In Review Deployed! Now What?
By LT Michael "Bubbles" Short, USN Esteemed Readership, First and foremost, I’d like to wish you all a Happy New Year! I hope that most of our shore-based readers have enjoyed a much-needed and well-deserved reprieve after a year that constantly found new and creative ways to challenge us. While I trust that many of us are ready to hit the ground running again after a considerable holiday break, we acknowledge that our deployed Rotary Wing brethren likely experienced no such respite this winter. They stood the watch and executed flight schedules around the world while the rest of us enjoyed the comforts of home and family. Many of us have experienced both the burdens and thrills of an operational deployment. For our more junior readers who have yet to pack a sea bag and pull chocks for the ever-exhilarating deployment fly-on, your time is coming! The theme of Rotor Review Issue No. 151 is “Deployed…Now What?” In a year where so much of our everyday lives changed, one thing that remained constant was the necessity for combat-ready naval forces to conduct deployed operations in support of our national interest. Squadrons and detachments demonstrated inspirational adaptability and innovation as they responded to the litany of challenges that COVID-19 imposed on work-up exercises and deployments in 2020. The Rotor Review Editorial Staff received a prodigious amount of compelling submissions for our deployment-focused issue. Our contributors from across the community have thoughtfully detailed the peaks, valleys, problems, and solutions associated with the deployment experience in a year that we will not soon forget. It’s quite possible that I’ll sound like a broken record saying this, but I’ll take the risk: I am extremely proud to present our readership with this issue. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together. Safe flying, and see you in the Spring! Very Respectfully, LT Mike “Bubbles” Short
RADIO CHECK Next Issue's Radio Check: Professional reading plays an enormous role in our personal development as aviators, service members, leaders, and human beings. It challenges us to expand our perspective outside of what we know and believe, and feeds our decision-making, understanding of personalities, and literacy in a variety of professional competencies. What literature has influenced you most in your career and life, and why? There are no limitations on genre, form, or subject matter. Even NATOPS is an acceptable answer. Any type of writing/reading can be influential! You can email your comments to me directly, my email is michaelshort91@gmail.com or to rotorreview@navalhelicopterassn.org. Our publication deadline is March 15th 2021.
Rotor Review #151 Winter '21
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