In January of 2000, I was a Combat Talon II evaluator flight engineer (FE) with nearly 2,700 flying hours, coming up on five years with the 1st Special Operations Squadron at Kadena AB, Japan, and thinking about my next assignment. I loved the Talon II and its mission, but I wanted to do more and to be challenged more. I heard the CV-22 Osprey program was ramping up and I really wanted to be part of it. AFSOC/A3 told me I’d have to transfer to the Talon schoolhouse at Kirtland and apply from there. I did, and on 11 Dec 2000, I was informed I had been selected as the lone fixed-wing FE, along with three MH-53 Pave Low FEs (MSgt Cameron Haak, TSgt Ken Myers, and TSgt Jeff Franco), for the 58 SOW’s first two CV-22 crews. I initially felt a little out of place, knowing the CV-22 would operate similarly to the Pave Low, minus aerial gunners. The Pave Low FEs were used to working with two FEs who conducted both flight deck operations and cargo compartment duties. I felt a little behind the power curve coming from Combat Talons and not having back end experience, but I knew the flight deck very well and
was experienced with terrain-following/terrain avoidance (TF/ TA) operations, which was where the majority of the CV-22 missions would be flown. That aside, I was humbled I had been selected and was ready for the challenge. I was determined to make darned sure they would not regret having a fixed-wing FE in the initial group. The original plan was for Crew 1, my crew, to go to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, NC, and start MV-22 qualification training, while Crew 2 started working the training syllabus and simulator acceptance. Once we were qualified, we’d swap with Crew 2 and pick up the syllabus and simulator work while they did their qualification training. Once both crews were qualified, we would start training subsequent crews. Unfortunately, on the same day we were selected, an MV-22 from New River crashed, killing all four crew members. The Department of Defense ordered a stand-down of all V-22 operations until the investigations were completed and the program was fully reviewed. I thought this was the end of my CV-22 journey before it even started.
A CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor from 8th Special Operations Squadron, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, FL., flies over an area near the base Jan 2009. (Photo by SrA Julianne Showalter)
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Vol 9, Issue 1 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 23
