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Rotor Squadron Update: HT-8 Eightballers
HT-8 Assists in Successful Search and Rescue
HT-8 Facebook Post May 10, 2023
HT-8 was recently called on to assist in locating a drowning victim near Evergreen, AL. The Eightballer Crew launched on the fourth day of the search to employ their fleet search and rescue training, successfully locating the victim and directing a local dive team to the site. Bravo Zulu to LT Petersen, LT Melzer, LCDR Hodgson, and AWSC Mefford.
Ms. Paula Eagen Celebrates 45 Years of Service at Whiting
By CDR Dave Kiser, USN
Paula Eagen is a Whiting Field Legend. July marked forty five years of service to the government, an unbelievable feat. Most of the readers of this article know Ms. Paula as the Administrative Assistant for Helicopter Training Squadron EIGHTEEN and have either worked with her or have conducted business with her. Not many people know about her history or how she arrived at NAS Whiting Field, but we all are aware of her positive influence at NAS Whiting Field and HT-18.
Ms. Eagen's introduction to NAS Whiting Field occurred because of her father, LCDR Ned Eagen. He was a Naval Aviator, who retired from the VT-2 Doer Birds in 1969. His impressive Naval career took him all over the world and he had the opportunity to fly many Naval aircraft. Ms. Paula had her father write a list of all of the Navy aircraft that he has flown. Today’s aviators are only afforded the opportunity to fly only a few aircraft.
Ms. Paula’s career began in 1978, nine years after her father’s retirement, when she started working in the Chaplain’s Office on base at NAS Whiting Field. In those days, the graduates of flight school received their wings in the Chaplain's Office. Ms. Paula later came over to H1-18 in 1988 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Curt B. Southwick. HT-18 in its 50 years has had 43 Commanding Officers and Ms. Paula has worked for 31 of them. She has provided guidance and assistance to three quarters of HT-18’s leadership. In addition to being a sounding board for leadership, she is also keeper of the Winging List. She oversees the master winging list for rotary wing aviation which dates back to 1944. Every two , she updates the master list with the names of the newly winged aviators. Every couple months, former aviators stop by her office to look up their name in the master files.
Ms. Paula has dedicated her life to government service with forty five years at NAS Whiting Field. She has seen the base and all of the commands go through many changes, but one thing remains the same, her steadfast loyalty to rotary wing aviation and to HT-18. Thank you for all you have done Ms. Paula, we appreciate you!
