse. As a retired helo bubba and CSI with HS-10/HSC-3, I have observed many experienced H-60 series USN pilots who do not fully understand single engine performance of their trusty steed.

I, too, was one of those who did not completely understand. At the time I was a senior commander with well over 5,000 hours of rotary wing time and 4,200 hours in Sea Kings. It was a hot, no wind monsoon day in the North Arabian Sea. Density altitude was pegged. We were to conduct a maintenance FCF auto RPM check after a blade track. I added fi ve hundred feet to my usual maintenance auto altitude and climbed to 1,500 feet MSL with a briefed recovery altitude of 1,000 feet. We entered the auto at bucket airspeed and as we descended the Nr began its climb to about what we determined it should be. At about 1,200 feet we suffered a catastrophic compressor stall. Turbine temperature immediately exceeded 1,000 degrees, and the helo shook like it was coming apart. We GE T-58 engine bubbas were used to the occasional decelerating compressor stall but nothing like this one. We secured the affected engine and I noted that the rate of descent was over 2,400 feet per minute, typical H-3 auto ROD. Feeling confi dent that I had bucket airspeed and the recovery would be a piece of cake, I raised the collective and I saw a rapid decay of Nr to about 90%. I lowered the collective, directed dumping fuel, jettisoning the MAD, buoys and smoke/chaff dispenser. Our altitude was now about 700 and I had recovered that lost Nr. Again coming down hill I decided to trade off some airspeed for altitude and arrest the ROD. That worked, but at 40KIAS

as I tried to level off the Nr again decayed. So I pointed the nose down to get that bucket airspeed back and Nr. I was really perplexed now, never in my experience had I ever had this much trouble with Nr while recovering from single engine fl ight. Fool me. We eventually recovered under 200 feet, and made it safely back on deck. That was close to swimming with the sea snakes.

H-3 Sea King on deck.


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Features: A Single Engine Landing Checklist ---- A Pilot’s Discussion

On post flight analysis of the engine the compressor blades were pointing out the front of the intake from the extreme heat of the air from the combustion chamber as it reversed back through the compressor. I did not get that wrong. I wondered if the rotor pitch had been set too high, but during the original descent it climbed to normal. The next day we launched another squadron SH-3H at the same time of day and same gross weight. I told the HAC to single up and check power available and that was identical to what I had realized. I had him check rate of climb and that was a mere 200 feet per minute. Golly gosh darn as Gramps Pettybone would say, a greater than 2,400 foot per minute ROD and a mere 200 foot per minute single engine rate of climb—where was this pilot’s head, where do we get these bullets?

The focus of this reading will be directed at USN Sea Hawk series pilots, that is now most of you, and specifically the single engine landing check list. This article is based on seven years of H-60F/H/S SIM Instruction, 22 years flying many type/models of dual engine helo experience and observing pilot performance in the single engine environment. This is not an anecdotal shot from the hip. My targeted audience is LT’s, LCDR’s and CDR’s--put on your body armor. CAT I’s read and learned.

Determining and understanding power available (Pa) and power required (Pr) has been a pre-flight planning item and essential flight skill set since the beginnings of helicopter

aviation. Engine power available i s d e t e r m i n e d by drooping Nr. At the droop a normally operating engine will give us a maximum c o m b u s t i o n c h a m b e r temperature (TGT) that is determined b y m a x i m u m g o v e r n e d f u e l flow. Pa torque will vary with ambient temperature and altitude. So as we get higher, hotter or both, torque applied to the main gearbox will decrease even while the engine still provides the same combustion c h a m b e r p e r f o r m a n c e . Simply, the engine d e v e l o p s l e s s power available torque, as ambient

temperature and altitude increase. Power required is that power that allows us to fly the

helo, as we want. Power required has to be considered in the bucket, hovering, arresting a rate of descent, achieving a rate of climb or maintaining a level turn. I look at power required simply as helicopter performance—what I can do with the helo.

In 2001 when studying to become a CSI I noted that the SH-60F/H single engine landing checklist had legislated headwork and demanded that single engine pilots not only determine engine power available, but also determine helicopter performance by determining rate of climb (ROC). I quote the current (pre-common NATOPS) SH-60F/H NATOPS, “Collective—increase until Nr drops 2 percent. Note torque and rate of climb.” And further states, “The rate of climb established during max power check should be considered when on final approach, for wave off capability versus rate of descent.” Wonderful guidance provided by uncle NATOPS. I cannot count the number of fleet experienced pilots during simulator events that possibly do not understand this analysis prior to landing. Often when given a single engine failure that realized a rate of climb of 200-400 FPM and a restricted landing area such as a pad or ship deck they mushed in and crashed on final. Recently, after years, I actually had a PXO who truly understood and acted. Enroute to landing he realized the very

MH-60S hovering above the flight deck on a carrier at sea.



Features: A Single Engine Landing Checklist ---- A Pilot’s Discussion


limited performance of the helo and lightened the helo prior to landing…well. Most pilots complete SE failure in fl ight CMI step #5 dump/JETT and if controlling Nr they do not dump and/or jettison and then never go back and reconsider ROC (helo performance) for fi nal landing.

Nothing is ever as it seems. When deeply discussing and being questioned, pilots usually do come up with the right answers, but that is after being pressed. I ask only one question. Can you increase engine power available? Some favorite answers are: dump/jettison, go faster or slower, and droop Nr further. If you raise the collective and droop that two percent and let’s say the torque developed on that engine for that day is 123%, then dumping/jettisoning, going faster/slower or decaying Nr further will not improve engine performance. Finding a cold front or descending is a far better answer to realize an increase in torque. Engine performance is determined by temperature and altitude. Consulting the SH-60F/H Engine Performance Contingency Power Chart one will discover that at 1,000 feet MSL at 18 degrees C power available will be 130% torque and at 40 degrees C power available will be 120% torque. Thus, solely determining power available will only allow the pilot the opportunity to see Nr decay when that day’s torque value is reached. Not something to discover on short fi nal. What can be improved is helicopter performance—Pr. You who defy the laws of gravity and beat your way through the air must absolutely determine rate of climb to understand how your aircraft will perform: what rates of climb you can achieve, what your wave off capabilities are and the ability to safely maneuver the helicopter.

The 60F/H single engine checklist is absolutely correct to check both Pa and ROC. But, with the new common NATOPS you do not see “checking ROC.” Shame on us.

In 2002 when I started working with HC-3, now HSC-3, I noted that the 60S single engine checklist did not require checking ROC. Further investigation also identifi ed neither did the 60B or 60R NATOPS. Most 60S pilots in the early years stated we are so light why check ROC. Program growth will add weight to your agile 60S.

Here on the West Coast when the meetings for the common NATOPS manual were formed our CSI offi ce was invited to attend these meetings. We sent an experienced CH-46, SH-60F/H and MH-60S LCDR reserve offi cer. I requested that our representative get rate of climb added to the single engine-landing checklist. Boy was this idea shouted down--vehemently. I just loved their reasoning: “We have always only checked Pa.” Even better, “Due to local course rules we cannot climb in the landing pattern at Imperial Beach to check ROC.” Talk about being stuck in a thick culture and course rules, and letting that drive an emergency procedure, come on! From my Naval War College faculty teaching experience I can recommend a NWC course and elective on how to get past culture for each of you.

I researched the comment, “We have always done it that way.” There are dual engine helicopter NATOPS books

fi lled supporting your comment. WWI was fi lled with like acculturated thinking. Actually the H-46, H-3, H-2 and H-1N (dual engine Huey) only required checking Pa. That is what got me in trouble in the above sea story--not understanding. When I fi rst saw that the SH-60F/H single engine checklist directed a ROC check I thought fi nally someone legislated headwork.

Regarding violating Imperial Beach course rules, I agree that we cannot just go willy-nilly climbing to wherever in the pattern. But, being thinking naval aviators why not single up while outside traffi c patterns and checking power available and rate of climb. Operating outside of the rules guru’s airspace will provide the opportunity to check Pa and ROC, and not hinder safety of fl ight operations. This analysis will give you an idea of actual helo performance and confi rm your prefl ight chart planning for event autorotations, steep approaches and so on should an engine fail. You are blessed with a helo that has very good single engine performance under most conditions. But let’s not be lulled into that perfect world—after all with programmed improvements your helo is getting heavier.

An open and free discourse is so vital in communicating ideas regarding NATOPS. Some of you may take offense with the above as you “already knew that,” but let me assure you many do not fully understand. A whole bunch of you are very experienced and strive with each fl ight for operational and safety excellence. I applaud those who worked so hard at putting together the common NATOPS for us. Your work was really hard and tedious. My thoughts on the single engine landing checklist is just one of many that we as a community will be addressing. The better we understand our aircraft and the performance of this helicopter the better our safety record will be.

A very interesting discussion that is going on, highlighted at NHA 2008, regards autorotations and specifi cally the fl are and recovery. This subject, a favorite of many, especially instructor pilots, deserves open discussion and reevaluation.

D.A. Yesensky, CAPT USN (RET). Former NAVWARCOLLEGE professor/adjunct and now CSI HS-10/HSC-3,

HSC-23’s MH-60S preparing for take-off.

especially instructor pilots, deserves open discussion and reevaluation.


Features:

Proud Warriors, USS Carr (FFG 52) Play Host To Army Blackhawk Detachment

Article and Photo by LT Dan “DK” Kuratko, USN

As the massive hangar door opens to display another picturesque morning in the Caribbean Sea, the men of Helicopter Anti-Submarine

Squadron Light FOUR TWO, Detachment EIGHT commence another day which promises helicopter landings, chock and chaining, personnel transfers and re-fuelings. What makes this morning a little bit odd for the men of “PRESTIGE WORLDWIDE” is that their prized possession, Proud Warrior 430 (the detachment’s SH-60B Seahawk helicopter), won’t even leave the hangar. Welcome to the UH-60L ‘WARRIORS’ of the U.S. Army’s 1-228th Aviation Regiment, Alpha Company (‘TALONS’) and U.S. Army Air Ambulance Detachment (‘USAAD’). USS Carr (FFG 52), currently underway in support of America’s counter-drug traffi cking effort, offered an able hand (and a fl ight deck) to 15 U.S. Army pilots and 10 crewmen as part of their annual Deck Landing Qualifi cations. The U.S. Army 1-228th is currently based in Soto, Honduras and supports Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief, Air Ambulance and Counter Illicit Traffi cking (CIT) operations. The two UH-60L Blackhawks hosted by USS Carr and led by Offi cer-In-Charge CPT Elizabeth Eaton-Ferenzi (USA), traveled overland to Belize, Honduras, where they staged for less than 24 hours in preparation to support the Joint Helicopter evolutions between Army and Navy teams. The 1-228th Operations Offi cer, MAJ Spencer Anderson commented, “The opportunity to fl y out and operate with U.S. Navy ships is one that we wouldn’t miss. DLQ’s afford us the certifi cation required to fl y logistics or Medical Evacuation fl ights whenever needed, and the qualifi cation enhances our support to the

US Army UH-60L aboard USS CARR (FFG 52)

mission in the SOUTHCOM AO.” The men of Detachment EIGHT confi rmed their reputation as the premier maintenance and plane-handling team in the community, executing 72 fl awless deck landings and takeoffs without incident. While two UH-60L Blackhawksfrom the TALONS and USAAD sustained a near-continuous orbit and landing pattern about USS Carr, aircrews, chock-and-chainmen, LSE’s (landing signal enlisted), and refueling personnel buzzed about the flight deck with poise and professionalism for over fi ve hours. The crew of the Carr played the role of gracious host, welcoming non-fl ying aircrews into its wardroom for a noon meal and a chance to unwind from the fl ight operations. LT Jared “SLAB” Slabicki played tour guide for his fellow aviators. “It’s a great opportunity to see how [Army pilots] operate around the ship, and we were able to talk about the fi ner points of landing on the Frigate as well as helicopter operations in general.” In a time-honored tradition between aviators, embarked pilots of Detachment EIGHT exchanged flight suit patches with the pilots of the 1-228th Alpha Detachment. As part of his tour, LT Dan “Dragon” Jones showed off the staterooms aboard the Carr to the Army guests. “They were amazed at how I was able to fi t in those little racks, but I told them once you got used to the small space, it was just like home,” joked Jones, Detachment EIGHT’s Maintenance Offi cer. “They’ll probably think about it and laugh when they get home tonight.” The men of HSL-42 Detachment EIGHT are scheduled to return home to Naval Station Mayport in October 2009.


Features

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Taipei MEDEVACArticle and Photos by LTJG Joshua Taylor, USN

Following routine dental work ashore, a Sailor’s root canal became severely infected and the infection spread through her cheek and into her eye. The ship’s independent duty corpsman (IDC) was unable to control the spread of infection with the limited antibiotics on-board. Despite the several thousand-mile separation

between the independent steaming ship, USS Lassen (DDG-82), and the Carrier Strike Group’s Surgeon on the CVN, the surgeon immediately recognized the symptoms of a life-threatening infection and urged the patient be MEDEVAC’d to a hospital in 12 hours or face the possibility of the rapidly spreading infection moving into her lungs.

On the evening of 2 July at approximately 2200, USS Lassen, was executing national tasking in the Taiwan Strait, LT Phil Hardway, AWR2 Don Salamon, and myself, LTJG Joshua Taylor, were the alert crew for the mission that night. In the middle of our NATOPS brief, our Detachment OIC and the ship’s Operations Offi cer interrupted to inform us of our shipmate’s situation and mission change. Initially, we believed the ship would break off from the current mission and transit toward the nearest military hospital, which was in Okinawa, Japan. However, despite the life-threatening nature of the infection, the current mission did not lend it to allow the ship to transit several hundred miles to the east. The only other option was to fl y into Taiwan and deliver the Sailor to a local hospital, something that no other U.S. Navy helicopter had ever done before. Soon the ship was coordinating with the Red Cross and Taipei University Hospital in downtown Taipei, near Taipei City Airport. We immediately broke out the publications for Taiwan and started planning for the MEDEvAC to Taipei.

A F o r e i g n Clearance Guide, PFPS, several TPCs, a FLIP, and four hours later, we were prepared. The DET OIC was working with the American Institute of Taiwan (they don’t have an offi cial embassy) and the Naval Attaché in Taipei, along with the CSG’s watch officer to get the short-notice diplomatic clearance. The IDC was coordinating with University staff to prepare the patient for transport and discuss the medical situation. Carrier Strike Group 5 granted approval around 0300 and the diplomatic clearance was

granted around 0500. The only hurdle remaining was a low-pressure system centered 100 miles north of Taiwan.

Immediately, a call was placed to the Command Duty Offi cer at the Navy Weather Center in Hawaii to coordinate a “Dash 1.” A preliminary report had weather at Taipei City Airport/Sung Shan Air Force Base with a ceiling at 1700 feet, and three miles of visibility. The northern tip of Taiwan was mountainous, and the water canal we would use to navigate into the airfi eld ran between two ridges. The highest point within a mile east of the canal was 2700 feet, and 2200 feet to the west. Anyone would understand our navigational concerns with the given weather.

While waiting for a 0550 sunrise, we completed the remaining administrative and pre-fl ight duties. We strapped in at

Taiwan’s northwestern coastline


Features: Taipei MEDEVAC


0500 to complete the alert launch checklist and ensured the aircraft was ready to go. The HAC and I remained strapped-in with head engaged while the aircrewman went into the hangar to give the passenger brief to the patient and her escort. By 0600, takeoff checks were complete, and now we were struggling with intermit tent rain showers that were reducing our visibility to less than one mile every fi ve minutes. We launched at the next “good

vis” window, with the understanding that if weather did not allow our radar to penetrate the isolated rain cells and see all the way to the mountainous terrain of northern Taiwan, we would RTB.

0630— “Paddles, Warlord 705, request Amber for Breakdown, Green Deck for Launch”—the time had come to go! We got off the deck, made our “Ops Normal” call and immediately found ourselves fl ying through rain showers that reduced visibility at some moments to zero. Radar was unable to penetrate the rain cells beyond fi ve miles, and we were unsure if VMC could be regained before making it to land. We discussed our situation as a crew and decided to RTB as briefed.

Once safe on deck, we completed a shutdown, hopped out and went to check in with the Weather Center CDO in Hawaii. The ship’s position continued to be infl uenced by the Low Pressure north of Taiwan, but the heavy rain cells started to spread apart, creating holes. After hanging up the phone, we went to the bridge and checked the radar console for the SPS-73. We noticed the raster was not turned up, so the bridge team was unable to see the good weather pocket to the southeast. A recommendation was made to the OOD to come 210 for fi ve miles, the weather at that location would allow us a clear pocket to takeoff and climb.

We headed back to the fl ight deck to spin up and be ready for takeoff weather; 20 minutes later we had the visibility, so we launched. The after-takeoff checklist was complete and the weather was holding up. We continued toward Taipei, Taiwan, dodging a few rain showers along the way, but were able to get to our planned entry point into Taiwan’s airspace.

Their ADIZ controller contacted us 30 miles from land. Everything was going like clockwork! Good communications with Taiwan, better weather, our systems were working 4.0, and the Sailor was in a more stable condition. The only concern on our minds at that point was the weather we would encounter on the return fl ight back to the ship. Radar was picking out a distinct coastline at 12 miles, along with the river mouth that would lead us into the airport.

By the time we arrived at the beach line, Taipei Approach was giving us radar vectors to the approach end of the active runway. Visibility was greater than fi ve miles and the ceiling was around 6000 feet. The weather was better than forecasted. We called runway in sight about three miles out and started our

descent from 3000 feet. The view of Taipei was hazy, but incredible. One mile out, we were handed off to Sung Shan Tower and commenced a low approach until we spotted our “follow-me” Jeep.

We arrived in front of the terminal with several Taiwanese Air Force personnel taking video and photographs. Our aircrewmen assisted the patient and her escort to the waiting ambulance. The crew took a breath and acknowledged the excitement associated with completing a successful MEDEvAC into Taiwan. Moments later, the aircrewman motioned for HAC to get out of the aircraft; at the same time, tower came over the radio and brought to our attention that the return fl ight plan needed to be signed. The HAC hopped out, and returned 10 minutes later with our crewman, both still smiling.

They strapped in, and began to explain that we were the fi rst United States, military helicopter to land at the airfi eld. It was a cool feeling—making history! We completed the takeoff checks, and began our departure procedures. After receiving our clearance, we taxied in front of the civilian side of the airfi eld, all the way to the approach end of the runway in use. The controllers did not understand the request for a “present position takeoff.”

We were fi nally at our takeoff point nearly 10 minutes later—“GAUGES GOOD, ON THE GO.” Leaving the country without passengers onboard allowed us to be a bit more relaxed. We enjoyed the sights of the city on the way back to the coast. After going “feet wet,” the rest of our fl ight proved to be uneventful. The weather was marginal vFR within 20 miles of the ship. We picked up TACAN about the same time and shot the approach. “IN THE TRAP, TRAPPED,” concluded our successful MEDEvAC mission to Taiwan. Without the help of AIRBOSS, LCDR Bill Reilein, DET OPS, LT Eileen Crawford, and the CIC team on the ship, it would not have been so smooth. Teamwork, thorough planning, smart decisions, and great CRM allowed us to save a shipmate, and make it back home. Good luck on your adventures!

was ready to go. The HAC and I remained strapped-in with head engaged while the aircrewman went into the hangar to give the passenger brief to the patient and her escort. By 0600, takeoff checks were complete, and now we were struggling with intermit tent rain showers that were reducing our visibility to less than one mile every fi ve minutes. We

great CRM allowed us to save a shipmate, and make it back home. Good luck on your adventures!great CRM allowed us to save a shipmate, and make it back

LT Hardaway walking up to greet the base operation supervisor and sign the return fl ight plan.


Features

Standing Up BasrahArticle and Photos By LT Chris McDonald, USN

It wasn’t the ideal Memorial Day cookout, but then again it wasn’t exactly Memorial Day either. Just like the date on the calendar, it was close—but not quite. The burgers and brats were there, but the beer was non-alcoholic. There was live music to entertain everyone and remind them of home, but the band was sporting the familiar Army fatigues. This was the fi rst time they were able to take a break as a whole to enjoy themselves, but the handheld walkie-talkies were everywhere, constantly reminding everyone that the “MEDEvAC” call could still come at any time.

The call didn’t come during the festivities that evening, considerately enough. Those that weren’t on the alert retired back to their tents across the base, while those that were remained at the airfi eld, hoping for a quiet night. They wouldn’t get their wish.

“Boom…boom.”The first couple sounded like dull

thuds, just enough to stop conversations, but not enough to cause any worry.

“BOOM!”The third one was the reality check.

The card games stopped, the cigars were stuffed into the sand, and that body armor that everyone had been issued was fi nally being donned in earnest.

“BOOOM!!”Some that were inside peeked outside

to see what was going on, while those that had been outside came scrambling in to take cover. For those stuck in the weight room, the rack of Continue on page 18

45-lb plates they were crouching behind suddenly didn’t seem heavy enough. For those caught in the shower, that soap-scummed floor didn’t seem so repulsive anymore. Meanwhile, the ten pilots, aircrewmen, and corpsmen on the MEDEvAC alert sprinted to the ready room and grabbed their fl ight gear.

The rumors of a new NAAD had been heard before. Whether it was expanding to Bucca to improve coverage in the Northern Arabian Gulf, or to Tallil Air Force base to free up Army assets, or to Basrah to relieve the British, the story itself was nothing new. The difference about this particular tale is that it was the truth.

In early February, CDR Eric Pfister, 2515th NAAD Commander, decided that this time it was enough of a certainty to brief his 107-person unit. They left with the understanding that this was the result of several factors: First off, the British were handing over all of their responsibilities in theater to U.S. forces on May 1st, 2009. Secondly, the U.S. Army was facing an increased demand for assets in Afghanistan, and could hardly afford to establish another MEDEvAC unit in Iraq. Last, but certainly not least, the 2515th NAAD had been providing fl awless MEDEvACservice from Camp Buehring, Kuwait, since November 2005. After three and a

half years of showing what this Navy helicopter unit was capable of doing in an overland environment, the powers that be had decided to ask for a little bit more. By May 1st, they were expected to have augmented their unit and then cleaved it in two, so that the 2515th NAAD would have four helicopters in Camp Buehring and four in Basrah, combining to provide MEDEvAC coverage to approximately 10,000 square miles in Kuwait and Southeastern Iraq.

By now the NAAD was no stranger to COB (short for Contingency Operating Base) Basrah, or its co-located Basrah International Airport. The MEDEvAC crews were called there on a regular basis, and it was one of the airfi elds always visited during orientation fl ights for new aircrew. That had not always been the case, however. For the fi rst couple years of the NAAD’s existence, the most diffi cult part about fl ying into Iraq was obtaining clearance to do so from the Army chain of command. Camp Buehring was only a 15-minute fl ight away from the Iraqi border, and 20 minutes from the nearest U.S. base in Iraq. The cross-border approval process took so long, however, that missions were frequently assigned to Iraq-based units instead, even though they were over three times as far from the pickup site.

That was then, however. A new FRAGO (Fragmentary Order) had since been issued that allowed NAAD cross-border missions to be approved at the O-5 level, greatly streamlining

Photo (above) Helo over Iraq while oil fi res burn in the background

After six and a half grueling weeks, all the hard work was fi nally starting to pay off. It was the day after Memorial Day, and the sailors of the nascent 2515th Naval Air Ambulance Detachment-Basrah, aka NAAD Basrah, were at last able to relax and refl ect on everything

they had accomplished. For the past four weeks Iraq’s newest MEDEvAC unit had been fully operational, even though it wasn’t until the day prior that their fi nal trailer was fi nished being refurbished. The collective reward was an all hands bar-be-que under the recently constructed sunshade.

Photo (above) Helo over Iraq while oil fi res burn in the background

After six and a half grueling weeks, all the hard work was fi nally starting to pay off. It was the day after Memorial Day, and the sailors of the nascent 2515th Naval Air Ambulance Detachment-Basrah, aka NAAD Basrah, were at last able to relax and refl ect on everything

they had accomplished. For the past four weeks Iraq’s newest MEDEvAC unit had been fully operational, even though it wasn’t until the day prior that their fi nal trailer was fi nished being refurbished. The collective reward was an all hands bar-be-que under the recently constructed sunshade.


Feature: Standing Up Barash

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the MEDEvAC launching process. Two short years later, the place that had once been practically off limits to NAAD aircraft was about to become their second home.

Shortly after that day in February when CDR Pfister revealed to his sailors the future of the 2515th, he turned over the position of NAAD Commander to CDR Ben Reynolds. It was clear from the start that his tenure would be dominated by one massive mission: Standing up NAAD Basrah.

He began by designating LCDR Pete Oldmixon as NAAD Basrah’s first Detachment OIC. It was up to Oldmixon, then, to answer all the questions. Who was going North? When would they start the moves? How many would there be? What would they call it?

For operational security reasons, they decided to dub the entire project Operation TOURNIQUET. For the next several weeks, Operation TOURNIQUET meetings were a fixture on the daily flight schedule. The only things they’d be inheriting were walls, floors and ceilings, so everything else had to be self-provided. There were many pieces of the puzzle that had to come together, and none could afford to be neglected.

The site visits began in March, and were a sobering experience. The working spaces they’d be moving into were shabby at best, and dilapidated at worst. The drywall was fraught with dents and cracks, the floors filled with sinkholes, and there were cinderblocks everywhere—a relic from when the rocket attacks were much more common, before an Iraqi Army operation expelled much of the anti-coalition militia from the city. It quickly became apparent that in addition to Det OIC, LCDR Oldmixon would also be serving as Home Improvement Coordinator.

On April 10th, the first advance party departed Camp Buehring for COB Basrah and began tackling the considerable project. That first night was spent constructing their own beds so they’d have somewhere to sleep. For the next two weeks, they worked 12-hour days, but the aircrew weren’t flying, and the wrenches the maintainers were turning weren’t on aircraft. They completely renovated the few spaces the British had already vacated and designed floorplans for the rest. The workload was consistently heavy, but morale stayed high, as each day they could see progress being made.

Though the spaces needed a lot of work, the men and women of the Royal Air Force 78th and 28th Squadrons that were leaving them could not have been more helpful. The Brits gladly showed Basrah’s newest residents around the base, introduced them to key support personnel, supplied them with detailed charts of the local area, and even provided an aerial tour from one of their AH7 Lynx helicopters. Of course, the Brits did have a vested interest in the success of their relief, as it correlated with their ability to return home. But their hospitality could not be understated—nor could the number of times they offered the Americans a fresh brew (of tea, that is).

Though much of what the British had installed would have to be totally replaced, the first NAAD Basrah members chose to preserve certain traditions of their predecessors. Each room featured British wall art, such as a meticulous replica of their squadron patch, a depiction of the mighty Merlin overflying downtown Basrah, or a Merlin and a Chinook flying in a tight formation. When those walls were repainted, the artistic renderings were preserved. Another simple nod to the Brits was the spelling of the NAAD’s new home—while most American units spelled it “Basra”, the 2515th NAAD emulated the British style by including the “h” at the end. After all, the British anglicized it first.

Perhaps the most prominent sign of the Basrah MEDEvAC heritage was a gift delivered at midnight on April 30th, the moment the 2515th assumed responsibility in the AOR. The two units had flown together on two MEDEvACS during a four-day transition period, but that was over, as was the Brits’ time in theater. They celebrated as only they could, with a round of tea for everyone and a knock on the door of the 2515th spaces. “Where’s Pete?” they asked LT Sean Ahearne, the NAAD Operations Officer who happened to be on the alert that night. He told them LCDR Oldmixon wasn’t around, but that they could celebrate with him instead. They generously presented him with a Union Jack signed by their entire unit, covered with thank yous and well-wishes.

Ahearne graciously accepted and then went back to sleep. That move proved prudent, as later that night his crew would be launched on NAAD Basrah’s first MEDEvAC of their own. As for the flag, it still hangs in the Ops Office, side by side with its old ally, the stars and stripes.

The departure of the RAF was a major milestone for their successors. The NAAD picked up several new rooms, but most significantly, it became the only MEDEvAC show in town. The missions rolled in at a steady but not overwhelming pace. They moved patients of all kinds—Americans and Iraqis, soldiers and civilians, the young and the senior citizens. The majority of the first month was spent transporting routine patients on pre-planned missions, but it was still no surprise when the urgent “MEDEvAC! MEDEvAC! MEDEvAC!” call crackled across the radios.

In the meantime, the new offices had to be remodeled, rewired, and furnished, one by one. Each room was a battle of its own, with walls to be cleaned, patched, and repainted; floors to be scrubbed or replaced altogether; and rooms to be divided. The whole process resembled a miniature war, with small victories each day and a gradually expanding front, and the primary enemies being cobwebs and cinderblocks. Hundreds of cinderblocks had to be removed from the trailers and rearranged in the yard, and with temperatures topping 110 degrees daily, each block felt heavier than the last. With each additional refurbished room or trailer, though, the shortage on workspaces was relieved, and the collective claustrophobia was gradually cured.

The progress even proved to be contagious, as neighboring Army units noticed how relatively inferior their spaces began to look, and promptly began their own remodeling projects. One particular soldier begged a group of NAAD aircrewman to please stop painting so much, because if they did, then he would be able stop too. One aircrewman simply replied, “We’re in the Navy, we paint things. It’s what we do.”

By May 26th, the 66 personnel that had initially shared six computers and one phone now operated out of ten comfortably equipped working spaces. The setup phase was for the most part complete, and it was time to relax and celebrate. The base Dining


Feature: Standing Up Barash Continued from page 18

New Helicopter Brings Marine Squadron Home To Family MembersArticle and Photo by Cpl. Chris T. Mann, USMC

The usual stern faces of Marines turned jubilant as several helicopters touched down on the fl ight line here July 31.

The sound of the rotors in the air marked the end of a seven-month deployment and new pages of history books being written for Marines with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Squadron Marines returned home with their heads held high, making history as the fi rst squadron to successfully employ the UH-1 Yankee helicopter during a tour overseas. The Squadron deployed as the aviation element of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton in January. “We were very successful at conducting operations with the new helicopter, shortly after being presented a great opportunity to support the 13th MEU,” said Maj. Mark Angersbach, UH-1 pilot with the MEU and training instructor from Seattle, WA. “The enemy now has to deal with a helicopter that is faster and has more weapons capabilities.” Marines with

the 13th MEU spent their time conducting operations with the Navy aboard the USS Boxer in the Central and Pacifi c areas of operations spanning from the West Coast of the United States to the Persian Gulf Region. “We went underway with several Cobras and effectively conducted utility missions and anti-piracy operations with the MEU,” said Angersbach. The Yankee model helicopter is an upgrade from the November model and replaces existing UH-1s in the Marine Corps. The newer aircraft weighs less than its predecessor and travels through the air at faster speeds with more rotor blades. The aircraft also has the added capability of delivering more fi re power to targets on the ground with its added weight capacity. The helicopter can now hold up to eight Marines inside the transport area. “Every mission for us was a sustained utility mission with higher payloads,” said Sgt. Trevor T. Cook, a 23-

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Facility provided the meats and side dishes while the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th

Red Bull Band provided the entertainment. LTJG James Gelsinon and AWS2 Timothy Igoe manned the grill, and all everyone else had to worry about was sitting back and enjoying themselves. The only interruption in the festivities was a belated Memorial Day moment of silence in honor of those that fought before us.

The atmosphere for the remainder of the evening was light and care-free, and each individual plankowner was able to unwind in his or her own way. Plenty spent the entire evening telling jokes and swapping stories, while the quieter types were able to sit down and serenely soak up the ambiance. The one common thought that didn’t need mentioning was the understanding that together they had all accomplished something fantastic. The strides that they had made in the past month and a half were nothing short of extraordinary. The massive project they had embarked upon required maximum effort from all hands, and throughout it all they still provided critical MEDEvAC coverage to an active region of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

After the music died down and the cleanup crew began picking up used plates and cups, AE2 Justin Whisenhunt pointed out the thin crescent moon that had risen over the

concrete walls. “I’d watch out tonight. They might see that as a sign,” he said, referring to the lunar symbol that adorns the fl ags of many predominantly Islamic countries. No one else thought much of his observation at the time. Nobody would have even remembered it, if he hadn’t been proven correct.

The rocket attack began under the cover of darkness, after most tenants of COB Basrah thought their day was complete. The fi rst few blasts pierced the peaceful evening, producing varying reactions. The veterans of previous attacks recognized the sound immediately and wisely dove for cover. Among Basrah’s newest residents, there was a mix of disbelief and amazement, followed by the reality check. Until now, these attacks had just been slides on an intel report. This one, they could hear, and they could feel. Once the gravity of the situation set in, everyone reacted appropriately—grabbing their body armor and a section of a cinderblock wall. And they waited.

Back at the airfi eld side of the base, various units were springing into action. The Apaches of the Quick Reaction Force could be heard spinning up, while the ten MEDEvAC crewmembers grabbed their body armor, fl ight vest,

helmet, night vision goggles, sidearms, and medical kits. They too waited. Eventually the blasts subsided and were replaced by the “All clear” call over the base loudspeakers. The longer the alert crews waited in vain, the better the news. Thankfully, the call for a MEDEvAC did not come. One by one, they stood down, and found a bunk bed or a cot and went to sleep. The only casualty from that bombardment turned out to be an indirect one—the festivities had caused one particular soldier to develop chest pains, and he needed to be evacuated to a larger hospital. Shortly after midnight, the familiar call rang out—“MEDEvAC, MEDEvAC, MEDEvAC!” And within ten minutes, the two alert crews of NAAD Basrah went from being sound asleep to being suited up and taxiing out.

This was the new NAAD. They were playing the same game, but it was on a whole new ballfi eld. The task they had all been asked to accomplish together was monumental, but no one ever expressed any doubt that it could be done. They were up and running now, standing the 15-minute alert at all times, in the spirit of the MEDEvACcredo: “So others may live.” That would not be the last rocket attack they’d endure, nor the most severe. Whatever the level of adversity, however, the MEDEvAC crews of NAAD Basrah will be standing by, waiting for the call.


Feature: New Helicopters Brings Marine Squadron

year old Huey crew chief from Lyndonville, N.Y. The control consoles inside the helicopter have changed from analog control knobs and switches to a high-tech digital panel. The Yankee can also carry more fuel, keeping it in the air for longer periods of time. The helicopter, which originated during the vietnam era now has an entirely new facelift that gives added capabilities for Marines with the squadron and those they support. “We brought the big guns to fi ght this time,” said Cook. “We learned a lot of new things about the aircraft and kept up with the Marine Corps tradition of ‘adapt and overcome’.” The squadron, also known as Evil Eyes, is based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, but returned to the local area with members of the 13th MEU to Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton.

(photo on left) Marines from HMM 163 return from a seven-month deployment


Surviving Wet Feet in a HelicopterThe Department of the Navy Experience

Article by Peter B. Mapes, MD MPH, BS

Cleared by Department of Defense for open publication

The Department of the Navy (DoN) has accomplished a remarkable feat over the last quarter of a century by preserving lives in

maritime helicopter mishaps. I’ve tried to trace the progress of what happened and have come up with a few clues because I’d like to bottle it and sell it to the rest of DoD but my picture is incomplete. None the less, I’d like to share what I’ve found because it is a great story, bears repeating and has lessons for every one of us who fl ies in a helicopter out of autorotation distance of land. On the odd chance that someone unfamiliar with what happens to a helicopter when it goes into the water reads this, a brief review is in order. Most of the readers have this burned into their cortexes. A helicopter is a top heavy machine, when it goes into the drink, it inverts and starts to sink. If you try to egress while the water is rushing in, you will fail, and probably drown trying. Instead, you have to be patient, stay oriented to the nearest exit, let the helicopter fi ll with water, then exit once the inrush stops and head for the surface. The period from 1985 through 1994 was a rough time for the DoN with respect to personnel who drowned or were lost at sea (i.e. – body never recovered) as a result of helicopter mishaps. The Service lost 119 people to Davy Jones during that period in helicopter mishaps.1 This was 38.5% of all DoN helicopter deaths for the period. Enter the Naval Air Development Center in Warminster, PA (now closed) who contracted with Simula, Inc. to produce a report titled: “The Naval Aircraft Crash Environment: Aircrew

Survivability and Aircraft Structural Response.”2 This report was completed on 9 September 1988 and was approved for public release with unlimited distribution. The report looked at DoN fl ight mishaps from Jan 72 through Dec 81 and reviewed eighty-four helicopter and seventy-one maritime fi xed wing mishaps during the period. Unlike many reports of the period, it looked into injuries and fatalities in-depth and made an attempt to isolate specifi c hazards. Lets review the DoN helicopter data for the period of the Simula report. There were seven hundred and ninety four people aboard the eighty-four helicopter mishaps and one hundred and seventy-fi ve of them died (22.4%). An additional one hundred and thirty-eight sustained major injuries (17.4%). The helicopter water mishaps were divided into thirty-six “low severity” mishaps, thirty-seven “signifi cant survivable” mishaps and ten “nonsurvivable” mishaps. These mishaps constituted 45.3% of all DoN helicopter mishaps for the period. Helicopters going into the water were a signifi cant issue for the DoN. Water related mishaps were the leading cause of lost DoN helicopter airframes for the H-2, H-3 and H-46 airframes. Land mishaps outweighed water mishaps for the AH-1, H-1 and H-53 which were primarily in service with the Marine Corps. During the period of the Simula, Inc. study (CYs 72-81), the Navy lost one hundred and eighteen people to water related mishaps. This is remarkably similar to the one hundred and nineteen lost to drowning and loss at sea in the study by Kent1 during the period

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Miramar, but returned to the local area with members of the


Feature: Surviving Wet Feet In A Helicopter

FYs 85-94. The Simula, Inc. study was an engineering study and focused on the crash dynamics. As such it was denominator poor. It was able to characterize the parameters that made a water mishap in helicopters most likely to be survivable. Some of these parameters are a vertical impact velocity of 39 feet/sec or less into the water, a lateral impact velocity of 25 feet/sec or less for cargo and attack helicopters and 30 feet/sec for other rotary wing aircraft. Pilots and copilots fared better in water related mishaps demonstrating a fatality and major injury rate (combined) of 34% versus 51% for land mishaps. Perhaps the most important fi nding was the association of back injuries with occupants of non-stroking seats in survivable mishaps! Fully a quarter of the injury cost was attributable to the structural failure of occupant seating which allowed the occupant to impact aircraft structure. To quote the report: “The most serious crash hazard resulted from failure of the structural integrity of crew and troop seats. The problem was noted repeatedly in accident reports as an inherent problem of several of these helicopter models.” The third leading cause of injury/fatality was poor utilization of existing restraints and failure of the gunner’s belt to provide effective restraint which allows secondary impacts. The fourth leading cause of injury/fatality was rapid submergence after impact without permitting egress of the occupants and the fi fth leading cause of injury/fatality was displacement of the main rotor blade <transmission> downward on impact and entering occupiable space. Some one in the DoN took notice and began a systematic upgrade of the seats in the H-53 and H-46 series helicopters. Of note, Sikorsky supplied the H-60 to the Navy with stroking seats in all positions. In addition, a decision was made to provide aircrew and passengers with High Pressure Emergency Egress Devices (HEEDS) which contain about a minute of air stored in a portable cylinder. This device gives the occupant of a sinking helicopter breathing air that can be used as the helicopter sinks, thus helping to fi ght the urge to attempt a panicked escape against a wall of inrushing water. Pilots had used these devices for a while but the application of this device to all aboard was an obvious and necessary move in light of the data from the Simula, Inc. report. The DoN also enacted another critical initiative in the mid 1990s. Aircrew had been routinely given “Dunker” training but, from that point forward, selected members (frequent fl yers) of the Fleet Marine Force were also required to undergo training in the “Dilbert Dunker.” For those unaware, the Dunker is a mock helicopter cargo compartment on rails that slides into a swimming pool, inverts and sinks. It provides the most realistic training available for helicopter occupants involved in maritime mishaps. An untrained person is almost certainly going to die in a maritime mishap but a dunker trained person has a good chance of surviving if the impact is survivable. The DoN has always been the best Department for ensuring the use of head protection for occupants during

helicopter operations and they have always required the use of personal fl otation devices over water for all occupants. In the mid 1990s, they got substantially more serious about the use of immersion suits when water temperatures were at or below sixty degrees Fahrenheit. When LtCol Rawson Wood looked at the Naval helicopter mishap data, he discovered an improvement in overall mishap rates during the period from FY 1995 through 2005 versus the earlier period of FY 1985 through 1994.3 He discovered that the decline in mishaps was signifi cant, when measured against fl ight hours for the H-46 TMS (Type/Model/Series) <RR

1=1.78; p=0.032> and that there were insignifi cant

decreases in mishap rates for the AH-1 <p=0.148>, H-53 <p=0.197> and H-60 TMS <p=0.385>. Only the UH-1 showed an insignifi cant increase in mishap rate <p= 0.616>. Fatality rates declined signifi cantly in the AH-1 <RR=3.03; p=0.0026>, H-46 <RR=1.46; p=0.029> and the H-53 <RR=1.80; p=0.00068> TMSs. (Note: RR, relative risk, is the likelihood of an event in the fi rst ten year period versus the likelihood of an event in the second period – eleven years. P-value is the chance that the difference seen is due to chance alone, so a ‘p-value’ of 0.03 indicates a 3% chance that the difference is occurring randomly. To be considered signifi cant, the ‘p-value’ of a statistic must be 0.05 or less.) very importantly, the H-60 fatality rate (originally provided with crashworthy seats from the factory) was unchanged in the two periods compared. LtCol Wood3 found that the relative risk of a mishap, given embarked (maritime) operations, was eight times the risk of operations over land. He also discovered that the fatality rate of DoN helicopters at sea was substantially and signifi cantly worse that the fatality rate over land for all fi ve of the helicopters he studied. His results are tabulated in Table 1 (page 22). The leading cause of the mishaps? Controlled fl ight into the water or, as we generalize the term, Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT). Moreover, the proportion of CFIT mishaps did not change from the fi rst ten year period (FY 85-94) to the second, eleven year, period (FY 95-05). High speed (above effective translational lift, or ETL) mishaps had a signifi cantly higher fatality rate in each of the fi ve helicopters studied when mishaps caused by human factors were considered. A similar pattern was seen in non-human factors mishaps in the AH-1 and the UH-1 but not in the H-46, H-53 or H-60. At this point, I return to the data analyzed by LtCol Rob Kent1. He looked at specifi c types of injuries and compared the outcomes of occupants in the pilot compartments versus the cargo compartments of the DoN helicopter TMSs. He also analyzed the outcomes of the improvements initiated by the mid 1990s as a result of the 1988 Simula, Inc. report2. What he found is amazing! The DoN water related fatalities (drowning and lost at sea), Table 2 (page 22) declined from one hundred and nineteen in the fi rst decade (FY 85 – 94) to fourteen in the second period of eleven years (FY 95 – 05). The exposure fl ight hours fl own by the DoN were 5,261,481 for the fi rst period and 4,439,551 for the second period so the

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Feature: Surviving Wet Feet In A Helicopter

Aircraft Relative Risk of Fatality, embarked versus ashore 95% Confidence Interval p - v a l u eAN-1 4.62 1.9 - 10.9 0 . 0 0 0 0 4UH-1 3.58 2.19 - 5.81 0.00000001H-46 9.55 6.64 - 13.75 0.00000001H-53 3.76 2.53 - 5.55 0.00000001H-60 5.68 2.72 - 12.03 0.00000001

Table 1 – Relative Risk of Fatality in the DoN, given a helicopter mishap over water versus over land

fatality rate declined from 2.26/100KHrs. to 0.315/100KHrs. There is a ringer in this though because there was a general decline in the accident rates of DoN helicopters, but it was only signifi cant for the H-46 TMS. Still, the fatality rate needs to be adjusted by a measure of mishap rates which captures the overall decline in mishap rates. The best measure I could fi nd to make the adjustment were the fatalities not due to drowning and being lost at sea. There were 186 of these fatalities in the fi rst period and 126 in the latter period. The unadjusted risk revealed a 7.71 times greater chance of drowning and loss at sea in the fi rst period when compared to the second period which was highly signifi cant <p=0.00000001>. The adjusted risk using the other mortality data produced an adjusted risk in the fi rst decade of 3.85 which was also highly signifi cant <p=0.000001>. What all this means is that the interventions introduced by the DoN after the Simula, Inc. report:

Improved seats•Dunker training for crew and passengers•HEEDS for crew and passengers•Immersion suits in cold water for crew and passengers•

saved eighty-six lives. Who gets the credit? Simula, Inc. for a report that adequately identifi ed the problem; NAVAIR, CNAF, N88 for having the guts to act on the data, set the requirements, and act on the policy; PMA-202 for providing the technology; PMA-261 and

PMA-226 for getting crashworthy seat improvements into the helicopters and PMA-299 for making sure the H-60 had crashworthy seats from the start. Operationally, you can take some real lessons from this! Everyone needs to be in a crashworthy stroking seat as much as possible, particularly during operations below effective translational lift (ETL) when mishaps are largely survivable. The use of gunner’s harnesses should be avoided as much as possible by staying strapped into a crashworthy seat. The data shows they are unsafe at any speed. Anyone fl ying out of autorotation distance of land needs to have completed dunker training – the difference between trained and untrained personnel in a maritime mishap situation is literally one of life and death, it really is that simple. Everyone fl ying over water needs to have a HEEDS bottle on their person – without it, the training has less value because the egress becomes more urgent when you fi nd yourself in the drink. Lastly, immersion suits must be worn when fl ying over water at temperatures below sixty degrees Fahrenheit, otherwise dunkees will quickly become too cold to save themselves. Eventually, hypothermia results in ventricular fi brillation and death. So, when you are out there defending the Constitution and protecting our way of life, make sure the people on board your rotorcraft are qualifi ed to be there. If they aren’t qualifi ed for maritime operations, have them wait on shore.

D/LAS Other Fatalities D/LAS Total Hours Ratio

FY 85 -94(1) 119 186 39% (2.26/100Khrs) (5,261,481)

FY 95 -05(2) 14 126 10% (.315/100Khrs) (4,439,551)

RR Fatal 1 3.85 RR hours1 7.71% (p<0.000001) (p<0.00000001)

Table 2: Drowning / Lost at Sea Rates Overall Decrease: FY 85-94 vs. FY 95-05

Bibliography:

1. Kent, Robert S.; DoN Helicopter Mishaps, FY 85-05: Injury and Fatality Data: Findings and Recommendations. Presented to the Defense Safety Oversight Council, 1 May 2008, of behalf of the Aviation Safety Technology Working Group of the Acquisition Technology Programs Task Force. Document Number SAM-GE-BR-JA-2008-009.

2. Simula, Inc.: The Naval Aircraft Crash Environment: Aircrew Survivability and Aircraft Structural Response. 9 Sep 88, Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, PA 18974-5000.

3. Wood, Rawson & Mooney, Rick: Naval Helicopter Mishap Findings and Recommendations. Produced for the Defense Safety Oversight Council, 3 May 2007, of behalf of the Aviation Safety Technology Working Group. Document Number AFRL-WS 07-1100.

your rotorcraft are qualifi ed to be there. If they aren’t qualifi ed for maritime operations, have them wait on shore.



Feature

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Naval Education And Training Command Changes LeadershipArticle and Photos by Mr. Ed BarkerNaval Education and Training Public Affairs Office

RADM Gary R. Jones turned over command of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) to RADM Joseph F. Kilkenny August

13, 2009 during a change of command ceremony at the National Museum of Naval Aviation on board Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.

The training command is the largest shore command in the U.S. Navy and provides training for all Sailors, as well as personnel from the Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and international students from allied nations.

vADM Mark E. Ferguson III, the Chief of Naval Personnel, was a guest speaker at the event.

“The impact of NETC on the Navy is tremendous,” said vADM Ferguson. “RADM Jones has touched the lives of every Sailor in the Navy today. His dedication to their development has been the driving force behind all NETC has accomplished and his contributions will endure for years to come.”

Jones said his tour of duty at NETC was one of the most dynamic assignments of his Navy career.

“I was extremely honored to work with the outstanding professionals at NETC,” said Jones. “The stellar work of these people positively impacts the successful mission of every other command in the Navy. I take great pride knowing that every single Sailor in the Navy is a NETC graduate.

“In addition to our Sailors, in Fiscal Year 2008 we provided the same exemplary learning and development opportunities to more than 33,700 Marines, 2,200 Soldiers, 2,200 Airmen and 2,200 Coast Guardsmen. Reaching out to our allies, more than 12,000 international students from more than 150 nations attend NETC courses annually. Last year we

logged more than 615,000 graduations from our courses. Am I proud of our training professionals? You can bet on it!”

Jones is also retiring from the Navy and guest speaker vADM Dirk Debbink, chief of Navy Reserve, lauded Jones for his career of service to the nation.

“Sailor, aviator, strategist, scholar, statesman, mentor and most of all, leader - RADM Gary Jones has lived a life of service that has defended our Nation, strengthened our alliances and educated a generation of Sailors,” said Debbink.

“With a career of service spanning four decades, RADM Jones has touched the lives of tens of thousands of Sailors in a very personal way, and he now leaves the Navy in the capable hands of those he led and trained. Gary and his

family have our deepest appreciation and gratitude for all the sacrifices they’ve made during their years of service.”

There have been major changes to Navy training since Jones took command in February 2007. As the Navy’s mission evolved, its training evolved too. A few of the changes include:

With the Navy’s increased emphasis on •maritime interdiction, NETC’s Center for

RADM Jones speaks to the audience at the National Navy Aviation Museum.

RADM Joseph Kilkenny takes command.


Feature: Navy Education and Training Changes Leadership


Security Forces developed the visit, Board, Search and Seizure (vBSS) course that provides Sailors skills on boarding ships, and tactics designed to combat terrorism, piracy and smuggling. In support of the newly established Navy •Expeditionary Combat Command, NETC training commands developed and provided specialty training in weapons, security, boat operations and ordnance disposal. Success in achieving the nation’s Maritime •Strategy depends in large part on our ability to communicate with and comprehend potential adversaries, enduring allies, and emerging partner nations. The Center for Information Dominance (CID) was tasked with developing training to support deploying personnel with language skills, regional expertise and cultural awareness.

Taking over leadership of the training mission is RADM Joseph F. Kilkenny, who previously was commander of Navy Recruiting Command.

“RADM KilKenny is perfect for this job,” Jones said. “He is passionate about what we do and where we are going. He has been a staunch advocate for education and training throughout his career. He did a fantastic job at Navy Recruiting Command and I’m sure he will do an equally superb job as NETC commander.”

Raised in Philadelphia, Kilkenny is a 1977 graduate of The Citadel, South Carolina’s military college. He received his commission through the Naval Reserve Offi cer Training Corps (ROTC) program and was designated a naval fl ight offi cer in December 1978.

Kilkenny began his career fl ying the A-6 Intruder and later fl ew the EA-6B Prowler, F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Super Hornet. At sea he served in squadrons, ship’s company and

afl oat staff assignments with attack squadrons, carriers, carrier air wings and carrier battle groups. He has logged more than 800 carrier-arrested landings and 3500 fl ight hours in tactical jets. His fl ag offi cer assignments include Director, Aviation Plans and Requirements (N780) on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations and Special Assistant for Naval Aviation’s Human Capital Strategy on the staff of Commander Naval Air Forces. In April 2005 he assumed Command of Carrier Strike Group Ten onboard USS Harry S Truman. In September 2005 he was the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander for Joint Task Force Katrina and Rita in the Gulf of Mexico. In June 2006 he became Commander, Navy Recruiting Command. Kilkenny will assume all responsibilities for the Naval Education and Training Command, which is the Navy’s premier learning organization whose mission is to educate and train those who serve, providing the tools and opportunities which ensure fl eet readiness and mission accomplishment, enhance professional growth and development, and enable life-long learning.

The NETC enterprise is comprised of 230 activities and commands and provides training for an average of 35,000 personnel on any given day. The NETC staff consists of more than 19,000 military and civilian personnel around the world with a budget of $1.3 billion.

RADM Jones (middle left) joined by other senior helo aviators: (l-r) RDML Paul Grosklags, RDML William Shannon, and CAPT John Roberti.

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Join NHA/Re-new membership online with Paypal • More Feature Articles online & A Rotor Review Blog • much more.

Experience It ! Go to www.navalhelicopterassn.org


A Navy helicopter thumped low over Pensacola on July 29, 2009, making its final flight before landing in the National Naval Aviation

Museum’s parking lot to take its place in history. It was offi cial on the following day when the museum offi cially unveiled Venom 500, an SH-60B Seahawk helicopter that has been in continuous duty with the Navy since 1986 for the HSL-48 Vipers.

This is the fi rst SH-60 to be displayed in Pensacola, even though it is the third to join the museum’s aircraft collection. The o ther two a re on loan to other facili t ies. This Seahawk along with other SH-60Bs has been described as one of the most versatile U.S. military helicopter platforms since the UH-1 Huey. It falls in the same platform family as the Army Blackhawk.

“This occasion is bittersweet,” said HSL-48’s commanding offi cer, CDR Stephen Banta. “Today we retire venom 500 after 23 years of faithful service to the United States Navy. But we are thankful for the opportunity that the museum has provided, and we are honored that our community will now be represented in this museum.”

During its career, Venom 500 fl ew more than 8,700 hours, fi rst as a training aircraft, and later in a counter-submarine mission, fl ying off Navy destroyers and frigates. It also did a stint in counter-narcotics, seizing 99 kilograms of cocaine after being deployed on the USS Boone in 1999.

CAPT (Ret) Gregory Hoffman, director of Navy requirements for Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., which manufactured the helicopter, said “ the Navy is moving to a new version of the Seahawk with more advanced avionics and combat systems. This aircraft being retired today represents the entire community’s transition to the MH-60R and where we are going in the future of naval aviation. The SH-60B was a solid performer for the Navy.”

“This aircraft was, literally, a game-changer for the United States Navy,” Hoffman said. “This aircraft exceeded everyone’s expectations, functionally, operationally and particularly from a tactical standpoint.”

Hoffman also has a personal connection with the helicopter. According to an old log book entry, he fl ew the

Feature:

Director of the National Naval Aviation Museum, CAPT (Ret) Bob Rasmussen, said he was glad to be able to add the helicopter to the museum’s collection. “It’s terrifi c,” Rasmussen said. “It’s great that this aircraft now is taking its rightful place here in this museum with all of the icons and greats of Naval aviation.”

(l-r) CAPT (Ret) Bob Rasmussen has a conversation with RADM Gary Jones (NETC) in front of Venom 500. Photo courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum

rightful place here in this museum with all of the icons and

National Naval Aviation Museum Adds Venom 500 to Its Collection

Article by Mr. Travis Griggs (Pensacola News Journal Staff) and Mr. Bill Hendrix (Navy History and Heritage Command Public Affairs) . Edited by NHA Editors

helicopter on Dec. 17, 1998 — an important day in his fl ying history. “Not only is an aircraft I fl ew here in this museum ... but Dec. 17, 1998, just happened to be the 22nd anniversary of the day I got my wings right here in Pensacola.”

The display of this helicopter will enhance the museum’s monthly “Discovery Saturday” program, which started August 15, 2009 and has brought three instructor pilots from NAS Whiting Field to talk to museum visitors and helicopter enthusiasts about their experiences fl ying the SH-60, CH-53, and CH-46 helicopters in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Venom 500 arriving at the museum. Photo courtesy of rhe

National Naval Aviation Museum

Venom 500 outside the National Naval Aviation Museum. Photo courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum


Feature:

I, Robot:It’s Time to Embrace the Fire ScoutArticle by LCDR Benjamin “BJ” Armstrong

American military power faces a new direction in warfare as it comes to terms with the twenty-first century. Recent articles in Joint

Force Quarterly, Armed Forces Journal, and Small Wars Journal demonstrate that the U.S. military must develop new theories of counter-insurgency and stability operations. In the foreseeable future the traditional conflicts of massed armies appear less likely than the asymmetric and hybrid conflicts of the post-Cold War era. This extends beyond land warfare alone. Sea power and air power are going through significant adjustments to address the irregular threats of modern global operations. The increasing importance of helicopters is only one example. Today’s most common discussion in military aviation is about the role of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in hybrid conflicts. The role of Predator, Reaper, and the small tactical UAS’s in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom are a growing success story. If the helicopter community isn’t careful, the model developed by the Air Force of a separate UAS community will remove a vital opportunity from our future.

Without positive steps to retain ownership of the MQ-8 Fire Scout it will be siphoned off to a separate community of UAS aviators. The Quadrennial Defense Review is moving toward implementation, and the creation of a new UAS community has become a discussion item at the highest levels of the Pentagon. The possibility is real, as the Surface Warfare community has seen. The Naval Expeditionary Combat Command removed riverine warfare, coastal warfare, and maritime security from their traditional place in Surface Warfare. Accordingly, the surface community has lost control of the funding, development, and leadership of these areas. A new UAS based command will compete with rotary-wing aviation for funding and quality personnel. As Fire Scout and the fixed-wing community’s Unmanned Combat Aerial System (UCAS) come online the risks increase.

Rotorheads might suggest that development of a new UAS community is a good idea, we can be rid of those silly robots and keep them from taking over our missions. This is foolish. It not only ignores the reality of twenty-first century aviation but also misses the tactical value that the UAS can add to our operations. By allowing the Fire Scout to be placed in a separate community we lose control of its development. This is bad for the community and bad for the Navy. Dr. Mark Mandeles has studied and written on the development of transformational technology for the Secretary of Defense’s Office of Net Assessment. In his book, Military Transformation Past and Present: Historic Lessons for 21st Century, he concluded that stove-piping tactical development of a new technology in one organization slowed success. In order for the Navy’s UAS programs to develop into a war-fighting platform they must be divided between the rotary and

fixed-wing communities, and driven by seasoned leaders: aviators with experience in manned aircraft in today’s conflicts.

Discussion of Fire Scout’s capabilities focuses on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). Because of the traditional expertise of the LAMPS squadrons in ISR, dedicated Fire Scout squadrons should first be added to the Helicopter Maritime Strike wings on each coast. Designated as HSM(U) squadrons they should be designed as expeditionary, detachment concept units, made up only of MQ-8’s. These squadrons should be manned by rotary-wing aviators, limited duty officers, and maintainers from the helicopter world rather than contractors or others. The responsibility for flying the aircraft should remain with the enlisted Air Warfare operators, but detachment leadership and mission commander responsibilities should lay with rotary-wing Naval Aviators. The squadrons will probably be smaller than today’s Expeditionary squadrons, since the manpower requirements for Fire Scout DETs are likely to be lower.

After implementation and integration of the first two units more squadrons can be added, including branching out to Helicopter Sea Combat Wings as new capabilities are added to the MQ-8 platform. Adding dedicated UAS squadrons to the existing wings would take advantage of the expertise that already exists in the helicopter community, both tactically with officers selected from

Continue on page 27

Fire Scout during sea trials. Photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman.


Feature: I, Robot


the helicopter world and technically with maintenance professionals experienced in rotary-wing platforms. As a secondary benefi t, adding Fire Scout squadrons to our wings also opens up new command opportunities and department head billets that will allow us to promote more of our top talent.

There are probably more elaborate plans out there in the helicopter community to coincide with the scheduled

initial MQ-8 deployment aboard USS McInerney (FFG-8). If so, the work has been behind the scenes and without enough explanation to the community or to the Navy. Articles in naval journals, speakers at symposia, and advocates in the greater Navy are needed to correct the perception that the community is keeping the program under wraps or at arm’s length.

Dedicated UAS squadrons will be a part of the future Navy. We need to ensure that we have a say over whether they will be developed, commanded, and manned by the rotary-wing community or someone else. It is time for us to speak as a group and embrace the future of the Fire Scout and other UAS, in order to help fi ght and win the hybrid confl icts of the new century.

Fire Scout on deck. Photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman.

help fi ght and win the hybrid confl icts


Twentieth Annual

Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-InOCTOBER 20-23, 2009 • NAS WHITING FIELD• MILTON, FL

Schedule of Events (Tentatively)

Tuesday, 20 October 20091100-1600 Aircraft Recovery Window1100-1800 CBQ/Rental Car Check-In Window1100-1500 Welcome Aboard BBQ/ Sports Sign-Up1430 Course Rules Brief1500 Flight Suit Formal

Wednesday 21 October, 20090630 5K Run0800-0830 Opening Remarks, Industry and Static Displays Open0830-1200 INDOC Fly Window0800 NHA Directors Meeting1200 SNA Fly Window closes. Displays at Industry Discretion1200 Golf Tournament1800 Flight Suit Formal

Thursday, 22 October 20090730 Breakfast0800 Detailer/Monitor Visits for Fleet Aircrews0800-1015 Community Briefs0800-1030 Industry Displays Open1030-1200 Senior Officer Panel1215 Lunch1300-1600 Industry and Static Display Open, IP Detailer/Monitor Briefs1300-1600 INDOC Fly Window1630 SNA Soft-Patch/Happy Hour

Friday, 23 October 20090700-0800 Fleet Aircrew Breakfast0800-1700 Aircraft Departure Window, Fleet Aircrew Rental Car Return1300 Winging Ceremony

For more information on the Schedule of Events, contact LT Jack Clark at (904)669-0055

Experience The Adventure


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AH-1W AH-1W AH-1W 165165165

AH-1Z AH-1Z AH-1Z 6/2266/2266/226

UH-1N UH-1N UH-1N 868686

UH-1Y UH-1Y UH-1Y 17/12317/12317/123

CH-46E CH-46E CH-46E 168168168

MV-22B MV-22B MV-22B 73/36073/36073/360

17/12317/12317/123

CH-46E CH-46E CH-46E

73/36073/36073/360

HV-22 HV-22 HV-22 165165165

CH-53D CH-53D CH-53D CH-53D CH-53D CH-53D 363636

CH-53E CH-53E CH-53E 152152152

MH-53E MH-53E MH-53E MH-53E MH-53E MH-53E 31 to 2831 to 2831 to 28

SH-60B F SH-60B F SH-60B F SH-60B F SH-60B F SH-60B F 139 (B) 56 (F)139 (B) 56 (F)139 (B) 56 (F)139 (B) 56 (F)139 (B) 56 (F)139 (B) 56 (F)139 (B) 56 (F)139 (B) 56 (F)139 (B) 56 (F)

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MH-60R MH-60R MH-60R MH-60R MH-60R MH-60R 33/30033/30033/300

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MH-60S MH-60S MH-60S MH-60S MH-60S MH-60S 137/273 137/273 137/273 137/273 137/273 137/273

HH-60H HH-60H HH-60H 353535

TH-57 TH-57 TH-57 121121121

PC

PC

DoN Rotorcraft Platforms -The Pig in the Python

The Future of the Naval Vertical Lift Platforms

On 18 Jan ’08, in a letter to SECDEF Gates and CJCS Admiral Mullen, the Congressional Rotorcraft Caucus expressed concern that there was a “lack of a strategic plan for improving the state of vertical lift aircraft

in the United States.” The Caucus stated that “the level of investment and innovation (in the vertical lift community) did not match pressing national security needs.” This letter resulted in a little-noticed provision in the FY-09 defense authorization bill. This law (section 255) has set into motion a most ambitious project that aims to defi ne the future for military vertical lift aircraft. This project is the Future vertical Lift Capabilities Based Assessment (CBA). The CBA’s goal is to determine what new and better rotary-wing aircraft the armed services will need beyond what we use now or have on the drawing boards and to chart a course to ensure that government and industry can provide them. This law also requires the Pentagon to give Congress a “detailed plan to establish a Joint Vertical Lift Aircraft/Rotorcraft Offi ce” modeled on the Joint Advanced Strike Technology offi ce of the 1990s. The CBA must be completed by 3QCY10; the starting point for envisioning new rotary-wing or other vertical-lift aircraft for the services is 2020. The CBA has three major deliverables:

Article by RADM Steve Tomaszeski, USN(Ret)

Feature:

CH-53K CH-53K CH-53K 200200200

PC

6 IOCs in 7 years

Production Complete

All Platforms “Aging”


Feature: The Future of the Vertical Lift Platforms


1400

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0 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030 2032 2034 2036 2038

An assessment of what the services’ needs will be after existing and planned •generations of helicopters and other vSTOL aircraft reach the end of their service lives

A strategic plan for how the military services can jointly develop future vertical •lift aircraft

A science and technology plan — including an inventory of available funds and •other resources — to chart a course for developing vertical lift aircraft needed after 2020

So, what does this all mean to you? Study the Rotorcraft Inventory charts compiled by our colleagues at PAX River’s Naval Aviation Center for Rotorcraft Advancement. There will be 6 helicopter programs that will achieve Initial Operating Capability (IOC) in the next 7 years. After that we have no new helicopter programs on the boards: zip, zilch, nada. The point is we need investment now to replace our aging platforms. 2020 may seem light years away, but it’s not when you are developing new rotorcraft technology. The good news is congress, OSD, industry and the entire armed forces helicopter community is engaged. OSD held their fi rst Rotary Wing Roundtable with captains of the RW industry and the services on 13 August 2009. The CBA reports out this time next year. Twenty months after the Congressional Rotorcraft Caucus letter was sent OSD seems to be developing a sense of urgency in solving this challenge.

Rotorcraft Inventory


An assessment of what the services’ needs will be after existing and planned •generations of helicopters and other vSTOL aircraft reach the end of their service lives

A strategic plan for how the military services can jointly develop future vertical •lift aircraft

A science and technology plan — including an inventory of available funds and •other resources — to chart a course for developing vertical lift aircraft needed after 2020

So, what does this all mean to you? Study the Rotorcraft Inventory charts compiled by our colleagues at PAX River’s Naval Aviation Center for Rotorcraft Advancement. There will be 6 helicopter programs that will achieve Initial Operating Capability (IOC) in the next 7 years. After that we have no new helicopter programs on the boards: zip, zilch, nada. The point is we need investment now to replace our aging platforms. 2020 may seem light years away, but it’s not when you are developing new rotorcraft technology. The good news is congress, OSD, industry and the entire armed forces helicopter community is engaged. OSD held their fi rst Rotary Wing Roundtable with captains of the RW industry and the services on 13 August 2009. The CBA reports out this time next year. Twenty months after the Congressional Rotorcraft Caucus letter was sent OSD seems to be developing a sense of urgency in solving this challenge.

Need To Invest Now In Key Technologies


Continue on page 33

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l A Hell of a Way to Fight a War

The Adventures and Tribulations of a Helo CSAR Pilot in Vietnam.Article and Photos by CAPT David J. McCracken, USN (Ret)Edited by CAPT Vincent C. Secades, USN (Ret)

In the life of a man there are times when transcendental events seem to rush in and compress into a

relatively short period. Life becomes more intensive, filled with extraordinary occurrences. These events leave profound and indelible marks in our minds and souls. The short span from February to May 1966 was one of those periods in my life. For many years I have been reluctant to say much about those days. This is one subject I was not, and still am not comfortable visiting. Recently, people who care for me have impressed in me the value to them of having testimony of those events. They also tell me that our youth needs to hear real warriors’ stories, especially from vietnam veterans, warriors that understand about sacrifice and pride in accomplishment, and about putting their lives on the line in what many people thought, correctly as it were, a losing battle. In 1965 I was a newly frocked LCDR serving as Training Officer with Helicopter Combat Support Squadron One (HC-1) based at NAAS Ream Field, Imperial Beach. Late that year I became the Officer in Charge (OinC) of HC-1 Detachment 5. The detachment consisted of a single UH-2B helicopter and a complement of thirteen men. It included Ensign Robert Clark, my copilot, Senior Chief Electrician (AECS) (AC) Herbert G. Davis, AMS1 B. J. Hill, ASJ1 (AC) Edward B. Campbell, AMH2 (AC) George E. McCormack, ATN2 (AC) Henry S. Owen, AE2 (AC) J. R. Hilley, ABHAN

J. R. Williams, A D R A N F . Milispaugh, AN C. J. Britt, AN L. J. Bugg, and AN W. D. Neehan. This detachment wou ld be t he s e c o n d H C - 1 C o m b a t S A R detachment to deploy to the Gulf of Tonkin; it was

scheduled to relieve Detachment 9, the first one, early in 1966. We began our preparations for the deployment right away. Drawing on my experience as Training officer, I helped to set up a hand-to-hand combat training course to built personal fitness and confidence on deploying personnel. This course became required for all personnel from west coast helicopter combat support squadrons deployed to WESTPAC throughout the vietnam War. We were scheduled to deploy aboard USS Coontz (DLG-9). This ship was fitted with a small helicopter platform, a legacy from the failed DASH ASW Drone helicopter program of the early 1960s. A lot of work was needed before the ship could be made ready to support full-fledged helicopter operations. Pre-deployment work that had to be completed included improvements to the flight deck (pad eyes, new markings, safety nets), removal or repositioning of obstructions around the flight deck, and JP-5 fuel system certification. During a three-day at sea training period, we also achieved the required ship’s personnel helicopter handling qualifications. Our detachment would be the first to be equipped with a combat-configured UH-2B helicopter. In preparation for the deployment, HC-1 maintenance personnel removed from the

HC-1 DET Five UH-2B with its new camouflage paint job flying passed the skyline of Downtown San Diego.

helo all the equipment that was not necessary for the CSAR mission, and installed a “Gold Stripe” T-58 engine. These engines had finer tolerances and fuel control adjustments to increase power output. Additionally, they installed M-60, 7.62 mm machine gun platforms on the cabin doors; bolted ceramic armor plating around the engine and other vital components, and behind the pilots’ seats; and painted the fuselage in camouflage colors. This was the first time a camouflage paint scheme would be applied to a UH-2, and there were no instructions whatsoever on how to do it. The painters tried different ideas, but none seemed to produce a satisfactory result. Finally, running against the deadline, I ran out of patience, grabbed a can of green spray paint and painted the contours of different fields around the entire airframe, and then directed the painters to fill those fields with green, tan, and gray paint. The result gave the Hooky-Two a very concealing appearance, and became the standard for future CSAR-configured H-2s. The 28th of January 1966 we flew our UH-2B to the Naval Station and hoisted it aboard USS Coontz. The next day we departed San Diego en route to Hawaii. The beginning of our deployment could not have been more inauspicious. Our helo was tied down to the helo deck on the O1 level at the fantail of the ship, right in front and above the aft missile launcher. The 30th of January, while exercising the missile launcher, its crew ripped the tail pylon off our helo, the only CSAR-configured UH-2 in the Navy inventory. All the hard work done in Ream Field had been lost. Upon our arrival in Pearl Harbor, the damaged helo was transported to NAS Barbers Point for further transfer to NARF North Island to be overhauled. Before its transfer, we had removed all the armor plating and the M-60 platforms from the damaged helo and retained these items with us aboard USS Coontz. Instead of riding the


Historical: A Hell of a Way to Fight a War. Continued from page 32

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ship from Hawaii to the Philippines, we proceeded by air to NAS Cubi Point, arriving there the 11th of February. Another UH-2B that had been sitting at HC-1 Detachment Cubi in a dreadful state of neglect was quickly assigned as our replacement bird. The local population of pigeons had moved in and painted the rotor blades and upper portions of the fuselage white. With deep apprehension I was forced to accept this helo. There was no other viable alternative. Maintenance personnel worked tirelessly for many long hours to rebuild this “hangar queen” into an operational helo. At that time a “Gold Stripe” T-58 engine was installed.

The 19th of February, during the second check flight after the completion of work, we had the opportunity to rescue four sailors from USS Ranger (CvA-61) that found themselves floating adrift in a disabled special services boat just outside Subic Bay. When we flew by the boat we noticed the four men waving their orange life preservers to call our attention. I had five crewmembers onboard. Thus, I proceeded to Cubi to drop two of them off before returning to the scene and lifting the four badly sunburned sailors. The 22nd of February we reported back aboard USS Coontz, which had arrived in Subic. The 23rd we flew the helo aboard and departed for the North SAR station, 50 to 60 miles southeast of Haiphong. Upon arrival, we settled into our training and CSAR alert routine. We had learned from briefings by departing detachments, and from our own initial observations during our response to rescue alerts, that fishing boats and junks along the North vietnamese coast seemed to respond to a downed aircrew incident in a coordinated fashion. Like a small armada, they would immediately head toward the scene of the action, as if somehow alerted and directed from a command and control

facility. Perhaps some of the junks had radios and the rest of the small crafts followed them. We knew that the North Vietnamese fishermen were rewarded monetarily for each airman they could capture or kill. We noticed that many fishing boats tied up to bamboo poles sticking out of the water some distance from the shore and fished from there, returning to the shore at the end of the day. One day early in March, I was flying near the coast with Ensign Robert Clark as my copilot, and Chief Davis and Petty Officer Campbell as my crewmen. Observing the bamboo poles protruding from the surface along the beach, we had the harebrained idea that, if we could pull the poles out, we would disrupt the fishermen’s system and would force them to launch from the beach, thus slowing them down. We noticed that these poles had bright colored rags tied to their tips. I hovered next to a pole and Petty Officer Campbell tried to pull it up, but the thing would not budge at all. We knew of another pole farther down the beach. We broke hover and moved up to it. We were just coming into a hover to give this next pole a try when suddenly mortar rounds started to fall nearby, around and behind us. Chief Davis yelled to get out of there because they were shooting at us. Needless to say, we immediately departed the area as fast as we could. We returned to USS Coontz and reported our training flight completed as scheduled. We didn’t mention this incident to anyone. We saw no need to advertise our foolishness. We were new kids on the block, but were

learning fast what not to do. Later we figured that these poles were range markers for the shore batteries. The 8 th o f March the weather deteriorated and we had to fly the helo aboard USS Ranger to weather the rough seas. On the 9th USS Coontz and USS England (DLG-22) sailed in company of USS Ranger and we airlifted our detachment personnel and equipment

from one ship to the other. We kept the helo aboard USS Ranger another day. The 11th we flew the helo to USS England, assigned to the South SAR station, about 20 to 30 miles off the coast of North vietnam, east of the coastal city of vinh. We were like a frog hopping from lily pad to lily pad. Thus, we gained the sobriquet “Froggy Five.” This modus operandi made life a little harder for us. We had to adapt to temporary berthing accommodations, working with new and unfamiliar personnel, and with COs and XOs with different ideas on how to utilize detachment personnel. However, the most serious problem created by all this moving around, the one that really impacted upon the morale of the troops, was its adverse effect on mail delivery. Every warrior that ever deployed for extended periods away from home knows about the immense pleasure of receiving letters from his loved ones, or the agony of not doing so. Those envelopes that have a slight tinge of perfume, or that contain a child’s almost unreadable scrawled note to Daddy, can lift the morale of a sailor like nothing else in the whole world. Even though I always filed timely movement reports, our mail seemed to never catch up with us. My messages complaining to FPO, SEvENTHFLT, CTF-77, and HC-1 seemed to have little effect. We had to cope with this irritant for most of the deployment. To their credit, the morale of my troops remained high throughout. The first call to perform a rescue under hostile fire came three days later. The 14th of March, late in the afternoon, we were alerted to a rescue situation that was developing near Hon Ngai Son Island, about 11 miles east of vinh. An Air Force F-4 had been hit by AAA and its crew ejected about a mile off the heavily fortified island. An Air Force 33rd Air Rescue Squadron HU-16 Albatross, call sign Crown Bravo, had landed near the two survivors and had come under attack by 130 mm AAA fire from the emplacements on the island, and by small arms fire from the numerous sampans in the area. Before Crown Bravo could bring the first survivor aboard, a 130 mm shell hit the plane. Of its six crewmen, two were killed instantly and two were severely wounded. The F-4 pilot, who was in his one-man raft next to the HU-16 when the plane was hit, was also wounded. With six men in the water, three of them injured, the urgent call went out for assistance. Two SH-3As from HS-4, diverted from a logistics run, were the first

The crew of HC-1 DET Five


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to arrive. They faced the same threat that had sunk the Albatross. A Navy A-1 arrived and began to suppress the AAA fire from the island. One H-3 picked up the three uninjured survivors and departed the area. The second H-3, piloted by LT Bill Terry, braving a hail of AAA fire, was able to pick up two of the injured survivors, but after two failed attempts to pick up the last survivor, was chased away by the 130 mm shells exploding all around the helo. I had just checked in with the on-scene commander when Bill Terry departed. I had Ensign Robert Clark as my copilot, and Chief Davis and Petty Officer Campbell as my crewmen. I dashed toward the location of the survivor while Campbell manned the M-60 machine gun and engaged the sampans firing at us. RESCAP reinforcements began to check in and started hitting the gun batteries. In a hover over the survivor I used the loud hailer to prompt him to abandon the raft. He did not move. With the raft trapped within the rotor wash, after long and agonizing moments in a dreadfully vulnerable hover, Chief Davis was able to place the horse collar right on top of the survivor, Capt. Don Price, the HU-16 navigator. Price finally entered the sling correctly. As soon as Chief Davis announced, “Man on the sling; weight coming on the helo,” I broke hover and departed toward the open sea and away from that infernal island and the minatory North vietnamese sampans. As it turned out, Capt. Price did not respond to the loud hailer because he could not hear it. The explosion that had destroyed the HU-16 had deafened him. We returned to our ship and deposited him in the caring hands of medical personnel. The 19th of March we flew the helo to USS Ranger to weather a passing storm. That same day detachment personnel and equipment were transferred from USS England to USS Worden (DLG-18), which moved to the North SAR station. The next day, March 20th, late in the afternoon we flew to USS Worden and almost immediately were alerted to a SAR mission. A Navy F-4B from vF-92 embarked aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was on fire southeast of vinh heading for the coast, trying desperately to make it to “feet wet.” An Air Force HU-16, Crown Bravo, was inbound to the area as we scrambled from the ship. The F-4 became uncontrollable and its crew had to eject right at the coastline. The RIO, LTJG Richard Ratzlaff, came down very close to the shore and was quickly surrounded by North vietnamese junks and captured. The Pilot,

LTJG James Greenwood, came down about 1000 yards off the coast. The HU-16 broke under a 500-foot overcast and marked the scene with an orange flare. The Albatross crew sighted LTJG Ratzlaff surrounded by hostiles. When LTJG Greenwood saw the HU-16 overhead, he fired a pencil flare and immediately came under fire from an approaching junk. Coastal AAA batteries and small arms fire from the numerous junks opened up on the Albatross and inflicted enough damage to make its hull non-seaworthy. Crown Bravo called us (Clementine) to emphasize the urgency of the situation; one survivor already captured and junks approaching the other. I dropped down to 20 feet above the surface, within ground effect, and was able to squeeze 145 knots airspeed out of our UH-2B. At approximately 18:30 we arrived on the scene. In the gathering twilight I homed on what looked like a flare marker from Crown Bravo near the shore. As we closed in, I realized it was a burning drop tank from the downed F-4. We immediately came under intense small arms fire from the beach. I turned seaward to get away from the beach threat, but came within range of several junks, which opened fire right away. Petty Officer McCormack, the second crewman, could see a group of North Vietnamese firing at us from the nearest junk. He returned fire with the M-60, causing several of them to jump off the boat, and killing at least one man. My copilot, Bob Clark, spotted the downed pilot and I maneuvered the helo to a hover on top of him. We observed a junk less than 150 yards away and heading toward us. Bob Clark grabbed the Thompson .45 caliber submachine gun that we carried next to the cockpit and augmented McCormack’s M-60 fire against the approaching junk. In the nick of time four A-4s from USS Enterprise broke under the overcast and made a strafing pass at the junks before disappearing back into the overcast. As soon as the Scooters left, the junks resumed firing at us. Clark and McCormack kept the pressure on the closest junks with their

fire while Chief Davis talked me into position over Greenwood. The Scooters returned to attack the junks repeatedly. Greenwood reached for the sling and, instead of entering in properly, grabbed it in a death grip and nodded his head indicating that he was ready to be lifted. Thus, Chief Davis hit the hoist up button while Greenwood hung on for dear life. Right then, mortar rounds began to explode nearby. As Chief Davis grabbed Greenwood and pulled him into the cabin a mortar round hit the water just behind us. The force of the explosion lifted the tail of the helo way up. I found myself looking straight at the water right in front of my eyes as the aircraft entered an un-commanded transition to forward flight. Since that was what I was about to do anyway, I just went with the flow, so to speak. Getting out of there as fast as I could was my intention, but not with such a violent maneuver. As we began to move forward another round exploded right in front of us. We had no choice but to fly through the ominous geyser of falling water. Shrapnel from the first mortar round damaged the rescue hoist, fortunately after Greenwood was already in Davis’ arms. Shrapnel also sieved the tail section. Miraculously, no vital component was damaged. We returned to the ship, where Greenwood spent several hours in sickbay recovering from his ordeal before being flown back to USS Enterprise.

An unfortunate consequence of this engagement was that we ended up losing the services of Petty Officer McCormack. Soon after the events of the 20th of March, McCormack began to exhibit post-traumatic

USS Coontz’s commanding officer CDR Ward Cummings (right) presents the ship’s plaque to LCDR McCracken (middle) and ENS Clark (left)


stress symptoms. The 22nd, when scheduled again for duty as second crewman, he complained of physical pain. The Doctor aboard could not find any physical problem. After long counseling talks, some with the Doctor, but mainly with me, he admitted that he was “Thinking too much about the dangers of these missions, and about having killed a man on the 20th.” Without any prospects for a quick recovery from this situation, I decided to send Petty Officer McCormack to USS Enterprise for further evaluation by their Flight Surgeon. From USS Enterprise, he was flown to NAS Cubi Point. He returned to CONUS in April. A little later in March, late one afternoon we launched in response to a SAR alert off the North vietnamese coast. I was flying with Bob Clark, Chief Davis, and Petty Officer Hilley. With the passing of the years, the details of this mission have faded from my memory. But I still remember very vividly the scare caused by my imprudence. We were searching an area where an airman had gone down. We were so intent on finding the downed pilot that we let the daylight slip away from us. Our ship, USS Worden, was not equipped to conduct night helicopter landings. We did not have enough fuel onboard to reach the carrier at Yankee Station. And, our UH-2B was not HIFR capable. In other words, we were in deep trouble. CAPT A. T. Stubel, USS Worden’s Commanding Officer, was steaming his ship toward our position. It was dark and getting darker. We had only two choices: we could ditch the helo next to the ship, thus losing the bird; or we could land aboard, one way or another. CAPT Stubel, realizing the gravity of the situation, one that required out-of-the-box thinking, ordered the boatswain to break into the Christmas supplies locker, get the Christmas tree lights out, and set them on the helo deck, marking the center line. He also ordered to rig illumination of the aft missile launcher, and gave us optimal winds over the deck. We landed safely aboard. Another lesson learned. The safety of operations sometimes required hard choices, and always, judicious thinking. After a long and stressful time

on the line, in April we finally got a most welcomed respite at NAS Cubi Point. We arrived there the 2nd of April. This was a time to perform most needed repairs and preventive maintenance, and a time for a little R&R for a crew that had performed under tremendous pressure for 16 hours, sometimes as many as 20 hours a day, day in and day out, throughout more than a month. Bob Clark received the sad news of his father’s death and returned to CONUS the 20th of April. Lieutenant Robert Bednar, from the HC-1 detachment aboard USS Enterprise, came to us as his relief. The 28th of April we rejoined USS England, now in South SAR. Our armored UH-2B, BUNO 152190, had to stay behind at NAS Cubi Point, undergoing required maintenance and inspections. We deployed with a borrowed UH-2B, BUNO 150170, which was unarmored. The 2nd of May was another busy day at the office for us. That morning LT. R. G. Mansfield from VA-212, embarked aboard USS Hancock (CvA-19), had to eject over the hills just 10 miles south of vinh when his A-4E was hit by a missile. An H-3 from HS-4 piloted by LTJG Dick Benson was the first aircraft at the scene. When Mansfield indicated that the hostiles were closing on him and his capture was imminent, Benson went in for the pick up without waiting for RESCAP support. While in a hover over Mansfield, the H-3 was riddled with small arms fire. The helo was heavily damaged. The rescue hoist froze with Mansfield still hanging about 40 feet below. Benson managed to maintain control of the badly vibrating helo and flew it to the coast. With my new copilot LT. Bednar, Petty Officer Campbell, and Petty Officer Owen, I had scrambled from USS England as soon as the alarm had sounded, and was approaching the coast as Benson reached it. As soon as he reached feet wet, Benson came to a hover and deposited Mansfield gently in the water. We came behind and picked Mansfield up as soon as Benson departed. While these maneuvers were being executed, we were under persistent small arms fire from the nearby beach. Benson made it back to USS Yorktown (CvS-10), where maintenance personnel counted 120 holes in his aircraft.

That same day we performed another rescue of an airman just off the North vietnamese coast. LT. Eugene Chancy, the pilot of a F-8 from vF-211 embarked on USS Hancock, had to eject close to Hon Me Island. His life raft was punctured and he was treading water, trying to swim away from the island. The current was pushing him toward the shore, and he was stroking as hard as he could to avoid been captured. With LT. Bednar, Chief Davis and Petty Officer Hilley as my crew, I arrived at the scene and observed several junks approaching the survivor. The people in the junks and on the island began to fire at us. We were able to quickly scoop off the water a soaking wet, nearly totally exhausted, extremely relieved, and effusively grateful pilot. After picking up LT. Chancy, we were directed to the vicinity of Hon Mat Island for another possible rescue. A pilot had ejected near the island and was floating, still attached to the parachute, obviously seriously injured. An Air Force HU-16 was first at the scene and tried to approach the survivor, but he sunk with the parachute. Upon arrival, we initiated a search, hoping for a miracle. But no miracles were scheduled for that afternoon. It soon became obvious that this man we had lost. After the futile search was called off we returned to the ship. The 5th of May I delivered our unarmored UH-2B to USS Ranger and picked up our armored one, which had been transported to Yankee Station aboard USS Mars (AFS-1). This was a providential

Historical: A Hell of a Way to Fight a War.Continued from page 34

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LCDR McCracken standing attention during an award ceremony aboard USS Worden.


Fo

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s


After nearly eight years of existence, the Navy has made substantial efforts in standardizing the Individual Augmentee program. The Fleet Forces Commands with the support of the Expeditionary Combat Readiness

Center are responsible for the program by overseeing IA sailors through their mobilization and deployment. This responsibility has caused a variety of other IA functions relating to deployment to fall under the hands of Fleet Forces.

Going IA to Iraq, Afghanistan, or other parts of the world remains a fact of life in the Navy to help carry out the commitments of the U.S. Armed Forces. RADM (Ret) Steve Tomaszeski’s stated that there are “6,800 sailors on IA” serving in places like PRT Khost, Afghanistan, Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, and places in Iraq making it nearly 90,000 sailors who have served on an IA. Just like any deployment, IA has its share of positives and negatives.

One of the persistent complaints that helo pilots, aircrewmen, and their families have about the IA system is its unfamiliarity. The possibility of being pulled out of a squadron, followed by combat training with the Army and sent to ground-fighting war zones can be a bit confusing in knowing what to expect. Normally, an IA tour could last from 179 days to a year. Fleet Forces have gone through great pains to ensure that the sailors with orders, in training or deployed, have a smooth transition for themselves and their families. But is it for everyone? What happens after IA?

As you go read the different IA experiences shared by pilots and the impact that it has made within the naval helicopter community, experience some of the thoughts and challenges of being an Individual Augmentee.

Two sand sailors training at an individual augmentee (IA) training facility at McCrady Training Center in South Carolina. Photo taken by Mr. James J. Lee, Navy Times Staff


Focus

j.p.m.e. and places we’ll seeArticle by LT Matthew Vernon, USN

Naval Helicopter pilots have several “checks in the box” that must be endured to climb the promotion ladder: a master’s degree, offi cer

of the deck qualifi cation, a disassociated sea tour, and, of course, Joint Professional Military Education. I would also have to add an Individual Augmentation billet to that list. To check my JPME box, I decided to go with the instructor-guided course taught by a Marine Colonel at MCRD in San Diego while I was on shore duty as an instructor at the West Coast MH-60S Fleet Replacement Squadron. Eight fellow HSC-3 pilots, a Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander, three Marine Offi cers and I met for three hours every Monday night. As one enlightening class was ending, I remember telling the Marine class facilitator, that, “I will never, ever be on a staff. Absolutely, No Way! I would go on an IA before I would ever join a staff.” Now the main point of JPME is to teach Junior Offi cers the fi ne art of middle level military leadership. Of course, by middle level I mean they taught us the nuances of how to be a good little JO on a staff. Therefore, because I would never be on a staff, I did not really need to learn what JPME had to offer. As I am well accustomed to doing, I would very quickly eat those words.

The following month I stood in our skipper’s offi ce among six of my peers awaiting an announcement that would reveal who had been selected to go on a 448-day Individual Augmentation assignment to Afghanistan. I had deployed three times in my previous command and had just settled into my fi rst year of long awaited shore duty. My mind raced with various emotions as I heard the Skipper say, “LT vernon will be the primary for this IA.”

My anger subsided slightly when I found out that I would be joining a group of twenty aviation maintenance types, a weatherman, and a doctor as part of the fi rst Navy team to embed as advisors to the fl edgling Afghan National Army Air Corps Advisory Group, A.C.A.G. based at the N.A.T.O. base at Kabul International Airfi eld. Many IA’s send pilots to do jobs completely foreign to aviation. I was very excited that I would actually get a chance to teach my area of expertise to the Afghans. There were even rumors that we might actually get to fl y with the Afghans at some point.

After enduring the two weeks of actual training the Army somehow managed to cram into three and a half months, we all boarded a plane and headed for the Middle East. I fi nally arrived at Kabul International Airport in mid -September 2007. I remember the exact feeling of standing on the runway with our team. Everyone seemed to pause and stare for a minute. The monstrous mountains at the start of the Hindu Cush cradled us on all sides and seemed to challenge us to become a part of the never-ending war that was Afghanistan. There was an excitement in the air, infi ltrating our team, invigorating the senses. We were about to embark on a mission so foreign that we could not even fathom it. After all, we were twenty-plus Sailors in a landlocked country. How did that happen?

You can imagine the sick feeling in my gut when they

took us to our rooms, and I found my name crossed out. My boss tried all he could do to calm me down as he informed me that my advisor job would not exist for several years. “We would like you to head on over to Camp Edgers and be ON THE STAFF.” On the staff—THE STAFF— that was all I heard, and it sent my blood boiling! All that training, all that excitement, the cool mission of working side by side with Afghans, and now I was going to be on a staff—and an Air Force staff to make matters worse. They quickly threw my bags on a convoy and drove me to what would become my new home for several months.

The following morning after settling into the two-man connex box I would live in, I made my way over to the Rose House. Camp Edgers is located in the heart of Kabul and is in a fenced in portion of what used to be the rich housing area. Each command selected a house that the government was renting from its owners and turned it into their work places. Ours was a two story ten bedroom house with a small basement or bunker that was painted rose red, hence the rose house. As I walked in the door, I had to laugh a little at the irony of me “never being on a staff.” The moment did not last long because the reality of my assignment came crashing down quickly as the fi rst thing I noticed was a group of Lieutenant Colonels, Colonels, civilians and one USAF Brigadier General, my new boss, all moving into a conference room just inside the door. One of the Colonels saw me and asked, “Hey, you’re that Navy helo guy right?” After answering in the affi rmative, I was rapidly corralled into the room and told that they were so happy to see me. “Oh, that’s not good…” was all I could think. I would be sitting in on a meeting with President Karzai’s personal security team to discuss the “Way Ahead” for the country’s Presidential Airlift squadron. Oh, and by the way, as the only helicopter pilot in the room, I would be the subject matter expert. Okay, nothing like easing into the job.

Let me take a quick time-out to give some background. In May of 2007, the Afghans basically had a very close call while fl ying – or I should say attempting to fl y – their President. The Afghan Air Corps is a group of pilots and maintainers that

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Focus: J.P.M.E. and Places We’ll See

fl y the mighty Russian MI-17 Hip and the Mi-35 Hind. The US bought them two vIP model Mi-17s from Slovakia, incorporated them into the Afghan Army as the Afghan Army Air Corps, and then asked them to fl y President Karzai. The VIP Hips were nice on the inside: wet bar, leather seats, DvD player, and even a toilet. They also had several tons of additional armor plating on the sides. What this amounts to for a helicopter pilot is a very fat and very heavy helicopter. Well, the Afghan leadership would not let their pilots train in the new aircraft because they did not want to get them dirty. So on one of their fi rst fl ights, they fl ew as a formation into the palace’s landing zone, a parking lot that was half the size of a football fi eld, and surrounded by a twenty-foot wall.

After landing successfully, they brought the President on board and prepared to take off. Of course, it was an honor and just plain cool to fl y with the president, so all of their Generals also wanted to fl y. Add in some staff and bodyguards and you have two ridiculously heavy helicopters trying to take off. The wheels would not even break the deck when the pilots pulled power. So the Generals in charge of the Air Corps immediately went up front to tell the pilots that they had better fi gure out a way to get airborne because he would not be embarrassed in front of the President. The pilots backed up, put the engines in “lock-out” (essentially removing all over speed and over temperature protections) and then did the “running, bouncing, kicking opposite tail rotor as you cross the fence line” take-off to get airborne. By kicking the pedal, you can return a small amount of power to the main rotor to let you get over a low obstacle. Of course, you spin when you do it. I would call this the “Vietnam Special” and would defi nitely not consider it an appropriate maneuver while transporting the President. However, they managed to get airborne, fl y the fi ve-minute fl ight to Kabul International and almost crashed on landing. Of course, they also burned up both engines and a transmission worth $3.5m in the process. President Karzai got out and vowed never to get in another Mi-17 again. That is where their Presidential Airlift program sat as I arrived in Kabul.

Back to the story: the meeting I’d just walked into as the “subject matter expert” was to fi gure out how to fi x this problem. The one major thing that the facilitator for the fi rst year of my JPME class stressed was what General Zinni, USMC, had called HandCOM -- hand shake command. In other words, staffs and fl ag offi cers get the most done through actually shaking hands and building command relationships. My JPME Instructor used to say that building relationships builds teams and that every staff is different because of these relationships. He also stressed that the resident expert JO is the gap between fl ag decisions and real world operators. I realized that my input as a JO on a staff and my actions would change major decisions that affect serious battlefi eld outcomes.

I would put this to the test. I must say that I was fl oored when I walked into the room and heard someone call out my name. Sitting

across from me at the table was an ex-Navy SEAL that was an instructor at BUD/S when I went through Mini-BUD/S, a four-week taste of Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL School in Coronado, California. He had gotten out of the Navy and was now a private contractor and head of the presidential security team. By virtue of his job, he was the head honcho of the meeting. Talk about knowing the right person.

The meeting began with the Afghan and USAF supported belief that the mishap was the fault of an underpowered aircraft. If they only had Blackhawk helicopters, this would not have happened. I read a copy of the mishap report, grabbed the Mi-17 fl ight manual and began to do a quick weight and balance calculation to fi gure out how much weight they should have been able to carry on the 37 degree Celsius day in Kabul at six thousand feet of altitude. After crunching the numbers, I asked the room how many people they had in the back of the helicopter. At this question, many in the room began to shift uncomfortably in their chairs. various answers ranging from 12 to 18 passengers came back. My calculations gave them a maximum of seven. That meant that they were nearly two thousand pounds over their max gross weight. I knew that my next comments would ruffl e many feathers, but I fi gured that I am a LT on a two year IA to Afghanistan on an Air Force staff. I mean honestly, what else could they do to me? So I corrected the crowd, told them that the aircraft was massively over weight, and that the problem was with the pilots and leadership and not with the helicopter.

At this point, I was just waiting for someone to pounce on the little JO. Instead, the Ex-SEAL said that he had seen us move cargo where we were always near our max gross weight and that he trusted everything that I said. HANDCOM in action. The Air Force General and my boss, who would ultimately decide which course of action the Air Corps would follow, sat back, thought for a moment and then said, “Okay LT Naval Aviator! What is your solution?” I guess I should have thought of that before I opened my mouth. I recommended that we needed to get contract pilots or military pilots that are qualifi ed in the Mi-17 to get in the cockpit with the Afghans, teach them how to do a weight and balance, and then show them how to tell their Generals “NO.” The General thought about it for a minute and then told me he wanted a training syllabus on his desk in the morning, and he needed to know when and where I was going to be getting my Mi-17 training. Wow, in an instant my dismal year of being a staffer had shifted to possibly the coolest IA in the history of the Navy.

I spent the next month designing a training syllabus that looked remarkably similar to the FRS training syllabus, thanks to some help from my fellow Lieutenants at HSC-3. I was also fi guring out how to get qualifi ed in the Mi-17. With the help of Major John Beuer, USAF, one of the fi nest offi cers I have ever worked with, we designed a training pipeline for myself and all future embedded fl ying personnel, coordinated the training through Kremenchug fl ight college in the Ukraine, and built an $800m budget for the Afghan Air Corps helicopter wing.

As part of this new program, I travelled to Prague, Czech Republic, to arrange for the donation of 12 MI-17 aircraft and to broker a deal with the Czech Republic to provide Operational Military Liaison Teams to come and train the Afghans. Once again, I found myself in meetings with Czech Generals and high-level political fi gures as the resident expert in my fi eld. In December of 2007, after returning to Kabul from the Czech Republic, I left the staff after two very enlightening months and fl ew to the Ukraine to begin my next adventure as the fi rst US fl ying advisor to embed with the Afghans. Stand by to hear about my adventures showing the Ukrainians how to side fl are!



Focus

…leaving for iraq on a jet plane, don’t know when i’ll be back again…Article by LCDR Jamie Valdivia, USN

my IA story began just as I was negotiatingorders for my follow on tour from HT-8. A few days before retiring, one of the salty old

HT instructors told me about one of his favorite tours, fl ying the Pioneer Unmanned Aerial vehicle (UAv) for vC-6, a composite squadron detachment based out of Patuxent River, MD. Another O-4 at my Command had recently picked up orders there, so I asked the detailer for similar orders and was surprised at how easy it was to get them. Hmmm, now I know why! Off I went to NOLF Choctaw, just down the road from Whiting for 3 weeks of training on how to be a UAv mission commander. Just before checking out, I received a frantic call from the other O-4 who had just transferred to vC-6 telling me when I showed up in Pax, the entire UAv det was going to be deploying on a unit-wide IA, fl ying UAVs for a Joint Task Force in Iraq.

A few short weeks later, I was the DET Offi cer In Charge of 47 sailors and offi cers going through training to become Air vehicle Operators and maintenance technicians for the RQ-7B Shadow UAv at the US Army’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Training Battalion at FT Huachuca, AZ. We trained there for four and a half months, then headed to FT Jackson SC for three lovely weeks of bugs, dirt, MREs and listening to the ancient naval reservist in the rack next to mine gasp for air all night long in the posh open bay barracks at the Navy’s Individual Augmentee Combat Training facility. Suffering from extreme sleep deprivation, we returned briefl y to Pax, and then were once again on the road to the Yakima Training Center, WA, for a week of training in fi eld operations with the Shadow UAV. After a fi nal brief leave period, we fl ew to Charleston Air Force base to load onto a C-17 to Balad Iraq just before Christmas 2007.

For the next several months we fl ew round the clock ISR missions (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) for the TF. We saw some amazing stuff, participated in some important events, and were also bored to tears for days on end as we gathered intel for the TF. Although much of what we did was classifi ed, here are some lessons I learned for folks getting ready to deploy on an IA or thinking about taking one for the team the next time the XO asks for a volunteer for the wing’s latest urgent fi ll:

be careful what you sign for1. . Once you sign for equipment, if you lose it, the Army has a nasty policy of tracking you down and billing you for it. This made it kind of unnerving when I had to sign for millions of dollars of UAv equipment and vehicles. learn to speak the language of the 2. service you’ll be working with. This will probably be Army-Speak. “HUA” is a versatile word that can be used to express a greeting, displeasure, confusion, and any number of complete phrases, much like “Hoo Yah” for the Marines. One could actually

carry on an entire conversation with just the word “HUA” by varying your voice infl ection. maintain self control3. . With all the complaining in the press about KBR, I have to say I love those guys. The food they served us was fantastic. It was better than any ship food I’ve ever had (although I’ve never deployed on a USNS ship). It was diffi cult to maintain my self control each day as I exited the serving line at the DFAC (translation: Dining Facilitiy) and passed the dessert bar complete with a selection of delicious looking pies, cookies, and Baskin Robins ice cream. I remember seeing an article in the Army Times while I was over there that said the Iraq war was the fi rst confl ict in which American service members actually gained weight while they were deployed. With surf and turf every Wednesday, I would believe it. Exercising regularly took on a new urgency time your ia.4. If you plan on making the Navy a career, or even if you don’t, an IA will probably catch up with you sooner or later. I was lucky enough to knock out my IA while I was on non-fl ying sea duty orders. If you can pre-empt it, you’ll probably be happier that you punched your IA ticket on your terms

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Focus: ...Leaving for Iraq On A Jet Plane, Don’t Know I’ll Be Back Again...

rather than getting pulled from a good shore duty job for a year in the sandbox. sniff around early, talk to guys who’ve been 5. there, and find something that interests you. Not all IAs involve standing watch at a desk or driving around Baghdad in a Humvee. I was lucky enough to get assigned to something that was the next best thing to being in the cockpit. I had the pleasure of working with some great people, doing a job that felt meaningful, and getting some great leadership experience. If you wait for the detailer to make you an offer, you may not be as happy at the job you have to settle for. The experience you gain, in addition to making you a better offi cer, can also be very useful for your resume. Some of the E4s who worked for me were offered six fi gure salaries to get out and work for civilian UAv contractors.

Although there were some tough times, when I look back, I enjoyed my IA experience. I know quite a few guys who did other IA’s who were miserable, but I had a lot of great experiences and saw some pretty amazing things that you wouldn’t see while you’re haze gray and underway. The satisfaction of knowing I played a small part in a historic event will stay with me for the rest of my life….and I promise someone from BUPERS isn’t behind the curtain pulling the strings to make me say this!


with me for the rest of my life….and I promise someone from BUPERS isn’t behind the curtain pulling the strings to make me say this!

insights of a helo pilot turned sand sailor

So began another conversation with another of my Army brethren. Nearly all of my casual conversations with

anyone Army began with exactly, or pretty close to, those words.

No complaints from me though. I smile and tell them that I volunteered to be out here. This was an opportunity to do something down and dirty in the war on terrorism, to see the real situation up close, to do what I could to help change Afghan attitudes towards Americans, and to directly help a people in stunning educational and fi nancial need. In the process, maybe even learn about Afghan culture myself. Besides, when I return to the squadron, there will be plenty of fl ight time left in my career to be had.

my job as an advisorWhen I arrived in Afghanistan I was assigned

the job of Garrison advisor. I was assigned to the Afghan Army base of Shorbak. This is where I spent the fi rst three months of my deployment. Shorbak is in Helmand province, one of the two southernmost provinces in Afghanistan and bordered up next to Iran. Just a few weeks prior to my arrival a SvBIED (suicide vehicle

Article and Photos by LTJG Robert J. Fullick, USN

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Near a remote area of Shok Valley in Afghanistan...

“Navy, huh?! So, what’s yourjob back in the states?”

“I’m a helicopter pilot.”

“Really?!” “What the $%&*are you doing out here”


Focus: Insights of Helo Pilot Turned Sand Sailor

borne improvised explosive device) was detonated on the road outside of the base. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the explosion, but the fi ve foot deep, twenty plus foot wide crater in the road was a daily reminder of what could happen.

My commanding offi cer in Shorbak decided my talents would best be used as advisor to the Afghan Garrison Engineer. The Garrison Engineer is responsible for all matters of public works, including the fresh water system, electrical power grid, and public waste system. Additionally, he was the go to person for supervision of new building construction and any other construction projects necessary on the Afghan Army base.

To say my learning curve was steep would be an understatement. The Afghans are brave fi ghters with a long history of incredible perseverance, however as a culture there is an unfortunate lack of logistical sense. The challenge quickly became to stay ahead of the questions and concerns before they became problems. My enthusiasm and willingness to get involved was a strength. Still, during those fi rst couple of months I was repeatedly stunned to discover what I would consider simple problems go unrecognized. Fuel tanks about to run dry because no one had thought to anticipate ordering more. Fire extinguishers that mysteriously and repeatedly went empty. Precious drinking water reserves being depleted watering trees. A 10,000 liter fuel tank that arrived from the contractor with four legs of different lengths and painted with water soluble paint. The fi rst couple months were painful for me as I grew to understand what the job of advisor really meant.

Additionally, joint operations was the name of the game. Daily I would spend my time with Danish, French, Italian, and English military counterparts, all of us coordinating our efforts to mentor and assist the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces. For the fi rst three months of my deployment a Danish engineer and I would collaborate on engineering challenges. The language barrier was a constant challenge that was overcome by patience and practice. However, over time I grew to understand that the Americans had the easiest time with the language issue because all of the interpreters translated to English. The Danes, for example, had to play a crazy version of the telephone game in which they would think in Danish, translate to English, then the interpreter would have to translate that to Dari or Pashto, then the response would make the return trip of multiple translations.

The equalizer that helped these translation challenges was the Afghan tradition of drinking tea. The pace of life in Afghanistan is quite leisurely, in fact one of the fi rst lessons I learned while in country is that if I ever fi nd myself in a rush to get something accomplished, it means that without exception I was the one doing something wrong. Every meeting would start with tea and tea would continue to fl ow until the meeting was concluded. One day while having tea with the four men that consisted of the entire Shorbak Army Base Fire Department we all got to discussing politics and history. One strong impression I received while speaking with them is that they know and expect that the Americans, Danish, English, Australians,

French, Italians, and everyone else here will someday leave. They have heard the stories before of what we are here to do, they know that everyone in the world has a better way that they should live, and quite frankly they seem not to care. Our reasons, our philosophies, our idealism seemed trivial to a person who wakes in the morning not having seen his family for years, bathes in a bucket or sink, dresses in the same clothes from yesterday, and eats the same food everyday at a dining facility with a few hundred other men. To convince them that Democracy is a positive thing seems somehow academic. They seem willing to accept any way of life that allows for steady meals, a few comforts, and time with their family.But for their children, these men wanted more. Democracy does not seem important to them, but the promises of Democracy, of a stable country that can defend itself, of security, and especially of education, these things appeal to them because they will provide a better life for their children. Both the Afghan Major and Captain entertained no ideas of ever leaving the military. They know that someday they must retire, but until then they work to provide education for their sons and for their daughters.

a bit of realismOne day during my fi rst month in country I was riding

in the back of an open bed pickup truck on my way back from inspecting an ANA manned Entry Control Point (ECP) along the highway. A white Corolla was coming the other direction down the two lane road and as we passed I noticed three men inside the car, all wearing black turbans. One of the ANA soldiers we were riding with noticed that I was watching the car as it drove past. He leaned over and, through the interpreter, confi rmed exactly what I was thinking. Three Taliban. “Why don’t we arrest them,” I asked? “Because they live around here,” he replied. “They don’t bother us and in return we don’t bother them.” For me, the message was quite clear. Although the Coalition forces were doing a large amount to help, the Afghan

The Shindand Garrison Engineering Team (l-r) Najibullah Nasiry, Said Shah Baqa and LTJG Fullick


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Army soldier knows who lives next door to their families while they are off playing soldier.

A couple weeks later I had an opportunity to go on a Humanitarian Assistance (HA) mission in Nad Ali, a mostly desert, and extremely impoverished, district in southern Helmand Province. We brought bags of food, clothing, and soccer balls out to the people of a little village in this desert area. One of the ANA commanders came along with the mission. He and a few of the other ANA handed out the goods that we brought with us. The idea is that this would demonstrate to the Afghan people that the ANA could be trusted. Corruption is a huge problem in this nation.

At the HA distribution site I was part of a security force consisting of about ten Special Forces personnel and three Navy personnel, including myself. The SF guys were great to get to know and they had some equipment that was pretty incredible. While standing guard with one of the operators we started talking about some of his experiences. I’ll always remember one thing he told me that summed up his job and attitude quite nicely. He said, “Yeah, we can kill the bad guys pretty easily with our remote controlled sniper rifl e, but it is so much more satisfying to kill them up close with my own gun.”

During the HA I dealt with the Afghan people very little. I was more concerned with keeping an eye out for anyone who decided to poke a gun out from behind a building or a vehicle who decided to come up our road and refused to stop. Honda churns out a little 250cc motorcycle that is practically indestructible. At least 20 of those must have rode past the dusty country road that we were parked along. A couple of cars passed by too. The people inside were all looking out at us, although in curiosity or malice, I couldn’t tell. Probably a little of both.

There was one part that raised the hair on the back of my neck. A fl atbed Mazda truck drove by with about twelve 55 gallon drums in the back, the kind of drums that SvBIEDs

frequently carry. The SF guy I was talking with said something like, “I don’t know where that truck is going, but that’s a s*** load of barrels!” There were about ten rifl es, condition red, pointed at the cab of that truck. Fortunately it continued down the road in the correct direction. I still wonder if the truck driver knew how close he came to being very dead.

another mission, new locationAfter about three months in country, my advising team

was moved to a new ANA base in western Afghanistan. Known as Shindand Airfi eld, we were to mentor an ANA garrison that was completely new. The opportunity to mentor a fresh garrison from its inception was exciting for all of us, much like being plankowners on a new ship. As the new garrison offi cers arrived we were all careful to utilize all of our past knowledge and avoid mistakes from before.

The advising job was still a challenge and new successes and lessons were experienced everyday. In addition to advising, I discovered a collateral duty in which I took great satisfaction. On Shindand Airfi eld was a developing Agricultural Center. The purpose of the Agricultural Center is to research farming techniques and pass that knowledge on to the local Afghan populace. The Agricultural Center grew several types of grapes, wheat, almonds, pomegranates, and tomatoes. In addition, they raised fi sh and bees.

I know very little about farming, however I could tell this was a positive project. Something I learned in Southern Afghanistan is that many of the poppy farmers align themselves with the Taliban because they have no other choice. The Taliban provide the seeds, equipment, and knowledge to grow poppies and then pay a living wage for the poppy harvest. The farmer, in order to feed his family, has no choice but to continue farming poppies. When poppy eradication teams would go out and destroy poppy fi elds they were also destroying the farmer’s

Mohammed Zarif (lower right front, looking to the left) and his apiculture (beekeeping class of nearly twenty locals from the Shidand area.


Continue on page 45



only way of caring for his family. The ultimate goal of the Agricultural

Center is to have a few scientists or technicians available to accompany poppy eradication teams on missions. Prior to destroying a poppy fi eld, the scientist would work with the farmer and his family to educate them on farming of alternate crops. The program is young, but so far has good results and feedback. Many smaller villages request such classes in advance and have strong attendance.

The bee farming classes also have strong attendance and have been quite popular from the start. It turns out that bees are quite an easy crop to raise and the honey they produce is quite valuable. The Agricultural Center Supervisor, Zarif, taught himself to farm bees and now takes much pleasure in teaching others what he has learned.

approaching the endI still have a number of months left in my tour here in Afghanistan. I can’t say that it has all been fun, but it has all been

meaningful and special. I’ve learned an enormous amount about a world that I never would have had the opportunity to experience had I not volunteered for this mission. The challenges of joint operations, operations with Special Forces teams, working through translators, reducing corruption, working with contractors, and coordinating agricultural operations are all experiences that have taught me valuable lessons. Now I don’t know if any of this is ever going to help me be a better pilot, but the entire tour has been a wonderful experience that I would not trade for anything.

The Shorbak National Army Fire Department and their improvised fi re truck.


a year in djiboutiArticle and Photo by LCDR Manning Montagnet, USN

to be sure, no two Individual Augmentee (IA) experiences are the same. Mine, a one-year stint as Operations Offi cer (OPSO) for Camp Lemonier,

Djibouti (CLDJ), was nothing short of a great education. Like most IAs, I didn’t expect to go or at least I thought someone else would be going before me. After all, I was the Operations Offi cer of an HSC squadron in Norfolk, we had just won the Battle E, and I had verbal orders to the War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Oh, well.

When my Skipper asked me to volunteer, all we knew was that it was an O-4 billet assigned to CJTF-HOA. Combined Joint Task Force, huh? Where is HOA? We had no idea what a Noble Eagle number was. (A Noble Eagle number is assigned to all Navy billets currently fi lled by either IAs or GSAs, and they are controlled by Fleet Forces.) At least I would get my joint credit out of the job…or so I thought. After some digging, I got in touch with the current OPSO for Camp Lemonier, CDR Chad Reed, an NFO from PAX RIvER on his way to NASA. He told me about the job and explained that it was a Navy job for a Navy boss; ergo no Joint Credit. Oh, well.

Though I was in Norfolk, Fleet Forces sent me orders to California to go through NMPS. This didn’t make sense to me, as Norfolk had NMPS at ECRC right down the street from my squadron. I called; they had room, so I had the orders changed. Score one for me. Indoctrination week at NMPS was pretty streamlined.

They ensured that all of your paperwork was in order (will, powers of attorney, medical/dental, etc.). It was also the fi rst look at the rest of the “lucky ones” chosen to do what the Navy asked them to do. Some volunteered, some were voluntold. That fi rst morning, I sat next to an O-6 Seabee, CAPT Patrick Gibbons. He told me that he was headed to CLDJ to be the Base CO. I shook his hand and told him that I was going to be his OPSO, and we went to work. By the end of the week, everyone was ready to go, and we were four sea bags heavier. Following Indoc week in Norfolk, we took a bus down to Fort Jackson, just outside of Columbia, South Carolina. We were headed for some Army training. Bill Murray from “Stripes” kept ringing in my head; Razzle Dazzle! Ah, yes; the land of Hooah and an Army of One! Fort Jackson was ready for us, and it was immediately obvious

that we were not the fi rst set of Navy-types to go through the training. In fact, the Base PX (Post Exchange) was selling t-shirts that read NARMY Strong! At least they had a sense of humor. As with all billets I’ve been in, you make the most of it, do your job to the best of your ability, keep a smile on your face, and make friends out of total strangers. This three week training course was no different. There was a lot of hurry up and wait, but everyone received extremely valuable training. We put a lot of lead down range, received HUMMv and convoy training, practiced some fi rst aid, and prepared ourselves for

Continue on page 46


Focus: A Year in Djibouti

the AOR. Those of us headed for HOA (Horn of Africa) were vastly outnumbered by those headed for Iraq and Afghanistan. Therefore, the majority of the training was tailored for what they would expect. In hindsight, I don’t think the NIACT (Navy Individual Augmentee Combat Training) was necessary for those of us headed for HOA, but it was a positive experience nonetheless. We departed South Carolina and headed directly for Kuwait on a contracted Boeing 757. Upon arrival, the heat hit us like a brick to the face! We were put into tents, given the rules for Camp virginia, and left to our own devices. All but those headed for HOA went into the desert for some more target practice. We waited four days until a fl ight could be arranged to take us the rest of the way to Djibouti. Finally, we took a packed C-130 fl ight to our new home, Camp Lemonier, Djibouti (CLDJ). CLDJ is a base in the quaint, little country of Djibouti. For those of you traveling there soon, it’s nestled between Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. It sits at the southern end of the Red Sea and provides one of the only refueling ports for our ships in the region. The US started leasing the abandoned French Legion Post in 2002. With the latest emergence of the pirate activity in Somalia and Yemen, the strategic importance of Djibouti has become more apparent. Djibouti is a Muslim country, but very open to Western ideas due to its long-standing relationship with France. CLDJ’s main tenant was CJTF-HOA (Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa), aligned under U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Like kids on Christmas morning, those we were replacing were eagerly awaiting our arrival. The initial base brief only lasted a few hours. Once released from the brief, I was whisked away

i n a S U v and given a quick tour of the base. It only took 10 minutes, and we covered t h e w h o l e p e r i m e t e r. With a full fl ight line and my fi rst tour’s a i r c r a f t , the Mighty H-53E, I was sure that I would have plenty of time

to get fl ight time once I got my feet wet. My sponsor ensured that I had a CLU (containerized living unit) nearby. At CLDJ, we segregate the berthing by rank. O-6s and visiting dignitaries live in the “White House”, O-4s and O-5s live in the “West End”, and all others live in the expansion area. The expansion area had two and four-man CLUs. The two-man CLUs have their own head and were for E-7s to O-3s. All others shared four-man units. Turnover was a blur. I was jet-lagged; my body was not accustomed to the triple-digit heat. Chad and I had about 10 days to pour as much of his brain into mine; pretty good as far as turnovers go. We covered the history of the base, who’s who, and who owns what on the base, CJTF-HOA staff, or the other 22 tenants. This was the very defi nition of being ripped out of your comfort zone! No longer was I concerned with making crews to make this or that detachment or fl ight hours or qualifi cations. Now, I was responsible for about 200 Sailors and contractors that worked in Port OPS, Air OPS, Weapons/Armory, Security, and Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP). I leaned heavily on my AOPS, LT Ian Peterson, an LDO AW, with three months under his belt and three to go. On top of that, CLDJ continued to expand as additional HOA missions emerged (i.e., piracy).

It took about a month and a half to get comfortable with my new surroundings and languages of my job…click-clack tock…the local dialect notwithstanding! The new challenges I

Beachfront penthouse view of Camp Lemonier, Djibouti.

faced during the fi rst couple of months included learning who to talk to at FFC (Fleet Forces Command) when the military working dogs got sick and no replacements were available, whose string to pull when vans overheated and the replacement parts were not ordered in time by the contractor, how to do inventory at the armory when the computer system went down due to lack of power to the outpost, or how to fi ll gaps caused by unforeseen contractor fi rings, or how to handle suspected SAM strikes on our inbound aircraft.

In order to stay better informed, I injected myself into the CJTF-HOA J3 staff. The HOA J3, COL Ronald Newton, USA, was a former Post Commander and an advocate for CAPT Gibbons and his staff. This proved invaluable during our shift from CENTCOM to AFRICOM ( the DOD’s newest Joint Command). As CJTF-HOA was making their transition to US AFRICA COMMAND, CLDJ was transitioning from the Region South West Asia to Region Europe for infrastructure support. Though extremely taxing, it was a blessing and the staff in Naples was immensely helpful in myriad of areas. I had a weekly meeting with the US Ambassador at the Embassy. Working with his staff and the CIA representatives kept us all informed of which al Shabaab or East Africa Al Qaida “bad guys” were moving through the area and what types of armament they were carrying. Our FPCON (Force Protection Condition) was in constant fl ux and was largely dependant on the intelligence received from the local security forces, the Embassy, and CJTF-HOA J2 staff. All of us worked well together and kept each other informed. These relationships proved extremely helpful when we tracked al Shabaab and pirate movements. My year at Camp Lemonier was a great experience. Though thirteen months is a long deployment for any individual and the family that is left behind, it was a valuable education. I am glad that I was given the opportunity. I was introduced to various aspects of our Navy, DOD, DOS (Department of State), and inter-agencies that I had not dealt with previously. Working MILCON (Military Construction) projects with the PWO (Public Works Offi cer), creating long-range plans for the base’s future, and setting up the framework for US AFRICOM’s only base on the continent gave me the opportunity to not only change the face of the base but to design the future of our country’s infl uence in Africa for years to come. of our country’s infl uence in Africa for years to come. of our country’s infl uence in Africa for years to come.



Focus

volunteered or voluntold:

either way, you are goingArticle and Photo by LT Michael “Farva” Margolius, USN

the concept of Individual Augmentation is not new and did not originate with

the current War on Terror; however, it has evolved from a few hard-fi ll assignments into a mainstream career option that can impact up to one quarter of a squadron. Whether on an IA or a GSA many of the prerequisites are the same and have adapted to suit the needs of the diverse assignments. The crux of the issue at the moment is balancing the member’s time away from their respective unit with their time in theater and their time to train. Over the past fi ve years I have been on two different IAs to CENTCOM, and have seen two very different methods of preparing for those deployments. The fi rst IA was to the Joint Search and Rescue Center (now Joint Personnel Recovery Center) in Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. It involved a two week combined process of mobilization and training in Fort Bliss where a small Navy contingent was intermixed with a large majority of Army Inactive Reserves who had been recalled. The training was not focused on the Navy IAs, but rather on providing the Army personnel with the base level of awareness to prepare them for deployment. At the time, the Navy seemed an afterthought and the Army Cadre was uncertain as to how to deal with the Navy personnel. It was a cookie cutter process and took a lot of effort to explain that I was going to Qatar and as such did not need body armor and things of that nature (as was explained in my orders). Upon arriving in Kuwait, I was lucky and managed to arrange my own transport to Qatar and bypassed the normal process. This was where I discovered one of the keys to surviving an IA assignment: taking charge of what happens to you. A key problem with almost any program that is such a hot topic with massive oversight from different entities is that it will by no means be tailored towards each IA, but rather attempt to cover the broad scope of all jobs and focus on the lowest common denominator. This works for many of the assignments, though for some it proves to be more of a hindrance. On both IAs, I was issued backpacks that were far superior to the one issued by the

Army in virtually every way. Rather than lug gear that was not required for the specifi c job or would be replaced with newer equipment, myself or the people I was traveling with obtained a letter from the parent command of our assignment stating the minimum gear that we needed, thus reducing the risk of unnecessary gear getting lost or damaged, or not being available for someone who might actually need it. The second IA was as an Airborne ISR Operator for a Joint Special Operations Task Force and fell under the current mobilization process with one week at a processing location and three weeks at Combat Skills Training in Fort Jackson, SC. The start of this IA called for attention to detail in reading the orders as they would have had me go from San Diego to Norfolk to live in the BOQ for one week to process when I could have stayed in San Diego and gone through the same process. There are some assignments where one needs to change coasts (especially GSAs for accounting purposes), however, this was not one of those, and while I managed to eliminate an inconvenience to me, I also managed to reduce the fi nancial burden on the Navy (albeit only a little). This change was made by contacting the POC on the orders via email and the next day an ORDMOD was issued. Maybe I was lucky in the process and others will not be able to change their orders but it is worth the effort as the deploying sailor is the one who will be leaving their family and lives for up to a year and a half. The actual skills training in Fort Jackson was more detail-oriented and focused for Navy personnel. There were some Army Reservists on post, however they had no impact on our training. The

overall skills taught were a hodgepodge to prepare the deploying sailor for any number of contingencies with the caveat that if you were performing any of these actions you need to notify someone as your assignment should not require you to do such things (i.e. kicking down doors and clearing rooms). The training was all entry level and only the shooting was taught with the opportunity for improvement. Once the Fort Jackson training was done, I diverged (with a small group) from the main body as I had follow-on training for the next month and a half or so. From that point non-standard travel was used to reach our destination. Once in theater, I was able to ship extra gear (stuff that was replaced with gear from the secondary training locations) back to Fort Jackson. With a simple email to the address posted on the website, contact was established and gear was returned through the Post Offi ce on base. It is imperative to verify with each Post Offi ce what they will and won’t ship to avoid any issues. We also realized that the uniforms that we were issued were not the best suited for our assignment; so we contacted Fort Jackson again and within two weeks, a shipment of Flame Retardant ACUs arrived for the entire unit. The staff at Fort Jackson as well as the Navy IA/ GSA support staff in theater did an incredible job

LT Margolius goes through weapons training with the Army in Ft. Jackson before deploying to Afghanistan

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of providing support for downrange sailors. As IA assignments come, I have been lucky in that both of mine involved real jobs that tapped into prior existing skill sets. After returning from both of these there was a defi nitive feeling of having accomplished or supported something. That is not to say there were not hassles and times of excruciating boredom; however, that is common throughout all deployments. Throughout the last IA, we traveled through Afghanistan and even detached to Iraq for a month to support operations there; it was high paced, and also taxing. The key lesson for any sailor going on IA is to make that deployment fun. There are always some instances where it is just not possible, though for the most part, there is always something: whether it is taking ownership of the job, a personal fi tness goal, joint experience, or simply enjoying the travel to make your IA something that you can look back on positively. It is best to fi nd ways to enjoy it anyway as chances are, you ARE going.

my ia experience: goods, bads and othersArticle by LT Jason Bely, USN

Focus: Volunteerred or Voluntold: Either Way, You Are Going

Continue on page 47Continue on page 47

everyone can agree that there are a lot of questions surrounding the individual augmentation

experience. I’m currently stationed at Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Ten (HS-10), and I completed an IA assignment in Ramadi, Iraq from February to November of 2007. There are some details of the individual augmentation experience that need to be highlighted, especially those who are planning to stay Navy. Some of the negative aspects of IA need to be challenged in a positive manner in order to improve the program.

i. personal rewardsLet me start by saying that my

IA experience overall was more positive than negative and was personally a very rewarding experience. I was exposed to elements of the military that, as a naval helicopter pilot, I would never have seen otherwise. Serving beside Soldiers and Marines on the front lines gave me a renewed appreciation for military service and changed my perspective on life in general. These life lessons are invaluable and I would have no interest in exchanging them back for my lost time on a shore tour.

ii. training and pipeline confusion Things didn’t start out

smoothly. As it turns out, my orders were written incorrectly and the points of contact for the orders at BUPERS didn’t have any solid guidance. Now I have yet to fi gure out how to deal with BUPERS, but I was a bit put off by the detailing process in general. When I called emailed and asked questions, I was made to feel that I was inconveniencing whoever was on the other line.

Finally I had to do an Internet search of all of the commands in my

training pipeline (I spent about a month at FT Huachuca gaining mission specifi c training before going to FT Jackson like every other IA) to get details.This answered quite a few questions about my future 10 months, but with no help from the Navy. A mix up over where I needed to complete NMPS (mobilization processing; think page 2’s and shot ex’s) led me to showing up to Norfolk a day late. Ironically, I could have completed the training in San Diego and saved the Navy in airfare and per diem.

iii. mission confusion. At this point I had some

choice words for the IA detailers and I suppose I could blame them for all of my problems. However, after going through the whole IA pipeline with a guy from BUPERS I came to realize that they’ve been given a logistical nightmare. They truly are trying to understand how to effectively cope with a lot of the problems that the augmentation creates for career progression (more on that later). Enduring the logistics training pipeline was not pleasant but things began to normalize once I arrived in country.

It didn’t take long to realize that my ground based mission, originally designed for a Prowler


Focus: MY IA Experience...Good, Bad, and Other


in lieu of anything offi cial that you have a solid vision of follow on orders and how to complete JPME, grad school, disassociated tour to meet the expectations of the Navy. An IA or GSA takes about a year out of your “career timeline,” and the Navy won’t fi nd tha year and give it back to you. You have a plan yourself. Keep in touch with your 4. wardroom. I have never been a strong supporter of mandatory fun nor have I been a noticeable member of the wardroom. What I realize now is that I needed to keep in touch with my command while deployed on IA so I wouldn’t feel so out of place asserting myself once I returned. Sending a monthly update via email or participating in the email diatribe on the all pilot’s distribution list make it difficult for others to forget about you. It will also help your squadronmates realize the value of your mission and lessons that you might be able to bring back.

In th end, my IA was one of the most rewarding and valuable experiences in my life. I learned many new things, made new friends, and had experiences that I be part of my naval career. However, in order to improve the process and the experience for other Naval Aviators who intend to continue their careers after IA, the Navy needs to address the problems in the system. Until these issues are addressed, learning from my experience will help my fellow aviators have a positive IA.

to keep in touch with my command while deployed on IA so I wouldn’t feel so out of place asserting myself once I returned. Sending a monthly update via email or participating in the email diatribe on the all pilot’s distribution list make it difficult for others to forget about you. It will also help your squadronmates realize the value of your mission and lessons that you might be able to bring back.

In th end, my IA was one of the most rewarding and valuable experiences in my life. I learned many new things, made new friends, and had experiences that I be part of my naval career. However, in order to improve the process and the experience for other Naval Aviators who intend to continue their careers after IA, the Navy needs to address the problems in the system. Until these issues are addressed, learning from my experience will help my fellow aviators have a positive IA.

NFO mission was a bit outdated and that I, as a helo aviator, would have to bring other tools to the fi ght. Another way to say it is that my intended IA mission was misappropriated; it is a bit disheartening to stand idly next to a fl eet of unused MRAPs (Mine Resistant Armor Protected vehicles) as a fully qualifi ed helicopter pilot when my unit would gladly trade the MRAPS and guy serving a Navy IA for one HH-60H and crew.

Honestly though, I have heard the same complaint from about everyone that I know who has gone on IA. Mission creep and reassignment appears to be standard. I wouldn’t have been missed if I went into hiding for 10 months. Instead, I chose to contribute as much as I could. Ultimately, I ended up serving in the role of a Marine Corps Infantry Staff Officer. The Marines of 2nd Battalion took me in as one of their own, both in the wardroom and in convoy. I left the wire about once a week and interjected my knowledge and experience as a helicopter pilot and Naval Offi cer where I could.

iv. lesson learnedMy IA experience was a great

time and a very memorable moment in my life. If you look at General David Petraeus’s bibliography you have to ask yourself how he was able to complete all of the challenges along the way preparing him to be the right guy at the right time. In these terms I suppose that one day my IA experience could pay off and separate me from the crowd. However, the jury is still out on whether or not the IA tour benefi ts your career and I have some recommendations for those considering IA that are like minded and career: There is a lot of disscussion of it becoming a requirement, but it has yet to appear as such in promotion or selection boards. There is a perception out there that when someone is assigned to IA their parent command is sending a message that we don’t need this guy or gal in the Navy. While this probably isn’t the reality, the perception is real as many IA’s I served with felt like cast-offs.

I have some recommendations for those considering IA that are like minded and career Navy:

Be very candid with 1. your Commanding and Executive Offi cer about your intentions after IA(extend, leave early for NPS, etc). I left a wake of mystery with my XO and CO when I inexplicably volunteered to leave a shore tour in sunny San Diego for a war zone. My chain of command actually called my mom and asked her why I had decided to volunteer for IA. Had I been forthcoming up front I could have laid the groundwork for my follow on intentions and upon return I would feel more licensed to ask pointed questions about my future with the command.Get a clear understanding 2. of who you are working with at BUPERS. There are a separate set of IA detailers from the ones in your community. I don’t think that the IA detailers really have the power to make deals (IA in lieu of disassociated sea tour, joint credit, etc). You have to get in touch with your community detailer before you go on IA. You have to make sure that you get answers from your IA detailer through your community rather than asking yourself. Try to get any “promises” in writing, or even, better, written into your orders.Plan your timeline.3. I couldn’t honestly tell you whether I wanted to stay in the Navy or get out after my tour. It would be great to have a BUPERS sponsored resource that lists career oriented options to take advantage of during IA (JPME, grad school) and expectations for follow orders. I would recommend


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ASWTS

CDR lssac Gonzalez, USN relieved CDR J. Rocha, USN on August 21,

2009

HT-8Eightballers

CDR Michael D. Fisher, USN relieved CDR Chris Heaney,

USN on July 23, 2009

DCMA BoeingPhiladelphia

CAPT Steve Labows, USN relieved CAPT Henry Jackson, USN on

May 29, 2009

HS-14CHARGERS

CDR Raymond J. Hesser, USN relieved CDR Manuel A. Picon,

USN on August 1, 2009

HSL-37EasyRiders

CDR Brian Gebo, USN relieved CDR Brian Teets on August 20,

2009

HMLA-469Vengenance

LtCol Christopher D. Patton, USMC became the fi rst commanding offi cer

on July 1, 2009

CDR Todd A. Gilchrist, USN relieved CDR Peter

M. Mantz, USN on August 7, 2009

HSC-28Dragon Whales

CDR Clayton W. Michaels, USN relieved CDR Jack P.

Olive on August 27, 2009

HSM-77Saberhawks

CDR John F. Bushey, USNrelieved CDR Richard F. O’Connell,

Jr, USN on August 13, 2009

HSL-43Battlecats

3MAW

Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Conant, USMC relieved Maj. Gen. Terry G. Robling, USMC on Aug 7,

2009


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Continued from page 35HISTORICAL: A Hell of a Way to Fight a War.

events that followed that same day. Shortly after getting back aboard USS England at South SAR, we launched in response to a mayday from a RF-8A pilot that had to eject over an area a few miles northwest of the city of vinh. This is a relatively open country, which was dotted with several heavily defended fighter airfields. LT. John Heilig, the F-8 pilot, came down in a spot only about 46 miles from our South SAR station. His wingman was orbiting overhead. We climbed to 3,500 feet and picked an escort of two A-4s. They homed on the Navy fighter circling overhead Heilig’s position and marked the on-top location for us. We descended toward the south side of a high ridge running northwest to southeast, and passed between two large hills into the plain south of the ridge. Once in the area, we were subjected to continuous small arms fire, and felt a solid hit, but could not detect evidence of consequential damage. Although we were low enough to hear the gunfire, we could not see where the fire was originating. My second crewman, Petty Officer Owen, finally spotted two men firing at us from a hilltop and returned fire with the M-60. My copilot, LT Bednar, finally detected a few people right below us, and then realized there were at least a hundred in the area. Once he spotted the first few, he and Petty Officer Campbell, my first crewman, began to see more and more people crouching in the bushes as we passed over. The fact that the RESCORT did not have a fix on Heilig’s position prevented them from strafing the small arms shooters to reduce the threat they presented to us. But the small arms were not the only threat.

Three miles further south there was an airfield, one of the fighter airstrips in the vinh complex. From it, large caliber AAA pieces, most likely 130mm guns, volleyed at us again and again. I began to take evasive action; jinking and weaving the best I could, while Bednar reported the tracers passing over or under us. Then we took another hit right on the pilot’s seat armor at head level. The round splintered, spraying shrapnel around the cabin and the rescue hatch. A large caliber shell exploded in a brilliant and beautiful blossom of incandescent red, jarring the helicopter with such concussive force that my jaws were slammed together, chipping one tooth. Punched in the mouth, so to speak, I called for the RESCORT to attack and take out the heavy guns so we could continue the visual search for LT Heilig. The RESCORT leader responded that the guns could not be attacked because they were on airfields that were unauthorized targets.

I could not believe it! The enemy was shooting at us with absolute impunity, and we were prohibited from firing back. What a way to fight a war! Every time we climbed to escape the small arms fire in the valley, as soon as we were visible above the ridgeline, the AAA batteries opened up on us. We retired to the north side of the ridge descending to hide from the heavy guns, and then ventured back south through the area where Heilig was reported, searching diligently and enduring the almost continuous small arms fire. We ended up repeating this process eight times without any luck. Bednar was having no success homing on the beeper signal on the Military Air Distress frequency, 243.0 MHz, from Heilig’s emergency UHF radio. The direction-finding needle was behaving erratically, although it functioned normally when homing on transmissions from the wingman overhead the scene. His, however, was a different frequency. For some reason when we flew away from Heilig’s estimated position the homing needle pointed steadily to the rear, but when we turned inbound the needle would break lock and spin uselessly. The other aircraft were experiencing similar problems. None of them could obtain a fix or locate the downed pilot. The enemy may have been interfering with the homing by activating other radios on the same frequency, thus foiling the direction-finding system with multiple transmitters. Or they may have had Heilig’s radio in hand and were turning it on when the helicopter turned away and turning it off when the helicopter closed inbound. Petty Officer Owen reported seeing what he thought, was a man in a flight suit surrounded by North vietnamese.

The A-4s and the F-8 were running low on fuel and had to depart before their relief arrived. Without RESCORT, I decided that it was time to withdraw back to feet wet until the survivor could be more precisely located. I flew to the north side of the ridge and descended to shield the helicopter from the big guns. Once again, we became targets for small arms fire from the ground. I increased airspeed as much as I could and followed the length of the ridge until it petered out. Then I

climbed to 3,000 feet to get out of range from small arms fire and was soon joined by the returning RESCORT, which escorted us back to sea. As soon as we settled down, cruising safely about five miles from the coast, we were able to notice unusual vibrations in the airframe. An A-1 joined us and reported a big hole in our tail cone. I decided that it was time to return to USS England to assess the damage. Our Tactical Air Navigation system (TACAN) failed to lock on. After an uneventful landing aboard USS England, we learned why. A round had entered the nose electronics bay, and the TACAN receiver-transmitter had stopped it from continuing into my lap. Another round had hit the pilot’s armored seat, splintering into shrapnel that sprayed the cabin and rescue door and nicked my neck, drawing a little blood. A third had passed clean through the tail boom, missing the critical tail-rotor drive shaft along its top. The SAR coordinator asked me if I could return to the scene to try again. I explained to him that not only our helo was in no shape to continue flying, but that no more helicopters should be sent in until the downed man was localized. The constant signal from the beeper was not enough evidence that Heilig was still at large; a visual sighting or radio contact was also needed. Repeated passes through the area trying to get a reliable bearing on the emergency radio beeper had been for naught. As it were, LT. John Heilig was taken prisoner and spent seven long years in various prison camps.

When the helicopter was repaired, I flew over to the carrier with the intention of vigorously remonstrating to the Admiral about the insane rules of engagement and their deleterious and pernicious impact on our detachment’s ability to conduct rescues. The Admiral’s Chief of Staff intercepted me, took me aside, and said: “You are doing a great job, but this is the way we are fighting this war. Now get back in your helicopter and go back and continue to do a great job.”

In all fairness to the Admiral and the CTF-77 staff, they were just following orders like everybody else in that confounded war. We all know that in those days the vietnam War was being run right from the White House, President Johnson and his staff bragging that they approved the daily target list. The fear of triggering a direct Soviet intervention in the conflict trumped the most basic military considerations. This is a sure formula to lose

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a war. And lost it we did, not in the battlefi eld, but here at home.

Nevertheless, we continued doing our job, as we saw it. I must point out that during those days, relatively early in the air war against North vietnam, CSAR rules, tactics, and procedures were somewhat fl uid. We made them up as we went along, getting away with things that later would be more tightly controlled. For example, early in May somehow we got hold of a M-79 grenade launcher and a box of 40 mm shells, perhaps from a carrier at Yankee Station. My guys rigged the launcher with an aluminum tube attached to the stock to allow the crewman to shoot grenades straight down from the helo’s door. We fl ew a few “training” hops to test the rig and make sure we could shoot at the North vietnamese junks without blowing ourselves out of the sky. Then, with Bednar, Davis, and Owens, I went after the junks that had been giving us so much trouble on every rescue. We would make passes above the junks and lob a few grenades into them. This went on for about two weeks. We were getting good at the game, improving our score and really slowing them down. Somehow, the word got to COMSEvETHFLT about what we were doing. Shortly thereafter the skipper of USS Wordenreceived a message ordering the immediate termination of unauthorized activities. Our anti-junk campaign came to a screeching halt.

Occasionally, we were tasked to insert special operations teams inside North vietnam. Strict secrecy surrounded these operations. After these teams performed their missions, they were extracted from the coast by special operations boats, very fast crafts painted black. On one occasion, I took 35 mm pictures of three of these boats cruising along the North vietnamese coast. A few days later COMSEvENTHFLT, which again somehow had learned of my shutterbug transgression, demanded the delivery of the unprocessed fi lm

and the cessation of amateur photography from the helicopter.

The 23rd of May, still aboard USS Worden, we rescued another Crusader pilot while under fi re from coastal AA artillery about a mile off the coast, south of vinh. LT Larry Miller, attached to vF-211 aboard USS Hancock (CvA-19) had to bail out right after getting feet wet. With Bednar, Campbell, and Owen, I scrambled from USS Worden, about 45 miles away. Approaching the scene, we began to receive small arms fi re from the beach and adjacent hillside, and from the numerous junks in the area. We spotted the survivor and noticed a junk approaching him. A RESCAP aircraft strafed the junk and we were able to complete the pickup without getting hit. Froggy Five ended its tour having logged forty-eight SAR sorties, fi ve rescues under enemy fi re, and four rescues of sailors in a more benign sea environment.

The 5th of June we transferred the detachment from USS Worden to USS Enterprise and rode the carrier to NAS Cubi Point. We arrived there the 7th. We transferred custody of our helo and the detachment pack-up to HC-1 Detachment Cubi. The helo and equipment would remain in Cubi to be used by the next SAR detachment. The 18th of June the twelve remaining members of Froggy Five boarded a MAC fl ight out of Clark AFB for Travis AFB. Ground transportation to San Francisco International and a commercial (PSA) fl ight to San Diego followed. Finally, after a grueling fi ve-month deployment we were home again.

HISTORICAL: A Hell of a Way to Fight a War.Continued from page 52

Continue on page 54

I came home with fond memories of our relationship with the crews of the various ships that hosted our detachment throughout the deployment. They took pride in being vital members of the SAR team, supported us enthusiastically, and would do anything in their power to keep us operational, even manufacturing small parts for the helo. I was also immensely proud of my men. They worked very hard and performed magnifi cently under extremely harsh conditions. Whatever success we may have achieved, they deserved the lion’s share of the credit.

I returned to the haven of my family and my squadron mates, happy to still be in one piece, grateful to have been able to save the freedom, and perhaps the life, of a few of my brothers in arms, and sadden by the memories of those we could not save and had to leave behind.

Editor’s Note: LCDR McCracken and the Detachment Five crew received a hero’s welcome upon arrival at Lindbergh Field. Their families, plus the Executive Offi cer, and half of the HC-1 personnel gathered at the fi eld to greet them. The San Diego Union-Tribune covered the event. Having being nominated by the Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Force Pacifi c Fleet, HC-1 Detachment Five was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation, this being the smallest unit to ever receive such award. For his actions during this deployment, LCDR McCracken was awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with Gold Star, Air Medal, Air Medal with Strike/Flight Numeral “7,” Navy Commendation Medal with Combat v, and numerous other awards.



NHA Region 2

NHA Region 4

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Lieutenant General Emerson N. Gardner Receives the Golden Helix Award

RADM (Ret) Steve Tomaszeski (far left) and CAPT (Ret) Greg Hoffman of Sikorsky Aircraft (far right) present Lieutenant General Gardner with the Golden Helix Award at the Pentagon.

A Reprint from Foundation, Fall 2008 Vol.29, Number 2Edited by Rotor Review Editors.

The Golden Helix Award honors the naval aviator on

active duty serving the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard with the earliest date of designation as a naval helicopter pilot. The Golden Helix Trophy is sponsored by Sikorsky Aircraft and was recently presented to Lt. Gen. Emerson N. Gardner, Jr. USMC on August 10, 2009.

Lt. Gen Gardner is currently assigned as Principal Deputy Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, Offi ce of the Secretary of Defense. Since 1974, he has served as a helicopter pilot in all three Marine Air Wings. At HMX-1 from 1980-1985 he was a White House Liaison Officer and Presidential Helicopter Command Pilot. As Commanding Offi cer of HMM-261 from 1989-1991, Lt. Gen. Gardner led the Raging Bulls

in Operation SHARP EDGE, the evacuation o f L i b e r i a , a n d Operations DESERT SHIELD and STORM. He has more than 4,300 fl ight hours in most of the aircraft currently in

the Marine Corps inventory.Lt . Gen. Gardner served

as Commanding Officer of the 26th

Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) for two deployment cycles to the Mediterranean from 1996 to 1998. During his tour the MEU conducted Operation Silver Wake, the Non-Combatant Evacuation (NEO) of Albania, Operation Guardian Retrieval, contingency support for a NEO of Kinshasa, Zaire and Dynamic Response, the first employment of SACEUR’s Strategic Reserve into Bosnia. Afterward, he became the G-3 Current Ops Offi cer with the 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade in Okinawa, Deputy G3 for II Marine Expeditionary Force an as the J-3 (Operations Offi cer) for the Standing Joint Task Force, MARFORLANT. From 1993-1995 he was the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Logistics

at Allied Forces Northern Europe at Kolasas, Norway and at Allied Forces Northwestern Europe, in High Wycombe, England. From 1998-2000 he served as Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation at Headquarter Marine Corps, Washington D.C. His tour as the Deputy Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic from 2000-2002 included extended temporary additional duty as the Deputy J-3 for Current Operations at U.S. Central Command in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. From 2002-2004 Lt Gen. Gardner served as the Director for Operations, J-3 at U.S. Pacifi c Command. He then became the Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources at Headquarters, Marine Corps.

Lieutenant General Gardner’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Gold Star in lieu of second award, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with Strike Numeral “1,” Navy Commendation Medal and Presidential Service Badge.

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HSCWSL Norfolk Helps Coordinate Outside AssetsArticle by LT Matt “Nilla” Wright, USN

As the HSC community continues to grow in the Tidewater/Hampton

Roads area, the Helicopter Sea Combat Weapons School Atlantic (HSCWSL) staff has taken a proactive approach to developing ties with outside entities. Establishing FAA approved Slow Routes, creating unprepared helicopter landing zones, and regular training periods against realistic Opposition

Forces (OPFOR) are all examples of the Weapons School’s commitment to providing the best training possible to the pilots and aircrew in HSC operational squadrons. These successful efforts also demonstrate the potential of a local operating area that is still maturing. One of the biggest advantages of training in the Tidewater/Hampton Roads area is the abundance of Department of Defense entities in close proximity that

are interested in joint training interoperability with Navy rotary wing assets. Being based right down the street from NAB Little Creek, home to most of the east coast’s Naval Special Warfare (NSW) assets, has provided many opportunities for HSC squadrons to train with local SEAL Teams, Special Boat Units, and Army Special Forces units. For instance, during HSC-22 Det FOUR’s recent Helicopter Advanced Readiness Program (HARP) we were able to coordinate a

“1,” Navy Commendation Medal and


Regional Updates: Region Four

NHA Region 5

combined vBSS/HvBSS exercise to the USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8) with SEAL Team TWO, Special Boat Team 20, and NSWTD2. Another unique resource that comes along with fl ying out of the Navy’s east coast hub is the outstanding training support we receive from military and civilians alike. Fleet Forces Atlantic Exercise Coordination Center (FFAECC) and NAvAIR’s Atlantic Target and Marine Operations (ATMO) offices in both Norfolk and NAS Patuxent River have been exceedingly helpful as we continue to improve upon our local area’s training capabilities. For instance, HARP events coordinated by LT Rob Ballard for HSC Expeditionary detachments now regularly include outstanding ATFP and ASU training against actual small boat threats thanks to the efforts of ATMO det Norfolk. Coordination with FFAECC and ATMO has

also led to the establishment of a realistic HvBSS training platform homeported at NAB Little Creek, the 180 foot long N.S. HUGO. Having regular access to the HUGO for MIO/LIO training will tangibly increase profi ciency amongst our supported squadrons. HSCWSL’s Range Coordination Officer, CWO3 James Gill, has also enjoyed some real success in our efforts to improve the access to nearby ranges and operating areas. During the past year, he’s worked with countless outside units, including Ms. Dee Trotter at Felker AAF, Mr. Harry Mann at the Navy Dare Training Complex, and Mr. Sam McGee with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District. With their help, CWO3 Gill has been able to

develop standard Slow Routes for low level training, establish regular access to overland laser training ranges, and gain access to local Army ranges. Furthermore, CWO3 Gill led the HSC Wing’s efforts to approve Craney Island for degraded visual environment/unprepared landings. Located on the edge of our local Class D airspace, Craney Island provides readily available degraded visual environment training for all experience levels and is just minutes away. There are still plenty of unrealized training opportunities in the Tidewater/Hampton Roads training area. With the support of our external partners, HSCWSL will continue to push for increased integration with an array of local commands and access to even more of the many local ranges and training platforms.

A Historic End to Another Routine Flight: Training Air Wing FIVE Reaches a Two Million Flight Hour Milestone with Contract Helicopter Maintenance.

Eightball 050 taxied into the flight line at South Whiting Field like any of the other 123

TH-57 Sea Rangers that complete training events in the skies of Northwest Florida each day, but this arrival was greeted by a crowd of distinguished guests and well over two hundred spectators instead of a lone lineman and the next crew. On September 8th, 2009, Eightball 050, touched down with CDR Michael D. Fisher, Commanding Offi cer HELTRARON 8, at the controls, thereby completing the two millionth flight hour under the military – contractor maintenance partnership.

That partnership initiated on Oct. 15, 1981 was a radical departure from the established method of maintaining the Bell TH-57 helicopter. Prior to the introduction of contract maintenance, all upkeep was conducted by active duty Navy maintenance professionals. Now under the watchful oversight of L-3 vertex Aerospace LLC, the current contract administrator, all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance repairs as well as test fl ights are conducted by a cadre of two hundred maintenance experts.

In the past 28 years, a series of corporate custodians have maintained the Sea Ranger fl eet. L-3 Vertex Aerospace is the latest, building on the expertise of other corporations such as Raytheon, Burnside Ott and Dyne Corp.

Despite the transition through several corporations, what has made the formula so successful is the consistency and expertise of the people who work on the aircraft. As the contract changed, many of the workers continue performing the same jobs. Eighteen of the current L-3 Aerospace employees have been on board since 1981, and some were active duty Sailors who turned wrenches on TH-57s even earlier.

John Je rome , a Qua l i ty Assurance inspector, is one such example. He served in the Navy as a fl ight crewman and mechanic with Helicopter Training Squadron 18 in the late 1970s. After his service, he was hired to continue working on the aircraft as a contractor. After 28 years, 25 of those years spent as test fl ight crew, he wouldn’t want to do anything else. “I never thought I would still be doing this, but I enjoyed fl ying, the maintenance work, and just seeing the pilots. I like taking an aircraft, making it right, and giving them a safe aircraft back,” he said. In his remarks commemorating the milestone, Commander Training Air Wing FIvE, Col Scott Walsh praised the

enduring partnership and paid testament to “the outstanding maintenance team that provides the best mission ready helicopters to train the best Naval Aviators in the world; all in the defense of our Nation”. He continued “In a normal fl eet squadron, when you have a maintenance professional with 28 years of experience, he is called Master Chief or Master Gunnery Sergeant, but here in this organization we have 30 of those


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(l-r) LTJG Dominic Bucciarelli, USCG (HT-8 observer), AWCM Ray Adams (Senior Enlisted Advisor), Col Scott Walsh (TW5 commodore), Mr. William Bailey (L3 Communications manager), CDR Mike Fisher (HT-8 CO), and 1st Lt Matthew Turner.

Article by CDR Hans Sholley, USN. Photo taken by Mr. Jay Cope


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experts and they work on each aircraft every day”. Although this was a historic milestone, the fl ight was simply another “X” on the way to training another Naval Aviator for the fl eet. Eightball 050, with over 16,700 hours of service is nothing but a machine without those who take the controls. On this day the crew of CDR Michael “Fish “ Fisher, 1stLT Matthew Turner, USMC, of Longview TX, LT Dominic Bucciarelli, USCG, of Hudson MA and AWCM Ray Adams of Los Angeles CA, fl ew a Radio Instrument I4301 and soon those two students will join the ranks of the over 30,000 Unrestricted Naval Aviators who call themselves rotary wing pilots. Without the dedication of the men an women in the L-3 vertex organization and those aircrew from HT-8, HT-18 and HT-28 who fl y the Sea Ranger, none of these 2 million hours would have ever happened.

TRAWING FIVE trains over 550 Naval Aviators a year for the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and several international partners while operating 124 TH-57 B and C models at Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The ranks of the TH-57 “Bravos” and “Charlies” will be joined by the glass cockpit “Delta” model beginning in 2010.

To put 2,000,000 flight hours in a proper perspective consider the following:

228 - 1. The number of years to reach 2 million if one Sea Ranger was fl own continuously for 24 hours a day each year.140,000,000 -2. The number of nautical miles fl own by a Sea Ranger averaging 70 kts in 2 million hours.5622 - 3. The number of times around the world that helicopter would travel in 2 million hours.One - 4. The number of hours each resident of the state of New Mexico would get to fl y to reach 2 million.56,000,000 - 5. The number of gallons of Jet fuel burned to reach 2 million, enough to fi ll the largest super tanker in the world 2.5 times.13,833 - 6. The number of US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Aviators to earn their wings of gold since contract maintenance began.

Commander, Naval Air Forces, Atlantic Recognizes Exceptional Desert Hawks

Article by LTJG Daniel Rogers, USNArticle by LTJG Daniel Rogers, USN

On A u g u s t 1 7 , 2 0 0 9 ,

eight members of HSC-26 Detachment ONE’s Desert Hawks were recognized for the completion of a ten hour combat logistics mission in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While deployed with Commander, US Naval Forces Central Command and Commander FIFTH Fleet, two Desert Hawk crews fl ew in near-zero visibility, reduced ceilings, and blinding refi nery fi res to transport 24 SEAL personnel from Southern Iraq to the Northern Arabian Gulf (NAG). Their mission required the transit through areas in Kuwait prone to small arms fi re

RADM O’Hanlon pins LT Callan with the Single Action Air Medal. Photo courtesy of MC2 Harper, USN.

and known hostile areas in Southern Iraq. Their meticulous planning, crew resource management, and tactical profi ciency led to the safe execution of their mission resulting in the capture of a violent extremist. Commander, Naval Air Forces, Atlantic, RADM O’Hanlon presented Single Action Air Medals for heroic achievement to LCDR Edward Johnson, LT Bryan Callan, LT Anne Crawford, and LT Christopher Neboshynsky. AWSC Scott Chun and AWS1 Jason Bertelsen were awarded Navy Commendation Medals; AWS2 Justin McMahon and AWS2 Matthew Estep were awarded Navy Achievement Medals. These Desert Hawks serve as an excellent example of how HSC-26 DET One is trained and prepared to overcome extremely diffi cult obstacles to safely complete any mission in any environment.

“The Chargers Continue to Raise the Bar”Article By LTJG Daniel Rogers, USN

This year, HSC-26 was awarded the Sikorsky “Golden Wrench” award for the second consecutive year. This award is given by

Sikorsky to squadrons who exemplify the highest standards of aircraft safety and maintenance. In the 2008 fi scal year, the HSC-26 Chargers were responsible for over 6,300 mishap-free fl ight hours, a 98 percent mission completion rate, transportation

of over 6,600 pounds of cargo and mail, and over 6,700 passengers. In addition, the Chargers were just presented the 2008 Chief of Naval Operations’ Aviation Safety Award for the second year in a row for their exceptionally high standards of safety. After presenting the award, RADM O’Hanlon said “the only thing more diffi cult than receiving an award for the fi rst time is receiving it the second time.” The Chargers’ next challenge is to raise the bar yet another notch for 2009.next challenge is to raise the bar yet another notch for 2009.



SQUADRON UPDATES: HSC-26 / HSL- 51

Witch Doctors Strong Finish in the Support of Continuing Promise ‘09Article and Photo by LT Vic Allen, USN

The Witch Doctors of HSC-26 DET THREE returned home on July 30 after a four month stint supporting PHIBRON SIX and USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) during

Operation CONTINUING PROMISE ’09. CONTINUING PROMISEis an ongoing joint mission that aims to strengthen ties between the US and our regional partners in the Caribbean, Central and South America. To this effect Comfort was tasked with providing medical aid in the form of surgeries, consultations, medical and veterinary care. The “Witch Doctors” were the primary means of logistical support for the mission

due to the nature of the areas that Comfort supported –

namely third-world conditions without pier-side support for a deep-draft vessel such as Comfort. The second half of CONTINUING PROMISE ’09 saw the CP09 team proceed to the Pacifi c via the Panama Canal and after a spirited line-crossing ceremony got back to work supporting operations in Tumaco, Colombia. The Witch Doctors answered the call, transporting medical personnel and patients, tons of supplies for the embarked Seabees to construct a school, and the standard medical support provisions. Members of DET THREE also got valued experience while conducting a subject matter expert exchange with fellow pilots and maintainers from the Colombian military. After concluding operations in Colombia, the Witch Doctors headed north to La Union, El Salvador, the most challenging yet rewarding port to date due to the 20 mile round trip, numerous mountains and volcanoes, and line-of-sight communications diffi culties. El Salvador was a walk in the park compared to the fi nal port of Corinto, Nicaragua, where sea state, distance, and fuel issues all came together in a confl uence of events sure to give even the most seasoned HAC pause before launching on the mission. True to form, the Witch Doctors continued to fi nd ways to accomplish the assigned missions, big or small: from literally hauling trash from the ship to a station ashore to the executive transport of numerous dignitaries. At the conclusion of the CONTINUING PROMISE’09, DET THREE could look back and call the mission a rousing success. The detachment safely and expeditiously moved over 7600 personnel, transported over 1.8 million pounds of cargo and fl ew over 420 hours in seven countries while supporting several contingency movements and MEDEvACs. The “Witch Doctors,” while happy to return home, are proud to have had the opportunity to serve in such a unique capacity with USNS Comfort and Operation CONTINUING PROMISE.

Witch Doctors from HSC-26 DET THREE on fi nal to USNS Comfort (T-AH 20).

HSL-51 Hits 110,000 Class “A” Mishap Free Flight HoursArticle by MIDN 1/C Christi Morrissey and MIDN 1/C Monica Cooney

Helicopter Anti-Submarine Light Squadron FIvE ONE (HSL-51) reached a great milestone on Monday, 8 June 2009,

successfully surpassing their 110,000th Class “A” mishap-free fl ight hour. Only two other HSL/HSM squadrons of fourteen have achieved this feat; HSM-41 and HSL-45. Established on 3 October 1991, HSL-51 is one of eight squadrons making up the Pacifi c Fleet’s Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing (CHSMWP) whose sailors deploy aboard numerous ships in the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet. Known as the Warlords, the members of HSL-51 are the Navy’s only permanently forward deployed Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk LAMPS (Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System) Mk III helicopter squadron, providing combat-ready helicopter detachments to ships deployed in the Western Pacifi c region. HSL-51 is responsible for providing executive transport for the Commander of U.S. Seventh

Fleet in the VIP confi gured SH-60F. The Naval Safety Center defi nes Class “A” mishaps as incidents resulting in $1,000,000 or more worth of damage to an aircraft, the destruction of an aircraft, and/or permanent total disabilities or fatalities. Achieving this mishap-free milestone is even more remarkable given the consideration that most of the SH-60B detachments fl y in the demanding small deck environment, landing on the fl ight decks of destroyers, cruisers and frigates often under poor weather and night time conditions. Since its inception, HSL-51 has safely completed over 100,000 shipboard landings. HSL-51 reached the benchmark during a functional check fl ight (FCF) piloted by LT Megan Barnett as aircraft commander and LT John Rauschenberger as copilot, and crewed by AWR2 Thomas Gaeta. When asked of his thoughts, Gaeta remarked, “it’s a great

HH

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SQUADRON UPDATES: HSl- 51

privilege to be on the fl ight that broke 110,000 hours and I’m happy to be home safe.” No easy or quick achievement, HSL-51 arrived at this signifi cant milestone after 17 years of meticulous maintenance and adept fl ying. Senior Chief Kevin Porter, Maintenance Master Chief

(MMCPO) for HSL-51 says that a lot of hard work and effort went into this achievement, stating “it’s not just the amount of fl ight hours; there’s a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into accomplishing this goal.” But he notes that the work is not done. “Every hour is important and an accomplishment for us,” says Porter. “The fi rst safe hour is just as important as the 110,000th safe hour. Obviously it’s an amazing goal for us to reach, but it’s also just another day trying to accomplish the mission.” For every hour of fl ight time, maintenance crews spend approximately 38.6 hours working on the helicopters, servicing the aircraft and performing a variety of routine inspections. AMC Blair, the squadron’s Quality Assurance Supervisor (QAS), is proud of this accomplishment, saying “it means we’re doing everything by the book.” The Commanding Offi cer of HSL-51 is proud of his sailors, asserting that “reaching this milestone is a direct refl ection of the dedication to safety, Operational Risk Management and leadership of every single Warlord Sailor over the past seventeen and a half years. It speaks volumes about the professionalism and pride of every single member of the Warlord team, past and present. The current generation of Warlord Sailors is fully dedicated to carrying on the commitment to safety, both on and off the job that allowed us to reach this aviation safety benchmark.”

CDR McKone and the fl ight crew cut the 110,000 hour cake together. Photo courtesy of HSL-51 Public Affairs

HS-7 Dusty Dogs: Stand Ready For Open Ocean Operations

Article by LT Craig Famoso, USN

Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron SEvEN recently returned from a demanding underway period onboard USS Harry S. Truman (CvN 75). While embarked,

the squadron and Carrier Air Wing THREE demonstrated their tactical prowess while being tested during the Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX). The exercise was one of the squadron’s fi nal steps in their preparation for an upcoming fall deployment in support of the Harry S. Truman strike group.

COMPTUEX is an exercise conducted by the Commander of Strike Training Fleet Atlantic (CSTFL) and his staff. The exercise tests the carrier and its air wing and qualifi es them for “Blue Water” operations. The Blue Water certifi cation enables the ship and air wing to conduct fl ight operations in the open ocean environment without requiring a land-based airfi eld that aircraft can use as a divert in the event of bad weather or aircraft emergencies. It is an essential part of the carrier’s expeditionary effectiveness and ensures that the air wing can safely operate from the carrier anywhere in the world.

HS-7 fl ew numerous Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) training missions simulating the rescue of downed aviators behind enemy lines during the exercise. The squadron practiced fi ring M-240 and GAU-16 machine guns at multiple targets on the ground and Dusty Dog Pilots increased their profi ciency while using the helicopter’s forward looking infrared (FLIR) against special targets.

Additionally, HS-7 took part in multiple Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) missions. Dusty crews successfully operated with ships and airborne units from the HST strike group and launched with very short notice to intercept a United States submarine acting as an enemy

submarine that had snuck into the carrier’s inner-zone. LT Jonathan Dorsey and LT Tom van Dam, and the crew of Dusty 613, successfully intercepted and destroyed the submarine with a simulated torpedo.

Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron SEvEN also used multiple aircraft to support Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) missions and worked closely with company ships and airborne platforms to protect the strike group from simulated hostile small boat attacks. Several ATFP exercises conducted provided opportunities for the Dusty Dogs to practice this critical skill and enabled Carrier Strike Group TEN to operate safely and effi ciently during diffi cult straits transits. Scenarios such as these allowed the squadron to hone its skills across its entire mission set and provided a trained and vital asset to Carrier Strike Group TEN.

HS-7 will be refining its operational capabilities in the desert and high mountain environment at NAS Fallon, Nevada during the months of July and August. Fallon will provide another level of experience and will add, yet another, opportunity for the squadron to increase its combat readiness.


experience and will add, yet another, opportunity for the squadron to


SQUADRON UPDATES: HSC-3

Continue on page 61

HSC-3 Quarterly Squadron Update (Aug 2009)Article amd Photo by LT David Yoon, USN

As the end of summer fast approaches, the Merlins of HSC-3 continue to stay busy supporting the fl eet. The past three months have seen several noteworthy

achievements by the squadron, setting the tone for continued sustained training operations as we head into the fall. In June HSC-3 received two new aircraft from Sikorsky. Two crews, including four pilots, two aircrewmen and two maintainers, fl ew to Syracuse, NY in order to bring the birds back to San Diego via a three day cross-country. After a short drive to Sikorsky’s repair facility at Elmira, NY, aircraft 15 and 17 (BUNOs 167824 and 167823) were offi cially received by the US Navy and departed on a long but relatively uneventful trip back to NAS North Island. Stops in Nashville, Fort Worth, and Yuma went well other than some minor maintenance issues that resulted in an extra night spent in Arizona. The crews loved the experience and the scenery as they transited the country, and the weather cooperated for most of the trip, making it that much more enjoyable. HSC-3 has also been very busy with the transition of the Golden Falcons of HS-2. In addition to leaving the venerable SH-60F/HH-60H airframes for the MH-60S, HS-2 also received a new

designation for the squadron, HSC-12. Approximately 40 pilots and aircrew were qualifi ed in the new airframe over the last three months. August 6, 2009 marked the offi cial changeover of HS-2 to HSC-12, a momentous day in that squadron’s history and one that the Merlins of HSC-3 are proud to have played a small part in. Along with the usual infl ux of new fl eet replacement pilots, other happenings within the squadron have kept the Merlins very busy. The squadron continues its support of Commander Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacifi c (CHSCWP) in their drive to develop Night Vision Device (NvD) vertical Replenishment (vERTREP) procedures for the fl eet, attempting to make that night logistics evolution safer and more effi cient. Also, the squadron is also researching a safe methodology for instructing aerodynamic braking, a procedure that the Army and Air Force currently employ in their running landings. It is hoped that practicing this procedure will improve the fl ying skills of HSC aviators, helping to prevent mishaps in the future.

In another instance of supporting the fl eet, two HSC-3 pilots contributed to a recent HSC-21 Blackjacks NSW detachment in El Centro, CA. The two Merlin aviators assisted both Navy SEAL platoons and HSC-21 in their pre-deployment work-ups, helping prepare for the Naval Air Ambulance Detachment in Kuwait and Iraq.

Maintenance personnel continue to stay busy, with the command transferring three new aircraft to HSC-12, three to HSC-25 in Guam, and receiving three airframes back from HSC-25. Of special note, the squadron’s 221,000 Class A mishap free fl ight hours have been restored after Fleet Readiness Center, Southwest (FRCSW) completed repairs to BUNO 166340 at $200,000.00 under budget and 5 months ahead of schedule. Special thanks to the hardworking team of FRCSW for their efforts and contributions in keeping HSC-3 Class A mishap free for 35 years running. All in all HSC-3 has had a very eventful and productive summer and all indications point to this trend continuing through to the end of the year. The Merlins will continue to strive to achieve their goal of producing the fi nest fl eet replacement pilots and aircrew anywhere in the world, contributing to the realization of the Navy’s “Helo Master Plan” and increasing combat readiness throughout the HSC community and Pacifi c Fleet.

Merlins in-fl ight over Memphis, TN with new helo.

HSL–42 Detachment Eight: “Prestige Worldwide”Gets First Drug Bust

Article by LTJG Seth DiNola, USN

The forward deployed team of USS Carr (FFG-52), HSL 42 Detachment EIGHT “Prestige Worldwide” and U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment

(USCG Ledet) successfully completed their fi rst drug bust on 11 May 2009. After two days of preparation and organizing forces to provide daily coverage on the contact of interest, all parties involved were rewarded after more than $5,000,000 of cocaine was confi scated from

a Peruvian fi shing vessel.In an unprecedented display of teamwork

and professionalism, USS Carr launched Proud Warrior 430 and a Rigid Hull Infl atable Boat (RHIB) with USCG Ledet embarked to intercept the contact of interest. With a P-3 Orion circling the area to


SQUADRON UPDATES: HSL-42


Continue on page 62

provide overhead surveillance and coverage, 430 and USCG Ledet arrived on station at the Peruvian fi shing vessel as the sun began to rise. Caught by surprise, personnel on board the fi shing vessel quickly tossed bales of cocaine overboard in attempt to rid themselves of the illegal contraband. FLIR imagery from 430 captured all the action as Carrclosed on the fi shing vessels’ position. Ledet personnel successfully collected all cocaine bales and swiftly executed a “Right of Approach” query. After receiving permission from Joint Interagency Task Force South, all members onboard the fi shing vessel were detained onboard Carr until released to Peruvian government offi cials.

With two full days of gathering intelligence, prepping the

mission plan and rehearsing the coordinated end-game and takedown of the fi shing vessel, Carr closed the 400 plus miles to successfully execute the interdiction, right of approach and boarding. All parties involved played a major role in the confi scation of the cocaine. This was a true team effort by the Carr, embarked HSL-42 Detachment EIGHT and USCG Ledet. As this team moves into its second half of deployment, a sense of accomplishment is present among the crew. “Prestige Worldwide” looks forward to meeting all operational challenges and living up to the reputation of the Proud Warriors of HSL-42. Detachment Offi cer-in-Charge LCDR Jaesen Yerger comments on the future, “We’re looking forward to continued success as we proceed on mission in support of Counter-Narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacifi c Theater.”

The Proud Warriors visit Assumption Catholic School

This March the HSL-42 Proud W a r r i o r s

were given the opportunity to spend the day visiting with the students and staff of Assumption Catholic School. The students

were deeply saddened earlier this year when their visit with the Proud Warriors was canceled due to thick fog. This time they were blessed with clear blue skies and a bright sunny day.

The day was fi lled with many unique learning opportunities for the students. LTJG Hinson and AWR2 Owens arrived early at the school to secure and evaluate the landing site. They did this with the help of the third and fourth grade students and staff who helped with the F.O.D. walk down. After the fi eld was secure the rest of the students were brought outside to wait for the arrival of the Proud Warrior helo. While they were waiting AWR2 Owens and LTJG Hinson were able to speak to the school about the Navy and what it means to be a part of a helicopter squadron. Once radio communications were gained with the helicopter the students were notifi ed and they eagerly awaited its arrival.

When the helicopter fi rst fl ew over the school its students erupted in a loud cheer and their faces glowed with joy with thought of what they were about to see. They were in awe as they watched a real live helicopter piloted by CDR Dana Gordon, Commanding Offi cer of HSL-42, and LTJG Tim Grant land in the soccer fi eld of their school

Once the helicopter was shut down and secured, CDR Gordon and AWRCS Hinschberger both spoke to the school. When they fi nished speaking the students were allowed to get in the aircraft and see fi rst-hand what it is like to fl y the SH-60B.

By the time everyone had toured the helicopter it was getting late in the afternoon and time for the Proud Warriors to head home. The students were moved to a safe viewing location and the helicopter took off and headed home. Not only was this visit to Assumption a wonderful learning opportunity for the students, but hopefully it created a lasting and fond memory of both the helicopter community and the U.S. Navy.

CDR Gordon is greeted by students at Assumption Catholic School.

Proud Warrior 433 arrivcs

Article and Photos courtesy of HSL-42 Public Affairs

created a lasting and fond memory of both the helicopter community

HSL-42 Receives the 2008 Golden Wrench Award Article and Photo by LTJG Phillip Hinson, USN

The HSL-42 Proud Warriors continue to enhance their reputation as the premier east coast LAMPS Squadron by bringing home the coveted 2008 Golden Wrench Award. The honor was bestowed upon them by CAPT (Ret) Greg Hoffman of the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation during a Squadron awards quarters on 17 August 2009.

The competition for the Golden Wrench is intense among the HSL Squadrons and this year was no different. All of the Squadrons had strong showings, but like all competitions, there can only be one winner. This year when the numbers were crunched, one Squadron clearly stood above the rest, HSL-42.

In 2008 the Proud Warriors of Helicopter Anti-Submarine


SQUADRON UPDATES: HSL-42 / HSL-49

Squadron Light FOUR TWO completed another outstanding year of maintenance excellence while supporting 10 LAMPS MK-III SH-60B helicopter detachments deployed on surface combatants in seven different Areas of Operation across the world. They completed 6,512 mishap-free fl ight hours during operations in the most challenging environments in Naval Aviation and fl ew more than any other HSL Command world-wide, all while surpassing 173,500 hours and 22 years of Class “A” mishap-free fl ight operations. During these fl ight hours, HSL-42 accumulated over 950 combined days of embarked operations and completed more than 6,000 shipboard landings. In this period time the Maintenance Department excelled with a HSMWINGLANT leading -.21 average Command Ready Basic Aircraft (RBA) gap and -.5 average Ready for Training (RFT) gap, providing a reliable sensor and weapons platform to Fleet, Battle Group and unit Commanders worldwide. When ask of his Squadrons’ achievement, Skipper Failla said “without the tremendous effort and attention to detail put forth by the

maintenance department, the winning of this award would have not been possible. It is their constant effort to go above and beyond that pushes HSL-42 above the rest.”

CDR Failla accepts the 2008 Golden Wrench award from Sikorsky’s Director of Navy

Requirements Greg Hoffman.

HSL-49 DET 3’s Redstinger 103 conducts Dual MEDEVACsArticle by LT Scott Lippincott, USN

Redstinger 103 was recently called upon to respond to two separate MEDEvACs in only two days time. The fi rst call came

in when one of the ship’s company reported a serious and painful toothache that needed emergency dental work to correct. . The ship maneuvered to within 70 miles off the coast of Panama to effect an easy fl ight into Tucumán Intl Airport in Panama City and launched RS103 with LT Lippincott, LTJG Cush and AWR2 Yates. The fl ight was uneventful with the exception of very spotty communications that were both in English and Spanish. Only two days after the fi rst patient was dropped off, HSL-49 DET 3 was again called to the aid of another crewmember who was in need of an emergency appendectomy. This fl ight was more complex as it required a nighttime launch amidst a

series of thunderstorms. This time, LT Lippincott, LT Leverone, and AWR1 Parker were launched just after 11PM local time. The fl ight required some tricky navigation around some large thunderstorms in order to reach the airfi eld safely. Again, communications with local Air Traffi c Control were almost non-existent. Finally, as the airfi eld came into view through a spot in the storms, the crew was able to get clearance to land just after midnight. After shutting down to refuel, and dropping of the patient, Redstinger 103 was on its way safely back to the USS Jarrett landing just after 1AM. Thanks to both crews and the maintenance team that put in countless hours to keep us fl ying, two members of the Jarrett team were able to receive much needed care in minimal time.

HSL 49 Detachment TWO UnderwayArticle and Photo by LTJG Dave Thomas, USN

HSL-49 Detachment TWO departed San Diego on July 31st embarked on the guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) for a six-

month deployment with the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group. The San Diego based detachment will proceed onboard USS Pinckney to the FIFTH Fleet operating area to provide maritime and air support to multi-national operations being conducted in the Middle East and anti-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa. Detachment TWO, “The Tenacious Det,” is led by LCDR Wade Iverson and is comprised of six pilots, three aircrewmen, and 18 maintenance personnel. The detachment is excited to be underway and highly motivated to begin operations. “The Tenacious Det” continues to support the nation by deploying another fully mission capable, two-plane, combat-ready detachment to sea.

HSL 49 DET Two


continues to support the nation by deploying another fully mission capable, two-plane, combat-ready detachment to sea.


SQUADRON UPDATES: HSL-49 / HSC-26

HSL-49 Detachment Five Honors CDR Dale “Abe” Simmons and The Battle of Midway

By LT John Craighill, HSL-49, Detachment FIVE

The Burial at Sea ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the United States Navy. The “Scallywags” of HSL-49 Detachment FIvE, embarked on the USS Thach

(FFG-43), had the honor and privilege of participating in this military tradition on the 67th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway.

On Saturday, June 6th 2009, CDR Dale “Abe” Simmons (Ret.), the longtime wingman of aviator ADM Jimmy Thach, one of the heroes of Midway, was laid to rest in the waters near Midway Island. These were the very same waters that so many great young Americans sacrifi ced their lives in defense of their country during the Battle of Midway 67 years ago that day. While the ceremony itself honored the life and dedicated service of one man, the overall execution and professionalism shown by not just the men and women of Thach, but the entire USS Ronald Reagan (CvN 76) Carrier Strike Group, proved that the same sacrifi ce and dedication shown by the Sailors of

old, during battles such as Midway, is still very much present in the modern Sailor. It was a proud day for the United States Navy.

Dressed in uniforms resembling those from the early 1940’s, the crew stood in formation on the forecastle of Thach. In the background, three destroyers, all within 500 yards of one another, formed a diamond as we honored CDR “Abe” Simmons and all of the Sailors that fought so bravely 67 years ago. As the fi nal note of Taps was played, a missing man formation of F/A-18’s fl ew overhead at 300 feet. “Abe” would have been proud of his modern Navy.

As Detachment FIvE and the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group sail west in defense of our country, remembering those that fought before us provides motivation and inspiration to continue their legacy of Honor, Courage, and Commitment. The same resolve shown in the Sailor of old is still very much alive today.

HSL 49, Detachment FOUR UnderwayArticle and Photo by LTJG Heather Talley

HSL-49 Detachment FOUR departed San Diego on May 27 embarked on the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) for a surge deployment

with the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group. The San Diego based detachment is deployed alongside her sister detachment, HSL-49 Detachment FIvE, currently embarked on the USS Thach (FFG 43). Together they will support missions in Seventh and Fifth Fleet operating the SH-60B Seahawk. The Detachment FOUR “Professionals” are led by LCDR

Stan Fisher and are comprised of six pilots, three aircrewmen, and 16 maintenance personnel. The detachment has worked diligently since January, achieving a “Ready to Deploy” status with only three weeks of underway workups this spring. The Professionals continue to support the nation by deploying another fully mission capable, two-plane, combat-ready detachment to sea.

HSC-28 SUPPORTS POTUS VISIT TO GHANA AFRICA

Article by LCDR Timothy Burke, USN

When conversations with the front offi ce start with phrases like, “So, can you clear your calendar for the next month?” one knows something hot is on

the horizon. This euphemism accurately describes HSC-28’s recent adventure in support of the President of the United States (POTUS) visit to Accra, Ghana, in Africa on July 11th, 2009. With a little less than a week’s notice, HSC-28 deployed DET 3 on board USS Iwo Jima(LHD 7) to provide MEDEvAC support for POTUS and White House Staff, Amphibious SAR (ASAR) for an embarked USMC CH-53E squadron, and aerial reconnaissance for the US Secret Service. This mission had been delineated on “a schedule” for months; however, such advance notice escaped relay to the Navy’s supporting units, yielding an unfortunate and not-all-that-uncommon “jumpex” to get underway on time. However, in legacy HC fashion, HSC-28 DET 3 met the challenge.

Identifi ed as Operation JUPITER SENTINEL, the Navy’s

A VH-60N from HMX-1 resets day DLQ currency in preparation for the President of the United States visit to Accra, Ghana, in Africa. Photo taken by LCDR Timothy Burke, USNContinue on page 64

legacy of Honor, Courage, and Commitment. The same resolve shown



support was just part of a much larger Africa engagement plan on behalf of the United States. The POTUS support mission encompassed visits to fi ve select locations in the city of Accra, Ghana, followed by airborne lift 70 NM west to Cape Coast. Here, President Obama’s visit culminated in him giving a speech at the historic Cape Coast Castle. Beyond routine ASAR, the detachment was afforded the unique opportunity to work cohesively with the United States Secret Service to provide real-time aerial reconnaissance along the motorcade route. Additionally, the detachment was effectively employed as an airborne relay utilizing the robust MH-60S communication suite, specifi cally dedicated and DAMA SATCOM. Luckily, our MEDEvAC services were not required during the visit.

Like any deployment, this African adventure was not without its learning points and challenges. The trek over to Ghana was fi lled with the standard assimilation of forces while trying to decipher a deliberately non-descriptive execution order, then determining the scope of support required for the POTUS visit and its subsequent plan of execution. Weather conditions in the infamous inter-tropical

convergence zone strained fl ight operations daily. Given the short-fused departure, all aviation units aggressively pursued fl ight time during the crossing to establish currencies in order to fully support the mission. Concurrently, the Gator laid rooster tails in its wake to satisfy its compressed transit timeline. Ship propulsion problems spurred grey hair growth amongst the SWOs during the trip across the pond.

But 4,600 nautical miles, 13 days and one soggy steel beach

Fourth of July picnic later, we arrived off the Southwest coast of Africa ready to play. As an honorable mention, another big deck amphib shadowed us all the way to the Fleet transition point in case it took “two to make one”: sounds like a venerable aviation mantra!

Once on scene, communication challenges lessened and mission scope became more granular. A comprehensive plan was developed with HMX-1 and AFRICOM. With the aircraft and weather cooperating, the plan was successfully executed on game day. HSC-28 DET 3 fl ew 10 hours in direct POTUS support. News coverage never acknowledged the presence of the big United States warship sitting off the coast in support, and somehow all the Navy and Marine Corps aviation assets were downgraded to Air Force assets in the press releases. With just the organic Sailors and Marines aware of the noble efforts paid out in support, Iwo Jima detached and headed home…at a leisurely pace. As a bonus, the ship managed to get “lost a little” on the way home and ended up crossing the equator, initiating 700+ new world-famous Shellbacks. With the mission complete, the transit home was fi lled with no shortage of Guitar Hero, facial hair artwork, mock H2P boards, movie selection debates, stern gate fi shing, and fi nding out just how many meatballs one young nugget can put in his mouth.

The opportunity to participate in this mission…remarkable.

BayRaider 44 hosting the United States Secret Service medallion prior to conducting aerial reconnaissance for the President of the United States motorcade in Accra, Ghana, in Africa. Photo taken by LCDR Timothy Burke, USN

The crew of BayRaider 44 (l-r), AWS1 Duriga, LT Farmer, AWS2 Gionet, and LTJG Sherman, pose in front of Air Force One before providing aerial reconnaissance for the United States Secret Service. Photo taken by LCDR Timothy Burke, USN



SQUADRON UPDATES: HS-14

HS-14: 25 Years of ServiceArticle and Photos by LTJG Kevin Goettsche, USN

Aboard USS George Washington, members of the Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Fourteen celebrate their 25th year in service. The Chargers

have had a remarkable history, including 15 years of service as an FDNF (Forward Deployed Naval Force). What is even more remarkable is the breadth of capabilities that this squadron has demonstrated over the last quarter century.

HS-14 was commissioned on July 10, 1984 fl ying the SH-3H Sea King. The Chargers were to spend the next 10 years of service working for Carrier Air Wing Two out of San Diego, California. In 1989, HS-14 was a key player in a large scale rescue effort which saved the lives of 37 vietnamese in the midst of a sinking boat.

Over the next four years, HS-14 would play key roles in Operation DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, SOUTHERN WATCH and RESTORE HOPE. The squadron proved its capabilities in the area of anti-surface warfare, anti-mine warfare and special operations and its ability to supply humanitarian relief. During these operations the squadron captured four Iraqi military members, destroyed one gunboat, and cleared two mines.

In 1993 the squadron picked up its 175 men and women and moved from San Diego, to Mayport, Florida in order to embark on the USS Constellation (Cv 64). HS-14 provided anti-submarine warfare support during the ship’s transit to the west coast.

In 1994, after large-scale military downsizing, the squadron would prove itself once again. The squadron not only transitioned from the Sea King to the Seahawk helicopter, but also successfully moved from San Diego, CA to Atsugi, Japan by October. This would mark the beginning of its commitment as an FDNF squadron.

HS-14: 25 Years of ServiceArticle and Photos by LTJG Kevin Goettsche, USNArticle and Photos by LTJG Kevin Goettsche, USN

The cake cutting ceremony was done by (front-back) CDR Raymond Hesser, CDR Geoff Moore, and CDR Manuel Picon.

In 1998, between two back-to-back deployments to the Persian Gulf, HS-14 executed its fi rst of two cross-deck moves. This move changed its permanent sea based home from the USS Independence (Cv 62) to the USS Kitty Hawk (Cv 63). This year would also mark the beginning of the squadron’s participation in exercises FOAL EAGLE and ANNUALEX.

In 2002 and 2003 the squadron would use it’s training in the areas of naval special warfare and combat search and rescue. It left a detachment onboard USS Kitty Hawk in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan and separately during IRAQI FREEDOM rescued a CvW-5 aviator in hostile territory. Less than a year later, during PULSEEX 2004, HS-14 would provide vital support in the recovery of a downed S-3B viking crew in the remote jungles of Iwo Jima.

Just two years later HS-14 showed its softer side. While conducting NSW operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM - PHILIPPINES with JTF-515, typhoons raged the islands. The squadron quickly moved from support of the war on terror, to saving more than 100 refugees.

Over the next 4 years, the Chargers would participate in multiple exercises including TALISMAN SABRE, ORANGE CRUSH, JASEX, SHAREM, MULTI SAIL, ANNUALEX and vALIANT SHIELD. During vALIANT SHIELD, HS-14 provided inner zone defense against multiple attacking submarines performing almost fl awlessly while scoring multiple successful “sim-attacks” against American, Australian and Singaporean submarines. Simultaneously, the Chargers worked a detachment out of Guam which focused on NSW and CSAR.

In 2008, HS-14 would perform its second cross-deck hull swap from USS Kitty Hawk to USS George Washington (CvN 73). During this move the squadron provided the only means to move 9,124,000 lbs of ammunition in 998 loads, making it the largest vertical replenishment operation in FDNF history. The Chargers made this move possible by making 54.6 picks per hour on average (at one point more than one pick per minute), exceeding the typical 45 picks per hour made by other communities.

Now, amidst the 2009 deployment of USS George Washington, the Chargers are gearing up for another multi-national exercise, TALISMAN SABRE. Going into this operation HS-14 has two DETS currently deployed, and one more DET being sent to Darwin to support the exercise. The squadron is split among four different locations. But, as you have read, this squadron has proven this capability in the past, and will continue to do so. As this 25th year in service passes by, the Chargers will continue living by their motto: Day and night, Lightning strikes.

will continue living by their motto:



Newly Named HSC 12 Carries on Rich Tradition Article by MC2 (SW) Sarah E. Bitter, USN

Photos courtesy of HSC-12 Public Affairs

After 57 years of service, the longest standing helicopter squadron in Navy history, Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 2 (HS-2), became the most

recent squadron to transition to the MH-60S Seahawk Helicopter and changed its name to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 (HSC-12) during a ceremony on NAS North Island, Aug. 6.

Despite the new command designation, aircraft and mission, at least one thing remained unchanged - the squadron’s keeps its nickname, Golden Falcons.

“The aircraft may look different, the name may be different, but the excellence, the history, the dedication, the courage and the legacy of HS-2 not only will remain, but that is the foundation that will be the bedrock that these men and women will use to build HSC-12’s legacy from this day forward,” said HSC-12 commanding offi cer CDR Terence Hoeft.

Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class (AW) John Alba, explained that he is looking forward to the new experience and is happy to be part of this transition.

“This is my fi rst squadron, and it’s going to be a great experience,” said Alba. “It is a great experience to say that I am plankowner of the squadron, and I am very excited to be a part of it.”

This transition is a major milestone for the Golden Falcons, who were established March 7, 1952 as the fi rst anti-submarine warfare helicopter squadron on the West coast. The squadron has fl own six different models of helicopters, most recently the SH-60F and HH-60H, which are now being retired as the squadron accepts MH-60S Seahawks. The squadron will lose the anti-submarine warfare mission, but HSC-12 will continue to focus on the core mission areas of search and rescue, combat search and rescue, naval special warfare, anti-surface warfare and logistics.

AZCM(AW/SW) Gilbert Juarez (CMC) receives the Golden Wrench Award presented by Sikorsky’s director of Navy

requirements CAPT Greg Hoffman.


SQUADRON UPDATE: HM-14

Navy 53’S Are Finally Haze Green UnderwayArticle and Photo by LCDR Vince Spozio, USN

For decades the HM community has quite literally been left in the dark when conducting night shipboard operations. For airbosses

accustomed to conducting NvD Helo ops the sound of a Vulcan (HM-14), Hurricane (HM-15) or Dragon (FRS) MH-53E aircraft checking for unaided night bounces was like the proverbial fart in church. As a HAC who has made a few of these check in calls I can attest that our crews were equally disturbed about the proposition of conducting these unaided hits for training.

During my ten years of association with the HM community it was certain that every time HM pilots had to answer the standard safety survey question “What do you think will cause the next mishap in your squadron?” the answer was: Unaided night DLQs. Now as an Aviation Safety Offi cer I sit and wonder why my community had been left in the dark for so long. The standard responses I heard from past leadership still ring through my head, “There is no precedence for our requirement for NvD’s” or “We don’t conduct AMCM ops at night and that is our primary mission therefore we don’t have a need for goggles.” I half heartedly bought into these explanations as an impressionable LTJG though they never did quite sit right in my conscience.

Sitting back now and pondering the HM community’s ORM standard for conducting unaided DLQ’s during “pinky time” (This is not to say that we don’t also fl y unaided in the black of a moonless night...that’s when the JO’s get their bounces) I am not convinced that we are / were doing the right thing. On one hand fl ying in “pinky time” does mitigate the risk of our night DLQ operations but the question arises as to

Vulcans’ MH-53E on the deck preparing to conduct NVD helo ops.

whether or not we were really building our night shipboard profi ciency or just simply getting a currency check in the block. The old saying “Practice like you play” or in our case “Train like you fi ght” must be considered if the community is truly concerned about safety, profi ciency and operational capability. There is no doubt in my mind that any unaided night DLQ qualifi ed HM pilot could make a safe night shipboard landing under normal circumstances but throw in a high stress scenario, mixed helo ops, or worse yet a night autorotation to the water and the situation becomes much more dicey.

Green with envy no more!On July 9th, 2009, HM-14 and the crew of USS

WASP (LHD 1) helped the AMCM community take a giant leap forward in risk mitigation as the NvD crew of vULCAN 554 (HAC: LCDR Chris “Browner” Brown, Copilot: LCDR vince “Snuf” Spozio, Crewchief: AW1 Severin Carlson, Second Crewman: AWC Matt Wilhelm, and AW1 Ethan Miller) touched down on USS WASP off the coast of virginia Beach at 2130. This historic Navy H-53 NvD shipboard landing seemed almost divine as I peered out the windscreen to fi nd the enormous “1” on the WASP’s island looking over the aircraft giving its approval and welcoming us to the land of aided shipboard ops for the fi rst time (considering the “1” was not visible unaided). Though the crew certainly recognized the signifi cance of this landing not a high fi ve, back slap, at-a-boy, or word of congratulations was uttered amongst us knowing that the mission of qualifying two MH-53E NvD DLQ instructors was still 21 deck landings and a 40 mile overwater transit away.

Upon arriving safely back on deck as NAS Chambers’ seawall no special celebration awaited us, a simple hand shake amongst the crew and quick pic satisfi ed the acknowledgment of an accomplishment , capability, and advancement of fl ight safety long overdue our community.

In the era of fi scal restraint, it is imperative that we preserve our assets and personnel. While NvD’s do not remove the risk of fl ying at night, they offer crews a tool, right along with CRM and many others, thus increasing situational awareness and reducing the inherent risk of fl ying at night. situational awareness and reducing the inherent risk


“Admiral William A. Moffett: Architect of Naval Aviation”Review by LCDR Benjamin “BJ” Armstrong, USN

William F. Trimble, Admiral William A. Moffett: Architect of Naval Aviation, Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington D.C., 1994. Reprinted by The Naval Institute Press, 2007.

All rotary-wing aviators are, fi rst and foremost, naval aviators and naval offi cers. William F. Trimble’s excellent biography of Admiral William Moffet,

the founding chief of the inter-war Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics, provides an important glimpse into the world of the groundbreaking offi cers who started naval aviation. In

the biography we learn how a former battleship Captain, who served as a junior offi cer under CAPT Alfred Thayer Mahan and won the Medal of Honor at the Battle of veracruz, became the chief avocate and architect of naval aviation as we know it today. William F. Trimble, a Professor of History at Auburn University with a PhD from the University of Colorado, Boulder, is a recognized expert on the history of naval aviation. He has written books on the Naval Aircraft Factory and U.S. Navy seaplanes as well as pioneers like Jerome Hunsacker: a biography which won the 2003 Gardner-Lasser Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In Admiral William A. Moffett: Architect of Naval Aviation he manages the diffi cult task of writing a book that stands up as solid academic history while at the same time telling an engrossing story of fl ying, bureaucratic in-fi ghting, and preparation for war. The book, at 338 pages, is documented from primary sources and annotated throughout. Today’s rotary-wing Offi cers and Sailors can learn a great deal from the story of Admiral Moffett. The roots of the dreaded “dissassociated sea tour” lay in Moffet’s running battle with Army Air Forces General Billy Mitchell. In order to keep naval aviation from being consumed by Mitchell’s quest for an independant and all powerful Air Force Moffett ensured that Naval Aviators had all the skills of a Naval Offi cer, setting them apart from Army pilots who could only fl y. The bureactratic battles that the Admiral fought with his fellow Surfrace Warfare Offi cers to ensure the proper funding and attention for

the growing Navy air arm illuminates the source of rivalries that still simmer in the twenty-fi rst century. Moffett was devoted to the growth of technology and his experience can help us understand how to advance new aircraft and equipment today. At the same time our ethusiasm can be tempered by remembering his devotion to airships, which tragically cut his life short in the crash of the USS Akron off the New Jersey coast in April of 1933. While engaging these overarching themes the reader will also be introduced to offi cers like John H. Tower, Kenneth Whiting, and others who braved the skies over the exapansive oceans in small planes made of wood and fabric. Every Submariner can tell you of Admiral Hyman Rickover and his contribution to their community, and to the whole of the United States Navy. While arguably more important to the history of American naval warfare than Rickover, the name William Moffett is relatively unknown to pilots and crewmembers within naval aviation. Dr. William Trimble’s biography Admiral William A. Moffett: Architect of Naval Aviation provides a history lesson for all aviators who seek to know their roots. In reading it they’ll learn not only of the Surface Warfare Offi cers who embraced the growth of aviation but also the pilots who led the early days of our profession, and the battle both endured to ensure that the United States Navy would one day have an air force that is the envy of the world.

RADM William A. MoffettPhoto courtesy of Naval Institute Press

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Nicaraguan NightmareArticle by LTJG Dani Garcia, USN

The 8th began as a normal sunny, hot, and humid day. The flight schedule had three crews fl ying during the day. Our brief was

at noon and we were scheduled for a hot seat at 1400 with an 1830 land time. Our mission was simple: passenger transfer to and from Chinandega Airport (a small strip that served as our HLZ), followed by fuel at the Sugar Refi nery, and then back to Chinandega airport to be a spinning backup for the vIP transfer of Fourth Fleet. It seemed like an easy day, but each day required maximum adaptability and this day would be no different. After we hot seated into the aircraft, we found out that we had

two sticks of passengers and a load of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s) to take to the HLZ. With our current fuel load, we could take the fi rst stick of passengers to the landing zone and then get fuel at the sugar

refi nery. The fuel was in a small clearing next to fi elds of sugar cane. Taking fuel here was a chore. At the refi nery, we had to shut down completely to gravity re-fuel. Though it gave us some time to take our helmets off and stretch, the problem was the bug infestation. As soon as we opened the doors to get out of the helicopter, the locusts, fl ies, and gnats would surround us and enter the cockpit. We doused ourselves in bug spray and hoped for the best as we waited in the hot and humid sun to refuel. Looking up, we noticed that the sky was getting darker to the East. As soon as we were fi nished fueling we jumped into the aircraft to fl y back to the ship. We called the tower and gave them a PIREP describing the clouds to the East. Though it appeared perfectly vMC and beautiful around the ship, we asked for a weather update and confi rmed our suspicions: thunderstorms would be in the area within the next 30 minutes. We still had several people

Continue on page 69

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and another load of MRE’s to bring to the HLZ. As a crew, we decided we were going to fi nish the mission. If the weather was impassable, we’d turn around and head back to “mom”.

Though the weather was looking dark and gloomy, it was still clear all the way to the HLZ. When we got to the HLZ, the next part of our mission was to wait with the other aircraft and crew for the distinguished visitors (Dv). We shutdown and walked over to the other aircrew in the zone, which consisted of two Army helos and our two helos. We were all waiting for the weather to pass and for the Dv’s to arrive. Within fi ve minutes, the weather had closed in on us and we found ourselves in the cabin of one helicopter (with ten people) waiting on the torrential downpour to pass. We contacted Continuing Promise Operations Center (CPOC) on the ship using a satellite phone and a cell phone to let them know we were stuck in the zone.

Though we all enjoyed the break, we were becoming more concerned that we would not make it back to the ship if the lightning and rain continued. The rain let up after about 45 minutes and we got out of the helicopter to assess the situation. The decision was either spin up and head back to the boat or remain overnight (RON) in Nicaragua. With sunset thirty minutes away, Dv’s in the zone, and little to no desire to RON in the aircraft, the other aircraft began spinning their rotors. Our crew moved toward our helicopter attempting to start-up until we saw lightning shoot across the sky in several bursts. We shut down again to re-assess our options. With sunset upon us, Dv’s were sent to the boat landing zone (BLZ) to take RHIBS back to the ship. My crew observed that the lightning was moving away from us and now passed between the clouds. We climbed into the aircraft and readied ourselves for launch. After we started up and got airborne, we were able to serve as a communication relay between our helicopter on deck at the HLZ and the ship’s tower. We told them that our plan was return to the ship, fold the helicopter and tow it into the hangar so that the other helicopter could be recovered. As we fl ew towards the ship, the darkness of night closed in around us and we started to get low on fuel. After we landed, we started our shut down procedures and attempted to fold the blades. The other helicopter was in starboard delta with no goggles and patiently

waiting for our helicopter to get off the deck so they could land. The rain started to come down harder and the yellow blade would not fold. We attempted the fold process three times and pulled out the cheater box. The cheater box had problems getting power to it and it would not work. Since the other aircraft was beginning to get low on fuel, we made the decision as a crew, to grab night vision goggles (NvGs), get a drink of gas, and re-launch so the other aircraft could be recovered. Within fi fteen to twenty minutes, we took off and headed for the stern of the ship while the other helicopter landed. While they shutdown, folded their blades, and were towed into the hangar, our helicopter was tasked to try and get “eyes” on the RHIBS that were in the water heading back to the ship. With the dark night, rain, and the rising sea states, it was very diffi cult to locate the small boats. We ended up fi nding them and relayed back to the ship their approximate location fi ve miles away. As we continued to wait, our crewmen saw a strobe light approximately 2 miles away from our position. With mounting excitement and nervousness, we made our way to the strobe thinking it might be a potential rescue. However, when we circled overhead we discovered that it was just a false alarm. After we caught our breath, we received a call from the tower asking us to wait a few minutes longer so the ship could recover the two RHIBS and turn the ship for better winds. In the extra time, we completed some practice SAR patterns and couplers. Finally, the ship gave us a green deck and we set up for a long fi nal for a “catch and kill”. During this deployment, we experienced a lot of daytime fl ying, but we barely had the opportunity to do any night fl ights. Lacking profi ciency on goggles and the night scan, I found the fl ying very challenging. After we landed, I was very fatigued from the stress of the day. During the de-brief, we discussed how we could have avoided the situation entirely if we had stayed on deck instead of trying to complete the mission with the adverse weather conditions in the area. If the weather had been worse, we could have found ourselves in a potentially dangerous situation.

There I Was: Nicaraguan NightmareContinued from page 68

“Building On Sand”Article by LT Zach Kennan, USN

Every pilot has a certain threshold of comfort that will dictate which experience will be the “eye opener.” That specifi c eye opening event makes us appreciate what

is truly a “go/no-go” point. I came to appreciate this aspect of naval aviation towards the end of my fi rst overseas deployment.

I was into the fourth month of my fi rst deployment to Bahrain, and the North Arabian Gulf (NAG) runs were second nature. Our mission that day was to transport a one-star with his aid to the Kuwaiti Naval Base, drop off 800 pounds of mail to a coalition ship near the oil platforms, and pick up the one star and his aid on our return fl ight home. With an experienced Helicopter Aircraft Commander (HAC) and two crewmen on their second Bahrain deployment, the day’s events were shaping up to be an enjoyable Pax, Mail, Cargo (PMC) run with a stop at the Arifjan Galley for some lunch.

After running the numbers for the fl ight, our crew briefed on time for our 0800 launch. The weather up north in Kuwait did indicate possible sand storms and reduced visibility, but Kuwaiti International

was open for business. To mitigate the risk of encountering a sand storm, we briefed our intentions to constantly evaluate the weather in fl ight, call base for weather updates, and return to Bahrain if necessary.

The other crew fl ying that morning in aircraft 74 launched and reported a brown haze to the north but stated visibility was good and continued onto its SAR support location. Around 0820, our squadron Detachment Duty Offi cer (DDO) called, announcing the Dv’s arrival and we rapidly prepped for taxi. As we called for taxi, I cleared myself right and saw the brown haze that 74 reported twenty minutes earlier. The skies had darkened a little, and we agreed to give it a shot. After takeoff, I was surprised by the conditions that had developed by the time I completed the checks. A thick, solid layer of sand hung at 500 feet as we departed course rules to the north. Upon switching to Bahrain Approach, we quickly realized Approach was slammed with commercial traffi c in the sand storm.

Continue on page 70


NAVAL HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION, INCThe Navy Helicopter Association, Inc was founded on 2 November 1971 by the twelve rotary wing pioneers listed below. The bylaws were later formally written and the organization was established as a nonprofi t association in the State of California 11 May 1978. In 1987 the bylaws were rewritten, changing the name from Navy to Naval to refl ect the close relationship of the rotary wing community in the Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy, from initial training to operating many similar aircraft. NHA is a 501 ( C ) (7) nonprofi t association.

Objectives of NHA Provide recognition and enhance the prestige of the United States Naval vertical fl ight community.

Promote the use of vertical lift aircraft in the U. S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Keep members informed of new developments and accomplishments in rotary wing aviation.

CDR D.J. HayesCAPT C.B. SmileyCAPT J.M. PurtellCDR H.v. Pepper

CDR H.F. McLindenCDR W. StraightMr. R. WallochCDR P.W. Nicholas

CAPT A.E. MonahanCAPT M.R. StarrCAPT A.F. EmigMr. H. Nachlin

NHA Founding Members

We made a quick initial call and proceeded north at 500 feet and below. Bahrain Approach came back after several seconds and cleared us north at 1000 feet and below. As we attempted to remain vMC, we discussed our plans on possibly returning to Bahrain when we heard Bahrain Approach state the one thing we had not anticipated…Bahrain International was closed to arriving traffi c.

With Bahrain closed due to zero-zero conditions, we could either circle until it reopened or continue to Kuwait, knowing that Kuwaiti International was still open. We decided to push north and continue to Kuwait, calculating a 1+00 fuel state upon reaching the Kuwaiti coast. As I reported to the DDO our intentions, the BOOST SERvO OFF CAUTION illuminated on my Mission Display (MD). Being on the controls, I noticed no degradation in how the controls felt or were performing. I made the crew aware of the caution and called for the pocket checklist to review the EP for good measure. The brief thought of being IMC with a possible Boost-Off condition defi nitely increased my heart rate. However, we quickly discovered that the caution was a false indication and the controls were responding normally. The caution fl ickered on and off several times, which further confi rmed our suspicions that it was an indication error. Given the Land As Soon As Practicable condition for which the checklist called and the zero-zero conditions at Bahrain, we decided to continue to Kuwait and radioed base with our updated intentions.

As we continued to Kuwait in IMC, we developed our plan of attack for arriving in Kuwait. We would try to enter Kuwaiti airspace with an instrument approach into Kuwaiti International. If it was closed, we would request a special vFR clearance and make our way up the coast to the naval base. At least, that was the plan.

Closing in on 30 NM from Kuwait, I contacted Mohalab Control and requested clearance into Kuwaiti International. Control radioed back that Kuwaiti International was closed. No big deal; we had a back up plan. I requested special vFR to the Kuwaiti Naval base, to which they responded, “Deserthawk 71, cleared.” Cleared what? My HAC asked, “Control, confi rming 71 is cleared special VFR for the naval base.” Again, Control responded as before. We decided to push into Kuwaiti airspace with 1+00 in fuel and restated our intention to Mohalab Control.

As we approached the southern jetty of Kuwait using the TNAv function, we decided to come down from 1000 feet in increments of 200 feet, setting a minimum Radar Altitude (RAD ALT) setting of 200 feet AGL for tower clearances. As my HAC began his decent, I maintained a good scan of the instruments as I simultaneously searched outside for the coastline. Passing through 600 feet, the conditions seemed to darken, and I felt we weren’t going to break out by 200 feet. As the TNAv ticked down to 5 NM from the jetty, we began to level off at 200 feet. My HAC slowed to 70 KIAS to afford us more search time. Directly below the aircraft, we barely made out the distinctive white foam of choppy seas. As we closed within 2 NM, my HAC slowed further to 50 KIAS and stated he would climb to 1000 feet by 0.5 NM. Just as we agreed on the plan, our crewman on the port side called out a small anchored boat 500 yards away, which was quickly followed by a dock and then the coastline. Keeping the coastline in sight along the port side of the aircraft, we pushed north and located the Kuwaiti Naval Base.

After dropping off our Dv at the base pad, we headed west for ten miles to Arifjan, easily determining that the ships in the NAG would not be getting their mail today. Our return fl ight followed a similar, yet less intense fl ight regime as the sand storm had weakened by the time we departed for the south. My HAC on the way back simply put it, “This was defi nitely a varsity day.”

That “varsity day” was a defi ning experience for my young fl ight career. I came to appreciate how a relaxed and “been there, done that” attitude could potentially lead to a situation where all the planning and risk management in the world wouldn’t matter. In addition, I learned a very valuable lesson in always leaving yourself an out by constantly maintaining two distinctive options. With the weather conditions we encountered that day, I saw the full capabilities and potential of rotary wing aircraft. However, the pilot must use proper CRM and risk management to control the use of those capabilities and not rely on the aircraft to save you. We successfully completed most of our mission that day, but it could have turned out quite differently. The challenges that day, along with the right planning and management of the risk encountered, allowed me to enhance my abilities as a Naval Aviator and will ultimately help me make correct decisions in future challenging situations.

There I Was: Building on SandContinued from page 69


The Next Issue of the

focuses on Search and Rescue

All photo and article submissions need to be no later than November 18, 2009 to your Rotor Review community editor or NHA Design Editor. Any further questions, please contact the NHA National Offi ce at 619.435.7139

or [email protected]

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IA: A Work In ProgressArticle by LT Doug “Spooner” Hale

For the last several years the HSC helicopter community has manned one Individual Augmentee (IA) billet after which most people say it was one of the best

experiences in their professional career, and I am here to say that I whole heartedly agree. As a watch stander at the Joint Personnel and Rescue Center (JPRC) inside the Combined Air and Space Operations Center (CAOC) at the Al Udied, AFB in Qatar, I, like all of the previous billet fi llers, was exposed to another world of joint operations and some incredible technology. While I had some experience working with other services during my Air Ambulance deployment, that paled in comparison to the inner workings of the CAOC.

There are several reasons why this particular IA is a“good” when compared to various other billets that our community often fi nds itself manning. First, coming from an HS background, I had an idea of what personnel recovery was about even though my personal experience may have been somewhat myopic in that we traditionally think only of the organic CSAR asset for the air wing. However, the tenants of authenticate, locate, sanitize and recover remain the same across all services. While there were some “language” barriers between our sister services, it did not take long as a watch stander to understand how personnel recovery really goes down in theater. I must admit, I was quite surprised to see how much of our war effort was and is conducted via SIPR chat rooms! Bottom line is, if you have some semblance of previous training for the job you are going to do on your IA then you will be more effective and perhaps more apt to enjoy the experience. I am sure there are many of us who know fellow helicopter bubbas that were IA’d to jobs completely out of the scope of any previous training such as convoy and prison camp detail or an IED task force.

The JPRC job has been a permanent billet for several years now making the detailing to that job predictable which means greater notifi cation time for the individual who has either volunteered or been “voluntold” to go. The Navy has come a long way from the 48 hour

notice of sending people on IA with the establishment of the ECRCs on each coast yielding greater control over the IA process. However, people are still getting just a few months notice before they deploy causing great consternation for the Sailor.

Another reason the JPRC IA was a good billet was the length of the tour. Tours there for Navy personnel are 6 months at most and generally closer to 3 or 4 months, well within the “normal” deployment time table that Navy families are used to. Also, IA billets are usually manned from shore tour personnel so a shorter stint is obviously more palatable than the ridiculous 443 day IA with 365 in country ones making the IA experience all the more excruciating on the individual and their families. What could help alleviate the pain of an IA that long would be to count that time in country as a disassociated sea tour which I believe is happening on some occasion, but is not the standard. If in fact that were a “standard path” for a disassociated sea tour via an IA tour then people could plan for it in their career progression and for their families.

I believe that IAs can be valuable experience as long as the individual is properly trained, has suffi cient time to plan for the tour and gets some credit outside of the Joint “check in the block.” I think the Navy has actually made great strides in making the process better, or more controlled, via the establishment of the ECRCs and the support for IA’d Sailors from their parent commands is generally good. Also, there have been strides made to support the families of the IA’d Sailor and several other support functions once the sailor has returned home. However, the process still isn’t perfect and we should strive to take care of our Sailors who are often put in positions they never thought they would be when they fi rst volunteered to serve the Navy.


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