Rotor Review Summer 2005 #90 by Naval Helicopter Association, Inc

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SAN DIEGO, CA PERMIT NO. 2002

Number 90 Summer ‘05

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Rotor Review

Index

Number 90/ Summer 05

Focus

Departments

Turning Purple Focus on Joint Mission LCDR Wade Harris, USN

Editor’s Log LT Clay Shane, USNR

Talisman Sabre 2005 LMSN Jessica R, Vargas, USN

Chairman’s Corner RADM Mac McLaughlin, USNR (Ret)

Barbary Thunder II JO2 Sean Spratt, USN

President’s Message CDR Baxter Goodly, USN

Lead Shield II LTJG Scott C. Carr, USN

State of the Association Col. Howard Whitfield, USMC (Ret)

Annual Photo Contest 05

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

SAR Stories All in a Day’s Work LTJG Eric D. Hunter, USN Just Two Bottles of Nitrogen LTJG Matt McDermott, USN

Features

14 16

Focus on Technology LT Zach Dewey, USN

Historical Scramble Seawoves XIII

Safety Symposium 2005 LT Todd Vorenkamp, USNR

Dilbert Dunker William “Red Dogg” Moss, NHHS

Billy the BASH Guy LT John F. Oliver, USN

Industry News

Book Shelf Uniform Romeo Book Review

In Memory

Change of Command

Fly-In

Marine Corps Update

Coast Guard News

Squadron Updates

Stuff

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

Rotor Review

Editor Clay Shane

Next Issue Focus Training

Enlisted Editor Shane Gibbs Community News Editors HSC Jen McCollough HS Kristin Ohleger HM Carlos Reyes HSL TBA Design Editor George Hopson Technical Advisor Chip Lancaster

NHA Photographer CDR Lloyd Parthemer, USN (Ret) 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

Submissions

The Editorial Board welcomes submissions from NHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 e-mailed as attachments or provided on Mac or PC formatted disks using any current word-processing software. Photos and graphics are encouraged and may be mailed or sent electronically.

Feedback

Comments, suggestions, critiques and opinions are welcomed, your anonymity is respected. Send to:

rotorrev@simplyweb.net PO Box 180578 Coronado, CA 92178-0578 Tel: (619) 435-7139 Fax:(619) 435-7354 website: www.navalhelicopterassn.org

Publisher

Naval Helicopter Association ISSN Number: 1085-9683

Deadline for Submissions Summer Fall Winter Spring

September 10 November 23 March 10 June 21

Policy

The Rotor Review is published quarterly by the Naval Helicopter Association and intended to support the goals of the Association, provide a forum for the 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 guidance to the Rotor Review Editorial Board to ensure that Rotor Review content continues to support this statement of policy as the Naval Helicopter Association adjusts to the expanding rotary wing community.

Views expressed in Rotor Review are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of the Naval Helicopter Association or official Navy Policy. NHA, Rotor Review and Helix logos copyright 1998 by The Naval Helicopter Association.

NAVAL HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION The Navy Helicopter Association 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 nonprofit association in the State of California 11 May 1978. In 1987 the bylaws were rewritten, changing the name from Navy to Naval to reflect 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) nonprofit association.

NHA Founding Members CAPT A.E. Monahan CAPT M.R. Starr CAPT A.F. Emig Mr. H. Nachlin

CDR H.F. McLinden CDR W. Straight Mr. R. Walloch CDR P.W. Nicholas

CDR D.J. Hayes CAPT C.B. Smiley CAPT J.M. Purtell CDR H.V. Pepper

Objectives of NHA Provide recognition and enhance the prestige of the United States Naval vertical flight 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. Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;05

Naval Helicopter Association

National Officers

Directors at Large

President................................CDR Baxter Goodly, USN V/P Corp Mem......... CAPT Mike Middleton, USN (Ret) V/P Awards ..............................CDR Monte Ulmer, USN V/P Membership .......... LCDR Christopher Hayes, USN V/P Symposium 2006 .........CDR James Raimondo,USN Secretary............................................LT Ed Weiler, USN Treasurer ..................................... LT Ted Johnson, USN “Stuff”.............................LT Jennifer McCullough, USN

Chairman RADM Mac McLaughlin, USNR (Ret)...2005 CAPT Tom Ford, USN (Ret)...2005 CAPT John McGill, USN (Ret)...2005 CAPT Joe Purtell, USN (Ret)...2005 CAPT Tom Stites, USN (Ret) .... 2006 CAPT Mark Vanderberg, USN (Ret)…2005

Regional Officers

Executive Director..Col. Howard Whitfield, USMC (Ret) Admin/Rotor Review Design Editor.....George Hopson Membership/Symposium ................... Stefanie Beeman

NHA Scholarship Fund President...............................CAPT Mitch Swecker, USN V/P Operations..............CAPT Dave Grupe, USNR (Ret) V/P Fundraising .......................CDR Dave Fluker, USN V/P Scholarships ......................... LT John Duden, USN Treasurer.................................LT Suzanne Hacker, USN Corresponding Secretary.............LT Tony Chavez, USN Finance Committee............Kron Littleton, Joe De Nigro

Region 1 - San Diego Directors.……………….... CAPT Curtis Chesnutt, USN CAPT John Hardison, USN CAPT Buddy Iannone, USNR President..…..............................CDR Josh Crowder, USN Enlisted Membership............AVCM Sean McColgan, USN Region 2 - Washington D.C. Director ..…………...…………..... CAPT Glen Ives, USN CAPT Bill Lescher, USN President ................................... LCDR Todd Bahlau, USN Region 3 - Jacksonville

Corporate Associates

AgustaWestland Inc. American Eurocopter Armor Holdings Aerospace & Defense Group BAE Systems Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc Boeing Aircraft and Missiles Breeze-Eastern CAE Inc. Carleton Life Support Systems Inc. G.E. Aircraft Engines Goodrich Corporation, Fuel & Utility Systems Harris Corporation Lockheed Martin Systems Integration-Owego L3 Communications / D.P. Associates Inc. L3 Communications / Ocean Systems Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Raytheon Naval & Maritime Systems Robertson Aviation LLC Rockwell Collins Corporation Rolls-Royce Corporation Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Telephonics Corporation Thales Underwater Systems Thomas Group Whitney, Bradley and Brown Inc.

Director ......................................... CAPT Bill Cuilik, USN President.....................................CDR Joe Bauknecht, USN Region 4 - Norfolk Director ........................................CAPT Ken Burker, USN President ..................................... CDR Ken Inglesby, USN Region 5 - Pensacola Directors...................................CAPT Dave Malony, USN CAPT Dave Callahan, USCG CDR Steve Knott, USN President ............................................CDR Jim Alger, USN Far East Chapter President ..................................... CDR Kevin Coyne, USN Membership ..............................LTJG Robert Maslar, USN Mediterranean Chapter President ....................................CDR Eric Shirey, USN Membership ................................LTJG Pete Firenze, USN

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

Editor’s Log

Rotary Revolution and a Changing of the Guard By LT Clay Shane USNR

Welcome to my first issue as Rotor Review Editor! I think I speak for

everybody involved with Rotor Review when I say thanks to Steve Bury

for doing such a great job as the Editor. I can only hope that I fill his shoes and keep up the incredible work. We hope you enjoy your time outside of the green suit and come back soon. A little about me: I am Clay Shane. Currently assigned to HSL-41 as an instructor, I have actually been TAD to VX-1 in Patuxent River since February while still trying to be involved with NHA and Rotor Review. I’ve had the great opportunity to help on the MH-60R OPEVAL, and I am looking forward to the very near future when this fine new aircraft will be on the flight line at North Island. As I write this article, I am in transit from hot and muggy southern Maryland back to sunny and dry San Diego. Pacific Ocean, here I come. The focus of this issue is Turning Purple: The Joint Mission. After flying with HSL-51 in Atsugi, Japan from 2001 through 2004 and flying the CSOF mission with Army Apaches, I came to the realization that a helicopter publication is a perfect place to focus on Joint Operations. One thing all services from the Army to the Coast Guard have in common is their use of helicopters. From international joint operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to inter-service operations in those same locales, helicopters from all services and countries have shown their incredible versatility. It has become especially evident with their extensive use in disaster relief in Indonesia and Thailand and now at home on the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In our ever changing world, all services and all platforms will continue to work even closer together to fulfill the rapidly changing mission of the War on Terrorism. As our forces work more and more as one, we will see a blending of all operations so that from the outside, it would appear the U.S. Military is Turning Purple. Fly Safe! LT Clay Shane

A Job Well Done Rotor Review and the NHA salute the men and women who serve to defend our freedoms and rally towards the efforts of providing disaster relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

Chairman’s Corner

Majority Stockholders By RADM Mac McLaughlin, USNR (Ret)

As I sat and watched our Naval and Coast Guard aircrews in action rescuing the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, I was filled with a great sense of pride in our community. The entire scope of the calamity seemed to stabilize upon the arrival of our military forces, and I think that message came through loud and clear to the American public. The proven flexibility and quick response capability of our military helicopter assets provided an immediate resource for this disaster, and as future homeland security doctrine continues to evolve, don’t be a bit surprised if our helicopter forces are written into the script. The great asset of the machines we fly and the great leadership inherent in our people stood out amongst the chaos of the initial response, and like I said, made this old helo bubba awfully proud.

We’re preparing to visit Whiting Field for our October NHA Fly-in, and I’m really looking forward to meeting with the future of our helicopter community. One of the last events I got to attend before I retired in 2003, was the helo winging for my Naval Academy roommate’s son. It was a tremendous honor for me to pass the torch to the next generation, and especially meaningful because it was the son of a lifelong friend. Matt Luoto is now cruising with his HS-6 Indians onboard Nimitz, while his father and I get to play golf here in San Diego, and reap the benefits of their service. Thank you guys! Young men and women like this, and those we’ll get to meet working towards their winging, is what NHA is all about. I hope that all of the Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy helicopter pilots will want to become a part of our NHA organization, as we continue to support their efforts and programs in the years ahead. The theme for this edition of Rotor Review is Joint Duty, and speaking of that, we’d like to welcome aboard Captain Bill Lescher, himself on joint OSD duty, as the new Director of the Washington D.C. chapter of NHA. Pentagon duty is not at the top of anyone’s wish list, but we must continue to send our community leaders to those key billets in D.C. to ensure the proper resources for our future. Thank all of you in the field for who you are, and what you are doing. I hope some of you can sneak away and join us at Whiting in October, and we’ll definitely see you in Jacksonville for our 2006 Convention.

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

President’s Message

An Exciting Time To Be A Naval Aviator! By CDR Baxter A. Goodly, USN

ear Members, This edition of Rotor Review is devoted to Joint Operations and, in light of the various ongoing operations in which our Navy Helicopter Communities are involved, I can’t think of a more appropriate or timely subject. From Hurricane Katrina Relief operations along the Gulf Coast to our Nation’s ongoing battles in the Global War on Terrorism, Navy Helicopters are engaged in a wide range of missions while operating alongside our Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force counterparts. As the 60R and fully armed 60S come online, they will provide us with the connectivity and weapons systems needed to fully integrate into a Joint environment. Now is the time to renew our commitment to operating Jointly and to ensure that our organizations and our training are designed to prepare our warriors for both current and future operations. As most of you know, the NHA Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-in is slated for 25-27 October – if you can fit it into your busy schedules, I urge to join us down at Whiting Field for this important event. We didn’t have it last year due to Hurricane Ivan, so I’m looking forward to introducing our great organization to the next generation of Naval Helicopter Pilots. Fleet representation is a key component to the success of our annual trip down there – our story is better told by those who are currently living it – so I highly encourage you to attend. And, although it may seem far away, preparations for our next annual Symposium are underway. Next year’s event will be held in Jacksonville and CDR Jim Raimondo has been tapped to serve as the 2006 Symposium Vice President. Jim, I look forward to working with you over the next several months to ensure that you have the support you need to make 2006’s event as great as 2005’s was. Please enjoy this edition of Rotor Review – I trust that you will find it both entertaining and thought provoking. And I hope to see you at the Gulf Coast Fly-in! Until next time, stay safe and thanks for your continued support of OUR Naval Helicopter Association. Warm Regards, CDR Baxter A. Goodly, USN

2005 NHA Photo Contest Thank you to all of those who sent in pictures for the annual Rotor Review Photo Contest. Congratulations goes out to this year’s winners!

First Place Fastrope 11 (Front Cover) taken by PH2 Spain from COMSEVENFLT featuring VBSS training with the C7F USMC FAST Platoon aboard USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19) Second Place a) Blast Off (page 32) taken by Chris Barrett b) HSC-25 Det 4 (page 32) taken by Lt. Ric Brietwiester, USN

Third Place Get Some (page 33) taken by Kurt Lengfield Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

State of The Association

Changing Times Allyson Nessler: Bon Voyage! By Col. Howard M. Whitfield, USMC (Ret)

Summer 2005 is over and we are focusing on the Fly-In at NAS Whiting, 25-27 October and a personnel change at NHA offices. At least Hurricane Katrina spared Pensacola and NAS Whiting, but not much else from Mobile to New Orleans. Allyson Nesseler is no longer with NHA. She accepted a position with National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), a General Dynamics Company, here in San Diego. Allyson graciously agreed to produce this magazine in her free time and assist us in our transition to a new design editor. Allyson was with us since 1999 and NHA has come a long way since then. She has been instrumental in enhancing our computer support in the office and our web site. Rotor Review magazine has become first class, thanks to Allyson, our editors and all the great articles submitted. We extend our best wishes to Allyson in her new job and many thanks for her enthusiastic and wholehearted support of NHA. Her efforts went well beyond the job requirements. After a short talent search NHA hired George Hopson, a retired Navy petty officer with a degree in fine arts and communication. Please give George the same great support you did for Allyson. Our Symposium 2006 Vice President is CDR Jim Raimondo.

Start thinking about squadron reunions, if you

haven’t so far, and let us know your plans and needs. CAPT Bill Lescher, USN, formerly Commodore, HSL WingLant, is now in DC and he agreed to take over Region 2 Directorship from CAPT Neil Hogg, who recently retired.

Consolidated Membership Report Year 1 year 2 yr “Nugget” 3 year 5 year Other* Total

Mar 2005 839 783 596 368 78 2,678

Jun 2005 923 681 664 397 104 2,764

* commands & corporate

Military Membership

Mar 2005 Active Duty & Reserve 1,966 Retired 312

Jun 2005 2043 327

Mark these dates: NHA Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-In: 25-27 October 2006 Symposium: 24-26 April 7

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

A View From the Labs : ... Supporting the Fleet

That’s a given. Nor do we need to convince each other that among the assets that the various military services bring to the table, rotary wing platforms, because of their inherent flexibility and adaptability, are the assets most likely to be shared among the services when a joint operation comes up. And we probably don’t need to try to remind each other that due to the pioneering work those who came before us in the earliest days of naval rotary wing aviation did to take helicopters to the incredible aircraft they are today that the aircraft you are flying are more than up to the task today. A quick review of the missions that naval rotary wing aircraft have been conducting over just the past few years – from mainline carrier strike group and expeditionary strike group operations, to tsunami relief – big time, to medevac operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom, to direct support during OEF and OIF, to a host of others, tells us that the pilots and aircrewmen who fly our agile and flexible platforms have adapted to traditional and emerging missions that directly support the joint force – heck, they’re the core of the joint force! But what about tomorrow? While our flexibility and agility has enabled us to adapt our stateof-the-art platforms to the joint missions of the moment, there is

Looking for Signposts for Joint Operations By CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret)

ur NHA staff tells us this issue of Rotor Review is focused on Joint Operations. Great topic. This column is aimed primarily at the active duty men and women, pilots and aircrew, flying our rotary wing aircraft for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard – but it also represents an invitation to those of you who have “been there and done that” in the recent, - or more distant - past to weigh in and offer advice or commentary. Suspect that we don’t need to spend a lot of time or valuable column space convincing those of you at the point end of the spear that Joint Operations are important to the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. no guarantee that they will be equally successful in the future. The issue is this: how do we as a rotary wing community get ahead of the power curve (or keep our turns up) to ensure that the upgraded aircraft of today – and especially the platforms of the future – are as “in demand” as our aircraft and aircrews are today? If we are able to get our minds around how to do just that, we can ensure that the next generation of naval aviators have the opportunity to make the same contribution to joint operations that you all are making today. Two things come immediately to mind. The first is this. In order to understand what joint operations mean to the U.S. military, it’s crucial to understand joint doctrine as it looks ahead to joint warfighting in the future. Less than a decade ago that was guesswork. That has changed dramatically. There is a growing body of joint doctrine that talks about how the military operates as a joint force today (and many of you have been living that on a daily basis), but perhaps more importantly, this body of joint doctrine tells us how the military of the future intends to fight. From Joint Vision 2010, to Joint Vision 2020, to The Joint Operations Concept, to the just-released Joint Capstone Concept, the Chairman of the Joint Staff has looked way out there to provide clear signposts regarding how the U.S. military will operate in the future. The naval rotary wing community would be well served to collectively

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

digest this guidance to get a handle on what will be required of our aircraft and aircrews in the future and factor those requirements into the design of our upgraded and emerging platforms. The second important thing for the naval rotary wing community to understand and mutually agree on is just what we mean by joint operations. There’s a ‘textbook’ definition that describes how the U.S. military services will work together in a conflict – and that’s o.k. - as far as it goes. But focusing only on that exposes our community to the risk of severely under-leveraging our next generation of aircraft and aircrews. “Joint” increasingly means all military services, interagency and coalition. The ability to operate not only with U.S. military partners, but with other U.S. government agencies, with national and international non-governmental agencies, and with a wide-array of coalition partners, is likely to be the sine qua non for determining who is “in demand” and who isn’t in the future. By taking this much broader view of what “Joint Operations” means, we can ensure that the aircraft and aircrew who succeed you all are up for the task. What capabilities will be required? I’d invite commentary from those who participated in last years tsunami relief efforts – but I suspect they’ll tell us a lot about communications, sustainability and platform flexibility and not so much about extra weapons stations.

Focus on Joint Missions

Developing and Testing the Future of Helicopter Interoperability BY LCDR Wade Harris, USN “Raven flight, this is Blackjack flight on tactical.” “Blackjack flight, this is Raven 1, one minute from IP with a talley.” “Raven, this is Blackjack, commencing HVU escort.” “Blackjack, this is Raven. Roger, Raven flight commencing wheel.” Those were the words exchanged in March of this year at the commencement of a multi-service test event in the Atlantic Warning Areas off the coast of the Eastern shore of Virginia and Maryland. Raven flight was a formation of two

fleet with most effective warfighting tools possible) and the Integrated Test Teams (developmental testers from HX-21 and operational testers from VX-1) are designing, providing contractor direction, and testing the newest systems to ensure we are capable of not only operating in the joint theater of operations but also to ultimately function as an integrated C2 unit for surface surveillance and strike, undersea warfare, mine detection and CSAR. The testing has even taken on a joint flavor with a certification of systems interoperability provided by the Joint Interoperability Test Center (JITC) from Fort Huachuca, AZ. The multi-mission helicopter fleet has been provided with an extensive plan to ensure that the future of U.S. Navy

Gone are the days of the stovepipe data link or landlaunch frequency with a single controlling agency Air Force A-10 “Warthogs” providing cover for a flight of two MH-60R helicopters executing a simulated HVU chokepoint transit test event against multiple threats, both landand sea-based. The fact that this test event even took place highlights a shift in priority in the Navy acquisition process. As the Navy blows past the halfway point of this new decade, our leadership has paid particular attention to the suitability of our aviation assets to participate in the joint theater of operations. Gone are the days of the stovepipe data link or land-launch frequency with a single controlling agency (typically the Commanding Officer of the assigned surface unit for the day). As the Navy procures our next generation of helicopters, the program managers (those valiant professionals striving to provide the

rotary wing aviation is on the cutting edge of technology, allowing effective integration within the force structure. From design forward, the most current systems have been included in the sensor and communications suites for both the MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters. Already included are SATCOM/DAMA and HAVEQUICK I/II capability that will allow our platforms the capability to communicate with virtually any unit in theater or over-the-horizon. Planned upgrades include integration of SINCGARS communications capability, Link-16 theater tactical network (full capability for MH-60R and receive-only for MH-60S), Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL), and Mode S/5 IFF capability. These improvements ensure that the multi-mission helicopter fleet will remain a lethal tactical force. With this revolution in joint capabil9

ity comes a tremendous responsibility for the fleet to both recognize the capabilities and advantages of joint interoperability and to continue to focus our program managers, requirements officers and the Integrated Test Teams toward needed interoperability improvements to remain a viable asset to the joint warfighter in any theater, land or sea. As the next iteration of helicopter leaves the test world of Patuxent River and begins service in the fleet, it will arrive with an awesome array of technological advancements and capabilities. The MH-60R aircraft will reach the fleet this year with the capability to provide Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) and FLIR imagery for low-light identification through the legacy HAWKLINK, new communications capability using both SATCOM DAMA and HAVEQUICK, and undersea communications capability with the UQC “Underwater Telephone” system integrated into the Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS). The Stores and Self-Defense System of the MH60R brings with it the capability to utilize multi-service Hellfire missile PIM and PRF laser coding, giving the aircraft much more flexibility for joint targeting. Block I upgrades bring to fruition a dual-voice channel capability Link-16 system with full transmit/receive capability and the most up to date interface design standards incorporated, allowing the MH-60R helicopter to both task and receive tasking securely while maintaining a much more complete surface and air picture than has ever before been possible. Additionally, the Single Channel Ground-Air Radio System (SINCGARS) allows for more efficient integration into a traditionally U.S. Army battlefield communications plan using the latest in secure communications for targeting. Every effort has been made to provide Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

system position and bearing/range data in as many formats as possible, to allow for more efficient integration not only with U.S. forces but also those of NATO-member nations. The MH-60S block upgrades incorporate these improvements with the addition of the most current Downed Aviator Location System (DALS) for use in SAR/CSAR mission execution. Back on that blustery March day, the A-10 aircraft provided cover for the transit, identifying potential threats well in advance from their altitude of 5,000 ft, ready to pounce on com-

mand. Once position of the landbased threat had been identified, the HVU successfully made the transit to “open water” only to be engaged by a fast moving small boat threat. Following threat position identification using onboard sensors by an MH-60R crew and a modified nine-line brief, the A-10 visually identified and simulated an attack with laser designation from the helicopter. A subsequent simulated remote Hellfire engagement with laser designation provided by the A-10 aircraft was conducted by the MH-60R crew, validating the MH-60R as fully interoperable in

the battlespace during a “real world” flight test scenario. The future of Naval helicopter aviation will depend on its ability to function in this battlespace, and that future appears secure.

Editor’s Note: LCDR Wade Harris is currently assigned as the MH-60R Developmental Test Lead at HX-21.

Talisman Saber 2005

Making preparations before “take off”

By Lithographer’s Mate Seaman Jessica R. Vargas

s Air Department personnel use hand signals to communicate to the crew of an Australian Army S70A-9 a Blackhawk helicopter lifts off the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) in support of Talisman Sabre 2005. Talisman Sabre is an exercise jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and Australian Defense Force Joint Operations Command, and designed to train the U.S. Seventh Fleet commander’s staff and Australian Joint Operations staff as a designated Combined Task Force (CTF) headquarters. The exercise foRotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

cused on crisis action planning and execution of contingency response operations. U.S. Pacific Command units and Australian forces conducted land, sea and air training throughout the training area. More than 11,000 U.S. and 6,000 Australian personnel participated. Pilots and crewmen from Australia’s 5th Aviation Regiment completed amphibious landings June 22 along with members of the USS Boxer (LHD 4) Amphibious Ready Group the opportunity to operate Australian Blackhawks aboard a U.S

flight time. Key operations completed by 5th Aviation Regiment members in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, near Rockhampton, Australia, included the deployment of Australian troops from Boxer to selected landing zones for amphibious field training, vertical replenishments and search-and-rescue drills. “Boxer is very different for us. We’re used to landing on small ships in very tight spots,” said Australian Air Force Capt. Andre Smith. “It’s great

Australians and Americans combined their efforts tirelessly to perform more than twenty-five landing craft, air cushion (LCAC) trips and more than 1,300 Australian S-70A Blackhawk and MH-60S Knighthawk landings and takeoffs

Navy ship. The Blackhawks, which Boxer embarked shortly after the ship departed Townsville, Australia, June 12, completed more than 1,200 take-offs and landings, exceeding 160 hours of

working in a coalition environment interoperating with other arms and learning how the United States does business.” Before the landings began, though, 5th Aviation Regiment pilots had

to complete extensive deck landing qualifications during day and night operations. “Both forces have learned so much from each other. Being able to work this closely with the Australians has been a unique experience,” Aviation Boatswain’s 2nd Class Steven Vlasich said. Talisman Saber is a multinational exercise involving more than 17,000 service members from the Australian and U.S. forces. The knowledge shared between U.S. and Australian forces will serve as a solid foundation for future allied operations as the need may arise. This exercise provided a unique venue for Australian and U.S. forces to strengthen their bond and increase the already-strong interoperability between the two allies. Because it enabled the forces to learn new and innovative ways to accomplish a wide array of missions, the exercise was a success for the 16,000 Australian and U.S. service members involved. During the course of Talisman Saber, Australians and Americans combined their efforts tirelessly to perform more than twenty-five landing craft, air cushion (LCAC) trips and more than 1,300 Australian S-70A Blackhawk and MH-60S Knighthawk landings and takeoffs, occasionally working as late as 2 a.m. The energy expended during the operations accounted for the more than seventy tons of food that was consumed during Talisman Saber. Planning for Talisman Saber, a combination of what were once exercises

Another day of “mission accomplished”on the ocean blue Tandem Thrust, Kingfisher and Crocodile, commenced in early 2003. The biennial exercise was jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and Australian Defense Force Joint Operations Command, and served as a key training venue for Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, as a combined task force in a short-warning, power projection and forcible entry scenario. The multifaceted training scenario established force integrations for the respective forces, who engaged in a command post exercise, a force-onforce and live-fire field training exercise and a strategic air drop. Collectively, the events built unanimity in Australian and U.S. forces and introduced challenges during intensive operations. Each event developed crisis action planning and execution of

contingency response operations. Units shared important skills and understanding necessary to prepare for real world events in the future that may require

Both forces have learned so much from each other. Being able to work this closely with the Australians has been a unique experience joint operations on land and at sea. “It was a sincere pleasure to operate with members of the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army,” said Culora. “I was tremendously impressed by their professionalism, energy and ‘can do’ attitude. I think our entire group learned a great deal. The experience has made us all more professional.”

Coral Sea (June 12, 2005) - An Australian Army S70A-9 Black Hawk and a CH-47D Chinook assigned to Australian 5th Aviation Regiment, conduct flight operations from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) in support of Talisman Sabre 2005. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Daniel A. Jones (RELEASED), Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class (AW) D. Arthur Jones,and Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class James Bartels

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

Barbary Thunder II

By Journalist 2nd Class Sean Spratt, USN

he amphibious transport ship USS Nashville (LPD 13) concluded joint exercise Barbary Thunder II with allied forces from Britain, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria in July. The ten day exercise proved to be a great success and a step forward in fighting the global war on terrorism. “This exercise exceeded the expectations I had when we first started, and has proven to be a great success,” said LCDR Richard Guzman, staff planner for Task Force 64. “This exercise was the second stage of getting allied forces in the Mediterranean Sea together to share information and getting everybody on the same page to fight the global war on terror.” During the course of the training exercise, Nashville was the command ship, hosting liaison officers (LNO) from all the nations that participated. “The Intelligence Infusion Center worked great for all the LNOs,” said Guzman. “There was a lot of communication and information sharing between them that hasn’t been seen before on this big of a scale, and was really great to see and experience.” The Intelligence Infusion Center was just one part of the whole joint exercise. Another piece of the puzzle was the maritime interdiction operations, in which U.S. Marines joined Marines from Italy, Algeria and Morocco to cross-train in Close Quarters Combat and Fast Rope operations. “The way we are trying to attack the problem is by working with other nations, specifically Italians, Algerians and Moroccans, to train and share information,” said CAPT Bryce Armstrong, platoon commander, 2nd Platoon/2nd Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team. “It is important that we can learn from each other, but I think the most important thing is that we work together so if we ever need to do this type of operation again, we have already taken the first step.” Even the Nashville sailors had a chance

to get involved and joined Moroccan sailors in running several drills. They were also able to compare techniques and equipment, and share knowledge on damage control. “Getting a chance to share our firefighting style with the Moroccans was exciting, because they were very interested at our advancements in firefighting,” said Lt. Justin Willis, Nashville’s damage control assistant. “We also got a chance to run through a fire drill and a flooding drill with the Moroccan sailors, which was just a fantastic experience for everyone involved.” Nashville’s flight deck was “green” almost the whole time, with continual flight operations, including exercises with Explosive Ordinance Disposal personnel and Marines who participated in Cast and Recovery, and rappelling training. “Cast and Recovery operations is a fast means of inserting troops into the sea and extracting them,” said Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class (AW/NAC) William Stark, helicopter

crew chief. “This training is important for sailors and Marines who have different techniques to accomplish a common goal.” All the training evolutions came together smoothly, with each training experience being tremendously valuable for all nations involved. Everyone getting to experience the differences in language, ideas and techniques, with the ability to train and learn from one another, was great. “It is a great opportunity for us and for all the other countries involved,” said CAPT Donna M. Looney, commodore of Commander, Task Force 64. “Seeing Navy and Marine Corps professionals from the participating North African countries and NATO countries share their knowledge, ideals and expertise has proven that this exercise is tremendously valuable.”

A MH-60S Seahawk helicopter attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Two Six Detachment Three (HSC-26), performs cast and recovery training with 2nd Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Marines while underway aboard the amphibious transport ship USS Nashville (LPD 13).

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Steven J. Weber

Lead Shield III By LTJG Scott C. Carr, USN

2. Tactical coordination between United States Navy and Coast Guard units alongside local and federal agencies. 3. Deploy the MCM triad to clear approaches to and interior berthing areas of ports.

coordination, and post mission analysis. It was also the centralized hub for VHF, UHF, and HF radio communications, providing the ability to accurately track aircraft during tow missions as well ELIMINERON FOURTEEN, as coordinate real time changes to the stationed in Norfolk, Virginia deployed flight schedule in a changing tactical ena three aircraft detachment vironment. The MOCVAN was an exto Southern California tremely valuable asset to the command. in support of homeland Though several radio reception and security exercise Lead connectivity issues were encountered Shield III and the Tarawa during the exercises, the MOCVAN ESG Pacific JTFEX 05-4. played a vital role in the successful The “World Famous” Vanoutcome of both Lead Shield III and guard departed Norfolk Tarawa Pacific JTFEX 05-4. HM-14 on May 16th, flying their is very thankful to NAVAIR and PMSMH-53E Sea Dragon heli495 for their prior coordination and for copters across the country, delivering the MOCVAN in time for arriving at Joint Reserve HSL 45 detachment one lands onto the these exercises. The evolving need to Training Base located in Los flight deck of the amphibious dock landing work in a network centric warfare enAlamitos, California three ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) for deck vironment will continue to change the landing qualifications (DLQ). days later. There they worked way HM-14 operates and the MOCVAN along side Army, Coast Guard, 4 . D e p l o y N o n - C o m p l i - will help provide the flexibility to adapt Port Authorities, and other Navy and ance Boarding Teams via airlift. and grow to meet these changing needs. Marine Corps units over a five week Overall this effort included 1,200 Lead Shield III also incorporated a first span. personnel from nineteen different com- into the MCM communications capaHomeland Security Exercise Lead mands, ten United States Navy and bilities with an exercise introduction Shield III is the third in a series of exof SKYCAP, a satercises designed to validate homeland ellite supported security policies and improve United Homeland Security Exercise Lead IP communicaStates Navy, Coast Guard, and civilShield III is the third in a series of ex- tions network ian interagency operability during a with SIPRNET, simulated maritime homeland security / ercises designed to validate homeland GCCS-M tactihomeland defense terrorist scenario. cal data distribuAs the third largest port in the world security policies tion of MEDAL, and the largest Tier 1 port in the United SKYCHAT, and States the Port of Los Angeles/Long Coast Guard ships, seven aircraft and full IP connectivity capabilities. With Beach is clearly the ideal location for twenty-four interagency organizations advanced expeditionary gear, improved this exercise. With a national daily ecoand proved the successful coordination networking capabilities, improved unit nomic impact of $2 billion in revenue and interoperability between military setup and mission related enhanceincluding 15,000 containers, $520 miland civilian agencies during such an ments, the MOCVAN could rival many lion in cargo, and over 2700 cruise/ferry important exercise. fleet combat information centers. passengers transiting the port facility For this southern California detachUsing three MH-53E helicopters every day. A port closure or a terrorist ment, HM-14 found itself operating in to conduct mine hunting operations, threat could prove economically disasa pseudo-expeditionary manner that HM-14 answered the call by flying trous. The overall exercise objectives included the use of their newly reno- six AN/AQS-24 High Resolution Side included: vated Mobile Operations Center (MOC) Looking Sonar (HSLS) missions and 1. Using the Unified Command Van. The MOCVAN provided HM-14 four Laser Line Scan (LLS) missions. Structure and the Area Maritime SeTactics and Operations Departments During twenty-four total flight hours, curity Committee to provide strategic with a central location from which to HM-14 completed over thirteen hours guidance for mine clearance designed conduct pre-mission planning, mission of mission mine hunting time in the Port to reopen the port. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 2nd Class (SW) Brian P. Biller

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

SAR Stories

of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach. Due to poor underwater environmental conditions, namely low water clarity as verified by the Sea Bird Battle Space Profiler (BSP), HM-14 decided to focus the majority of their efforts utilizing the High Resolution Side Looking Sonar (HSLS) system in the AN/ANS-24. From the six sonar missions HM-14 collected 145 tactical contacts. Comparing these contacts against Naval Oceanographic Command’s (NAVOCEANO) pre-exercise bottom map-

ping survey data allowed the Tactics Department to eliminate 133 contacts by method of change detection. Of the remaining twelve uncorrelated contacts, eight were identified as exercise mines. This unparalleled success in difficult environmental conditions is a testament to the improved sonar capabilities of the AN/AQS-24 sonar system and the superb training and professionalism of Squadron Tactics personnel.

HM-14 worked extremely hard to accomplish its tasking in the limited amount of time allotted for each exercise. The training received will continue to strengthen our defense against the changing threats our nation faces. Lead Shield III especially was a great success due to the willingness of a variety of Units and Commands to work together to accomplish the goals of the exercise.

All in a Day’s Work By LTJG Eric D. Hutter, USN

hat started out as a normal flight early yesterday morning resulted in the most important flight of my young career. You may not hear about this on the news, but it was a wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact in the Middle East: We launched our SH-60B at 0200 on Thursday morning from our mother unit, USS Mustin (DDG 89). We were tasked with yet another three-hour mission of routine search and surveillance. These uneventful flights had made up the bulk of our flights over the last three months, and offered little excitement save the occasional query of a transiting vessel. Upon takeoff, our ship notified us that a vessel was broadcasting a distress call over the radio. Since the location it was calling out was over 100 miles away, our ship had decided not to respond. Although emergencies are not a matter to be taken lightly, it is not uncommon to hear mariners in this region make outrageous claims in order to entertain themselves dur-

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A FLIR photo of Motor Vessel Olympias burning in the early morning hours 27 miles ing the long hours they spend off of the coast of Iran. U.S. Navy photo by moving cargo from port to Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Adan Fabela III port or sitting with their fishing nets in the water. weren’t lights! LT Penso turned the After taking off and calling aircraft toward the brightly-lit vessel “Operations Normal,” I quickly went while I activated the Forward Lookthrough our After Take-off Checking Infrared (FLIR) camera. FLIR list while the pilot, LT Neil Penso, is one of our greatest assets on night climbed to 400 feet and asked for an missions, because it enables us to initial course to steer for our tasksee extremely long distances with ing. Meanwhile, the aircrewman, magnification both day and night. In

FLIR is one of our greatest assets on night missions, because it enables us to see extremely long distances with magnification both day and night AW2 Jay Peer, brought up our radar and began initial tracking of the shipping contacts around us. We all scanned outside as well, matching radar contacts with what we saw out our windows. As is typical in this part of the Arabian Gulf, there were about thirty vessels within a fifteenmile radius around us. Scanning the horizon with my night-vision goggles (NVGs), I noticed that one ship seemed to be much brighter than the all the others. Man, that thing was lit up like a Christmas tree! Wait, those 14

this case the camera zoomed in on a large merchant vessel sitting dead in the water with flames spewing from the pilothouse and aft superstructure. I called out what I was seeing, and we sped inbound to get a closer look. Meanwhile, I relayed our findings to Mustin. Our FLIR camera automatically downlinks real-time footage to our ship, so the controller on the other end can see everything that we see. That controller began recording the footage, notifying the chain of command, and initiating the rescue effort. I tuned the appropriate Bridge-to-

time we had. Should we try to hoist Bridge (BTB) frequency in the radio also making our infrared camera even them from the bow of the ship into to communicate with the distressed harder to use—with the heat of the our helicopter? That would be the vessel, while AW2 Peer passed its position to Mustin. So much for being heroic thing to do, in the dead of night flames so intense the camera could no longer pick out the finer details that 100 miles away! As it turned out, the we had earlier been able to see. ship’s navigation equipment was all We continued talking with Mother in the pilothouse, which was entirely and to the vessel in distress, now engulfed in flames. GPS is decidedly with an added sense of urgency--we averse to open flame, and as a result didn’t know if these explosions were the captain was just guessing his going to hit a fuel tank and really position and calling out his maydays go up, or if the breeze might change in the hopes that someone would see and bring the fire sweeping forward, his boat and come to the rescue. As where the remaining crew still milled it turned out, he was only ten miles around waiting for rescue. The vessel from our ship. master’s voice on the radio was no As we drew closer we could see longer so calm and professional: that the burning ship was a bulk “Coalition Warship, this is cargo merchant with the superSailors assigned to USS Mustin (DDG 89) Olympias, where are you? We structure aft. Flames covered transport Motor Vessel Olympias crew members are on fire, please hurry, we are the superstructure, but hadn’t yet to USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in a rigged hull in distress. Please hurry, I say reached the rest of the ship. We inflatable boat (RHIB). again the entire ship is on fire.” spotted three personnel in a large We offered our best assurances with the ship’s flames billowing out circular life raft tied off the stern, and over the radio, but Mustin had its own of control less than twenty yards from a larger lifeboat hung up in its lines concerns. Intelligence had warned us our rotor blades. People get ribbons and dangling precariously from the of the possibility of terrorist forces for that kind of thing. We continued starboard side of the ship. We sped faking an emergency at sea to lure circling the ship, noting that the crew in and established an orbit around unprepared warships into lowering was standing on a narrow walkway the ship at 500 feet, making sure we their guard. The captain of our ship in close proximity to two industrial stayed above the long trail of smoke was obviously aware of the risk, and cranes. The cranes in turn were surthat was drifting downwind. After asked the Olympias several quesrounded by extensive rigging: cables multiple attempts on the radio, we tions to determine what type of cargo running from mast and cranes to the finally raised the vessel’s captain: was aboard, how much fuel was left deck, a spider web of obstacles that “Yes, this is merchant vessel in the tanks, and where they were we wouldn’t really be able to pick out Olympias, please help, we are on fire. I say again, we are on fire and in need until we were probably closer than we from. Meanwhile, we were tasked with patrolling the immediate area to should be. Being in that close to the of immediate assistance!” ship, the flames from the fire would be make sure there weren’t any suspi“Olympias, this is coalition helicious vessels in the vicinity. It must blindingly bright in our night vision copter, please state how many crew be funny to someone at home reading are onboard and what cargo you carry, goggles, and it would be extremely this paragraph, to see the concerns hard to maintain a steady hover. We over.” and cautions that a ship might go discussed the option among the crew, “Yes, this is Olympias, we are in through before rendering assistance to and agreed that a hoist rescue probballast, in ballast, no cargo. We have a captain so obviously in distress. But ably wasn’t the wisest choice. twenty-seven people onboard, we are it seems like anything is possible out Just as we were wrapping up our all up forward on the bow. Please here in the Gulf. It was only a year decision to stand off, the explosions help, please come soon!” started. Gigantic balls of flame began ago that a terrorist group died in a We circled the ship, peering into suicide attempt to blow up Iraq’s main spewing out of the superstructure, the intense brightness of the flames oil export terminal. That terminal is scattering showers of sparks and biland smelling the acrid smoke that less than 100 miles away from our lowing smoke. It looked like somehad drifted up into the helo, and we current position, and in the middle of thing out of a Vin Diesel movie, this began to think: What do we do now? five story-tall conflagration. We could the night the gas burn-off from the Where do we come in? By now Gulf’s hundreds of oil platforms glow Mother was less than five miles away, tell that the flames were spreading to red all around us on the horizon and the starboard side of the ship as well, and its small boats were probably the give the night an eery, uncomfortable meaning that the life raft that was best—and safest—way to effect a feeling. The warm night air sits still tied to the fantail (back of the ship) rescue. Still, knowing how fires can and heavy on your skin, and somehow was probably now inaccessible to the catch the wrong breeze and spread smells saturated, as if even the wind distressed crew. The explosions were quickly, we weren’t sure how much 15

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

finds your presence there unwelcome. than a Boston whaler. Amazingly, the the ship; blankets, breakfast, cofIn the middle of the night, it’s easy to two boats were able to carry the entire fee, even designating smoking areas. feel like you may be the next target. crew of twenty-seven people and the The crew was mostly Indian and Sri Finally, assured of its safety, Musrescue went off without a hitch. Lankan, from elderly men and women tin approached to within a few miles Upon completion of the transfer to teenagers, and all seemed in good to render assistance. Her small boats, spirits and grateful for their Privateer and Rumrunner, fortuitous rescue. were quickly lowered into Coalition Warship, this is Olympias, where are you? As I stated earlier, I am the water. We maintained We are on fire, please hurry, we are in distress. not sure if this story will make our orbit and directed the it into the American news. It Please hurry, I say again the entire ship is on fire two boats the remaining has been a few days now, and distance to the Olympias and the ladof personnel from the small boats the rescue hasn’t made it on CNN. I der it had lowered halfway down its to the Mustin, the flight deck was doubt it will. No one died, no bombs starboard side. We brought the helicleared and we landed for a hotseat to were dropped, nobody performed any copter to a hover and covered the boat another aircrew. As I shed my flight shining acts of heroism. It was, simcrews with our machine gun as they gear, I made my way into the hangar ply, a series of events made possible on-loaded Olympias’ crew. It was no where the rescued crew was housed. by the willingness of a well-trained easy task, climbing down a 40-foot As I expected, the Mustin provided ship’s crew to help some fellow ladder in the middle of the night into a myriad of amenities to ensure that sailors. a pitching boat only slightly larger the crew was treated like guests of

Just Two Bottles of Nitrogen O n the morning of July 31st

By LTJG Matt McDermott, USN

Knight Rider 60 launched approximately one hour after sunrise the Island Knights of Helicopter Sea with five to ten degrees of pitch and Combat Squadron 25 Det Four woke rolls exceeding twenty degrees on the up expecting an uneventful day of rousmall vessel. tine maintenance and meetings. For The swells reached twenty feet that the members aboard the USNS San morning and the fact that the small Jose, helping a stranded Somali fishing boat (only sixty meters in fishing boat and flying a spur of length) was dead in the water amthe moment Medevac into Oman plified the magnitude of the ship’s would be just another day on deoscillations. ployment. To further complicate the situaUntil this day, Det Four’s mistion, numerous antennas and obstasions consisted of vertical replencles protruding from the ship limited ishment operations to ships operatthe spots for hoisting to the center of ing in and around the Arabian Gulf the ship’s deck, in between two foreand random passenger transfers. aft running steel cables. With precise The previous night, en route coordination and help from AD3 from the Arabian Gulf to the Red Vogt, LTJG Anderson maintained a Sea, San Jose Master, Jesse Fletchdifficult sixty-foot hover over the er received a request relieve the Somali ship Mareg IV prepares to receive Mareg’s deck while the supplies were USS Kauffman in the Gulf of Aden. assistance from HSC 25 hoisted down. The task at hand was to render asof the risk involved, Det AOIC and He“Since Mareg IV was dead in the sistance to a stranded Somali fishing licopter Aircraft Commander LT Amy water, she was pretty much at the mercy boat, Mareg IV. It had been floating Warrell marshaled her crew of second of the seas. Swells were topping at dead in the water for several days in pilot, LTJG Geoff Anderson, crewchief twenty feet and had battered the boat rough seas. Communicating bridge Aviation Electronics Mate Second Class into better than thirty degrees of roll, to bridge with the San Jose overnight, (Air Warfare) Scott Lattin and Second making my hover over their deck sporty the crew of Mareg IV determined they Crewman Aviation Machinist Mate to say the least. Those rolls, combined would need two bottles of compressed Third Class (Air Warfare) Noah Vogt with the ship’s rigging created a very nitrogen to be brought to them, which for a difficult hoisting evolution to this hazardous environment that our crewthey would use to start their engines very hazardous ship deck. and sail back home. Taking into consideration the high sea state, the only practical method of delivering the bottles to Mareg IV was to launch one of Det Four’s two MH-60S helicopters and hoist them down. After careful analysis

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hand, wrapping it to control the bleed- range from Oman, LCDR Corrao, man had to lower the hoist through. They dealt with it like champs and ing and helping take him to the Medical his co-pilot LTJG Matt McDermott, got the mission accomplished, much to Services Officer for treatment. Aviation Crewchief Airman Michael Bageant, Structural Mechanic Second Class (Air and AM2 Luttrell mounted up for the the relief of the Somalis”. flight into Oman. With AT2 Lattin also exLuttrell doubling his pressed his approval of his Swells were topping at twenty feet and had battered the duties as crewman and second crewman after a job boat into better than thirty degrees of roll, making my EMT, the civilian was well done; “Petty Officer hover over their deck sporty to say the least in good hands. After Vogt displayed exceptional landing in Oman, the skill in calling the bird over injured sailor was met the deck and kept his cool by the ambulance already waiting at the in a tough situation. He is well on his Warfare) Curtis Luttrell, a trained EMT airport. Luttrell gave the medical team way to becoming a great crewchief”. and aircrewman, headed straight to the an overview of the situation and turned After completing the difficult task, the Medical Services Office after being nohim over for more extensive care. “I’m crew of Knight Rider 60 returned to the tified of the injury. Luttrell offered his just glad I was able to put my training San Jose in time for breakfast. How- assistance by administering lydocaine to use to help someone out”. ever, the day was not over for the Island shots as the MSO stitched the severely Clear skies and favorable weather Knights. While the crew was conduct- injured hand. permitted the return flight to the ship While AM2 Luttrell worked closely ing the hoisting evolution, hazardous to be completed without incident. LT conditions on the San Jose resulted in with the Medical Services Officer to Warrell offered her thoughts on the matthe injury of a flight deck crew-mem- stitch the mariner’s hand, Airdet Operater; “I was impressed with the profesber. As the ship took a heavy roll, a tions Officer LT Nick Leyva, expedisionalism of the entire det. No matter watertight door slammed closed on the tiously and with very short notice, got how big or small, everyone played an hand of a civilian mariner, crushing the flight clearance to take the man into important role and offered their talents and nearly severing three of his fingers. Oman. The San Jose then altered it’s in a unique way to help the situation. Already in the immediate vicinity of the course to get within the maximum shipaccident, HSC-25 maintainers, Airman to-shore range. Detachment Officer in The unit cohesiveness and teamwork Matt Kerr and Aviation Structural Me- Charge LCDR Pete Corrao assembled a of Det Four is what got the mission chanic First Class (Air Warfare) James second crew to conduct the Medevac. accomplished today.” Once the ship broke the 120-mile Miller, acted quickly to stabilize the

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

Features

Focus on Technology By LT Zach Dewey, USN

n this day and age it is kind of fun to watch the military and how it uses technology. I just happened upon the article written by LT Hartnett of VX-1 in the winter edition of Rotor Review, which eluded to some of the capabilities of the ARC-210/1794c suite of radios in the MH-60S and the joy of programming them. The fun thing about this article is that now, two years after the procedures were developed and almost three years after the aircraft was fielded is the test and development squadron finally publishing the programming procedures, and of course on SIPERNET. From my flight suit, I could have really used this information before deploying out to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. However as a nugget, soon to deploy to theater with a new system, like other new military systems it was up to the end user, the operator to figure out how to make it work.

what? HC-5 in Guam, well they were still in the process of receiving their first helicopters as well. The few pure H-60 drivers in Guam were my fellow classmates at the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) who were just beginning to arrive on station were in the same boat so to speak. However, the operational and test and evaluation side was not to blame. So it was off to the Program Manager AIR (PMA) and NAVAIR folks, ARC2 what? Silence at the other end of the phone. Thankfully there were a few folks who sort of knew others who knew the right person for me to connect. After many days of pounding the pavement here in Norfolk and burning up the telephone lines to Patuxent River and the FRS out at San Diego did I finally make contact with the man who could tie it all together. A fantastic engineer out in Indianapolis was the man with all the answers to making the ARC210 radio work. Markham West of

“Welcome to HC-6 you have two weeks to get the ARC-210 into secure mode before the first detachment leaves.” “Welcome to HC-6 you have two weeks to get the ARC-210 into secure mode before the first detachment leaves.” Those were pretty much my marching orders. So in my quest to fulfill my orders, I turned to the pubs to find my solutions. How much help was the NATOPS? Come on, not a single pilot in the community can explain the complete operation of the Flight Control Computer let alone the operation of the components that tie into the 1553 data bus as detailed and clearly explained in Chapter 15 of NATOPS. Being the first operational East Coast squadron to employ and deploy the Sierra, I turned to others that used the same gear. How much help was, HC-3 and VX-1, the test, evaluation and training squadrons? ARC-210

Naval Air Weapons Station Indianapolis (NAWS INDY) was the genius with the solution. The right person is not always the solution to all of the problems. First off, the AN/CYZ-10 data fill loader, a key component in the operation, required updating to the correct software, version 3. This in and of itself was an adventure; the Electronic Key Management System (EKMS) manager here at Norfolk was unfamiliar with the software load procedures but managed to obtain the procedures for the six-hour per device event. The Fleet EKMS Advice and Assistance Office (A&A) at the Naval Computer & Telecommunications Area Master Station Atlantic (NCTAMS) was eager to help however they were untrained as to the operation of the AN/CYZ-10 in software version

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3 mode, as was the rest of the helicopter community here in Norfolk. The Fleet just did not use the software load out in the AN/CYZ-10. As time ticked down to the first detachment being deployed, it became evident that the team I had assembled here in Norfolk, the EKMS Manager, the techies from the A&A Office and the Sikorsky tech reps just was not going to cut the cake. Mr. West, via multiple telephone calls was quite helpful with getting us on the right course were the rest of the Navy’s publications and systems had failed. The persistent phone calls to Indianapolis although useful had their limitations. Steps in the process, on the ramp took time. We have all played the telephone game where instructions or a statement are passed from one to another and what comes out the other end is not the same as what was initially said. At the end of the day of the second day hard work on the ramp and after much begging, I was able to persuade Mr. West to join us here on the ramp in Norfolk and make the ARC-210 work in secure mode. What a valuable experience it was for us to have Mr. West for those two cold days back in December 2002. We started our days early, recapping the steps that we had tried and failed. Mr. West, by being here in person was able to point out our errors not only in hardware configuration but also in our programming of the AN/CYZ-10. From what he had known as an engineer for Raytheon, the developers of the ARC210 radios, and from the fact that he had written much of the software code for programming the ARC-210s was invaluable. Nothing makes the job easier then having the builder on station with you. It is interesting to point out that the builder had never had the interface with the actual completed system. So even with Mr. West being our guide, we still learned a lot about the aircraft. The displays on the radio during the loading interface were not and are still not necessarily correct. As LT.

Hartnett mentioned in his article, the it was not for Mr. West taking the time the military has used technology to hardware loading ports were improperly to come support us in Norfolk. enhance, expedite and simplify the labeled. The fun never stops when it comes mission, save time and save lives. I Like I said earlier, having Mr. West to radio communications. As our state love to hate technology and I love to on the ramp with us was a blessing. of the art aircraft (MH-60s) roll off hate those who fail to embrace techHe fixed our problems and got us on the assembly line in Connecticut, A nology. It is 2005, pull your head out our way. To prevent future pilots from new radio is in the work for the Future of the sand, think outside the box and having to live through all of the pain and Combat System, the Joint Tactical Rause what you have. If it does not do agony I went through to make the ARC- dio System (JTRS). Raise your hand what you want it to do, then force it 210 a success, instructions were devel- if you have heard about this device. into compliance! oped from what C A P T we had learned on G a l d o r i s i ’s The fun never stops when it comes to radio communications. As our the ramp during article from state of the art aircraft (MH-60s) roll off the assembly line in Conthose cold days the same isin December. I sue of Rotor necticut, A new radio is in the work for the Future Combat System, the never wanted anJoint Tactical Radio System (JTRS). Raise your hand if you have heard R e v i e w h i t other pilot to go the nail on the about this device. through the same head. If you “wheel reinvention don’t embrace process” for which the military is noto- This is a new radio system that rolls technology and force it into the direcrious. Continuity is another fine thing all the communications gear into one tion you want it to go, you will be left helicopter aviation has yet to develop. box. Transmit and receive on different behind. One thing I don’t like to think about is digital bands allowing all the services Case in point is the Portable Flight what would have happened if we never to communicate seamlessly with one Planning System (PFPS) computers found a Mr. West? another. Would this be great for the air and the Sierra’s Flight Management The steps in the crypto load pro- ambulance mission? Yeah, so would Computer (FMC). Here is a tool in our cedures were meticulously noted and a moving map and being able to eascockpits that has a tremendous amount tested. Sailors from all rates and pilots ily input the Military Grid Reference of potential however only a fraction alike were used to test the procedures of System Coordinates into the mission of the pilots know how to take full building the AN/CYZ-10 database, in- computer. I would hate to be the pilot advantage of its features. Additionally, stalling the crypto and then loading the trying to work the SINCGARS radio it is embarrassing to attend air shows aircraft. Alas a working, user-friendly via the Radio Control Unit and trying where a 2002 Cessna 172 or a 2006 solution was found. to manually decode a ten digit grid Honda Accord has a more efficient, The biggest pain in the process is into a latitude and longitude reference more useful glass cockpit and navigabuilding the AN/CYZ-10 database. point knowing full well that my button tion system then our state of the art Most of the steps introduced during this mashing could possibly lead me the $18 million dollar Sierra. Where were process would be used with subsequent wrong way when every second counts the pilots pushing for the integration loading of the aircraft and deleting expired crypto and installing fresh crypto. It is embarrassing to attend air shows where a 2002 Cessna 172 However, with having Mr. West around, or a 2006 Honda Accord has a more efficient, more useful glass he showed us a trick or two with a little cockpit and navigation system then our state of the art $18 milbatch file he developed. A batch file lion dollar Sierra. run on a laptop computer and a cable connected to the AN/CYZ-10 can do the hour-long process of configuring and lives are on the line.. of a moving map display, electronic the AN/CYZ-10 manually, in about Technology, we love to hate it! flight bag, interactive checklist and a ten seconds. With thirty minutes of Raise your hand if you have conveFederal Aviation Administration certitraining, all of our detachment com- nient access to the SIPERNET. LT fied Global Positioning System (GPS) munications pack-ups include the batch Hartnett, thanks for telling us where navigation system? I guess the units files and the cable needed to reload the the procedures are however it does me developed for corporate aviation by AN/CYZ-10. no good. If other commands are like Honeywell or Rockwell Collins are I love showing the batch file trick mine with partial Navy Marine Corps just not good enough for what we need to a newbie who has just spent an hour Internet (NMCI) integration, you will in the military mission. sweating over the task of program- only have one SIPERNET computer Although this article appears to be ming the AN/CYZ-10. None of these with dial up access. From my limited a bit on the negative side, its intent is “shortcuts” would have been known if experience, everything I have done in to awaken the sleeping, button push19

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ing child in all of us get off our duffs to use what we have to simplify our lives. It happens here at HSC-26, like it happens all over the fleet. “We have always done it this way so we are going to continue doing it this way” mind set appears to be a check in item of which all are heavily indoctrinated in. The

NATOPS instructor is going to have a fit when I turn in my open book test with a weight and balance problem all completed by the computer program WinFMP vice reading paper charts and interpolating the data. I should get bonus points for the problem because I was one of the few who have actually

learned how to use the technology we already have and fail to use on a regular basis. Gee.. is this thinking out side the box, embracing technology or just being a geek?

NHA Safety Symposium 2005 By LT Todd Vorenkamp, USNR

from motor vehicle accidents alone. The captain showed the “Standard Navy Safety Slide” which shows the downward trend in mishap numbers starting in 1954 with the loss of 776 aircraft to 2004 with twenty-seven aircraft lost. In fifty years mishaps were reduced from over two per day to just over two per month. The Safety Center did a recent analysis of safety programs in place on board ships and in squadrons around the fleet. The Center’s highlighted programs were: •Daily Operations Brief •Safety Petty Officer of the Day Program •Human Factors Council •Improved Small Flight Deck Safety Program •Safety Culture Workshop •Detailed Risk Assesment/ORM Worksheets The Safety Center can provide information to commands wishing to emulate model safety programs evaluated by the Center. In the second “Standard Navy Safety Slide” the Center restates that 89% of USN mishaps and 90% of USMC mishaps are due In fiscal year 2002 there were mishaps costing $693 to human factors, not million and 238 fatalities. In FY 2004 there were material failure. The mishap investigations 213 deaths at a cost of $1.191 billion dollars. of the Safety Center focus on determining the time of the briefing at Symposium how these errors led to the mishaps the numbers for FY 2005 were one by looking at preconditions before the hundred nineteen fatalities and $342 event and aircrew error at the time of million. Further break down of the the mishap. Another Safety Center study FY 05 numbers had fifty-five fatalities APT John Noulis from the Naval Safety Center briefed members of NHA on the first day of Symposium 2005. Before his brief CAPT Noulis and members of Bell Helicopter presented the Commanding Officer of Helicopter Training Squadron Eighteen with awards commemorating HT-18 surpassing one million Class A mishap free flight hours. The million flight hours span twenty-seven years as HT18 flies between 30,000 and 36,000 hours per year. This million flight hour milestone is a first for a squadron in the history of naval aviation. CAPT Noulis’ PowerPoint was started with a brief from RADM Brooks, commanding officer of the Naval Safety Center, on video. CAPT Noulis re-iterated the goal of the Secretary of Defense to reduce mishaps by 50%. Over a four year span the number of mishap related fatalities has been on the decline, however the costs have been skyrocketing. In fiscal year 2002 there were mishaps costing $693 million and 238 fatalities. In FY 2004 there were 213 deaths at a cost of $1.191 billion dollars. As of

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Captain Noulis briefs the members at the Symposium on the statistics looked at 2003 statistics versus mishap trends. They found that the number of HAZREPS was on the decline, that the fleet in general had poor NAMP program knowledge, OP tempo was on the increase, and that some personnel assignments dictated by eval/fitrep/promotion issues were keeping the experienced sailors and Marines from being in the right job to match their talents. Shifting the focus from the seaway to the highway the Safety Center reported that between 2002 and 2004 that 65-72% of annual deaths occurred in motor vehicles or recreational mishaps. The leading factors to motoring deaths are night driving, seat belt usage, excessive speed, alcohol, and fatigue. When it came to two-wheeled vehicles, the main causal factors were loss of control, excessive speed, alcohol, failed evasive maneuvers, rider inexperience,

general poor judgment, off-road excursions, failure to execute a turn, and slow reaction time. Again the USAF has the lowest PMV accident rates in the Department of Defense. Why? “There is nothing to hit in Nebraska,” someone in the audience proclaimed. CAPT Noulis said that fatigue had become an underrated causal factor in motor vehicle mishaps. He stated that fatigue when driving can be as bad as driving under the influence. The Center’s suggestion was that supervisors practice more engaged and more intrusive leadership when sailors and Marines are going on leave or traveling over weekends. “No one drives like a mad man to see their mother. I know I didn’t,” said CAPT Noulis. LT Gregory DeWindt of HSL-41

gave a quick brief on the new Joint Advanced Health and Usage Monitoring System which will be implemented in all H-60S and H-60R airframes. The system allows squadrons to analyze flight data for maintenance and safety purposes. The system includes a HUMS (health usage monitoring system), which measures airframe vibration. HUMS functions as a full-time FCF system. The system can detect unusual vibrations in dynamic components before phase FCFs or inspections to give maintainers a chance to catch a developing failure before it occurs. The new system also allows for a direct maintenance link to the aircraft,

an artificial neural net, and an animated post-flight debriefing system. The system can also serve as a type of flight data recorder in the event of a mishap. The captain left NHA members with the message that there are 114 people in the Safety Center who are waiting to help commands achieve better safety. Anyone can download the Navy Safety Campaign Plan for 2005 at:http://www. safetycenter.navy.mil/mishapreduction/ campaignplan/default.htm.

Billy The BASH Guy By LT John F. Oliver, USN

“D

ischarging pyrotechnics, Moffett Road at Building 1200.” With that, Billy Stewart leaned out his pick-up window and took aim at the horizon. A loud crack and a streak of black smoke exploded out of his noisemaker-pistol. Two Western Gulls perched on a ridgepole leapt into the air and flew to the safety of San Diego Bay. Chalk-up another small victory for Billy “the BASH guy.” I first came to know Billy after a sixteen-pound pelican slammed into my helicopter one dark January night. I was at the controls of an SH60B, finishing up my crosswind turn at Naval Outlying Field Imperial Beach, when I saw a shape in front of my windscreen. Before I could react, I was startled by a loud thud, and my windscreen became red. I heard a rattling against my door. I

The BASH program was founded to prevent aviation mishaps with bird stikes. turned my head to the left and discovered a large leg with a webbed foot wrapped around my rearview mirror, whacking against the door. I passed control of the aircraft to LT Nate Rodenbarger in the right seat since, in addition to the foot attached to my mirror, my windscreen was covered with blood and bird bits. LT Rodenbarger, backed up by AW3 Gerald Schultz, made an uneventful landing and shut down. We exited the aircraft to assess the damage. The plexiglass directly over my seat was shattered and the forward windscreen was covered with blood, but intact. My door would not initially open, because the mirror had 21

been bent back and blocked the door’s path. We took some pictures and hitched a ride back to North Island. The next morning, our squadron air framers came out to fix the window and door so the aircraft could be flown home. From the sight of the large yellow webbed foot flapping against my window, I had initially guessed it was all that remained of a large sea gull. We bagged the turkey-sized bird leg and put it into our ready room freezer for the BASH guys to identify. BASH is the Bird/Animal Aircraft Strike Hazard program. The “BASH guys” turned out to be one man: Billy Stewart of the U.S. Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

Animals need to have a healthy fear Department of Agriculture. He is message to stay out of his turf. That of the airfield. If people are feeding contracted by the Navy to run Naval is a big drop from the late-90’s, when birds on or near an airfield the birds Air Station North Island’s BASH North Island’s BASH program was program. Billy inspected the leg from brand new and “disposed of” over 100 will gather in large numbers, waiting for more handouts. the freezer and immediately identigulls a year. Billy has brought those The most important lesson Billy fied it as pelicanus erythrorhynchos, numbers down considerably, thanks taught me is that birds and naval better known as the American White to many non-lethal BASH initiatives, aviation can-and must- coexist. The Pelican. Often times, BASH program and his judicious targeting method. challenge is finding a balance. Flight managers, like Billy, have just feath“You figure out which [gull] is the operations, of course, are not going ers or a blood-splat to work with after ringleader and that’s the one you to stop, but there are ways of safely a bird strike. However, they have the shoot.” operating our aircraft without eradifull resources of the Smithsonian InConsidering the amount of mancating the Southern California bird stitute in Washington, DC, if needed, hours devoted to FOD prevention, population. On my tour for a scientific analysis and the base with Billy, he positive ID. My pelican The most important lesson Billy taught me of pointed out the various was listed as “rare” at is that birds and naval aviation can-and must- endangered and threatImperial Beach. Now it is ened species that live and a little more rare. coexist. breed around the airfield, Later that winter, I met as well as a number of up with Billy to get more familiar with the BASH program and scouring the flight line every morning more common birds. Enthusiastically, see what pilots can do to support it. in the search of stray nuts and bolts, it he told me how the birds had been As we drove around North Island in should not be a surprise that the Navy “trained” to stay out of critical areas. his government pick-up, Billy gave invests heavily in the BASH program. And, if these “trained” birds were to be removed, the resultant vacuum me a BASH history lesson. The Billy is a full-time BASH guy; it is program was started by the Air Force how he makes his living, but BASH is would attract “untrained” birds that would threaten aircraft safety by flyin the 1970’s with the purpose of prenot a one-man show. There are ways ing in those danger areas. venting aviation mishaps. The Navy that everyone working on an airbase We will always share the skies took a little longer to buy into it; but, can help prevent the next animal with birds, and our runways with base-by-base, the BASH program related mishap. coyotes, moose and other animals. has reached the fleet. North Island’s First and foremost, report all bird By maintaining and supporting a program was born from a bird strike and animal strike incidents. There is BASH program, we are able to do this mishap. a WESS2 report, submitted by your smarter, and most importantly, safer. In 1996, a flock of over 1000 squadron safety department, that the Keep flying safe and if you happen Western Gulls had claimed the apNavy uses to track bird strike numproach end of Runway 11 as their bers and damages. This data can then to see a pelicanus erythrorhynchos with one leg, make sure to tell him nesting grounds. On its takeoff roll, be used to determine how to mitigate that Billy “the BASH guy” might just an E-2 Hawkeye struck approximately those hazards. have the other leg in his freezer. thirty of the birds, ingesting a dozen Second, keep a tidy flight line into its engines. Fortunately the airand airfield. Trash is a major reason crew was able to safely abort the take- birds flock to built up areas. To a sea off; however, the airframe was ruined. gull, trash makes for good eating. North Island’s BASH program started Therefore, it is important that we all soon thereafter, according to Billy. make the extra effort to pick up lunch The noisemaker-pistol is just one areas frequently, keep dumpster doors tool in Billy’s arsenal. Primarily, closed and do not pile trash outside of Billy resorts to non-lethal means to dumpsters. Exposed refuse may lead control bird behaviors and population to people adding edible trash to the levels that could potentially impact pile, attracting birds. flight operations and safety. Billy also Finally, never feed birds or has a 22-caliber rifle and uses rounds other wild animals around an airfield. with a short maximum range to limit the potential for FOD or property damage. Last year Billy was forced to shoot ten gulls that were not getting the

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

Historical

Scramble Seawolves I

t had been raining like a cow 600 but was sure to make FTL at the urinating on a flat rock for two minimum. Steve was chaffing at the you know that” he said. days. The monsoon was definitely bit to make it. He was a good combat Phillips: Does that mean “No” here and nothing was flying. Even Boss?” the ducks were walking, as they say. pilot and everybody knew it. I loved having him as my trail aircraft comHall: “Convince me, Tom” he The only good news was that the mander. We were a good team. replied. radios had been silent. Apparently Phillips: “Yeah right. You looked Phillips: “OK Boss, we will have the VC weren’t in the mood to take outside? Even the seagulls are the element of surprise”. advantage of the fact that every airHall: That’s no lie!?” He intercraft in the entire delta was on deck grounded. Nobody in his right mind will be flying today. It’s WOXOF in jected. because of the weather. I walked rain. It’s BEEN WOXOF in rain all Phillips: “And it’s not that dangerinto the wardroom from the most night and all morning. There’s no ous” recent check with the radio watch Hall: “Oh NO. in combat and flopped down on the sofa among The view out the hatch is low black-grey overcast, with grey Not that dangerous. several det pilots. tendrils hanging down everywhere. The sea is dark grey Just WOXOF and Phillips: “Hey and covered with whitecaps. There is no horizon and we forecast to be the same Hanski, looks like we’re can’t see the coast a mile away. No sign of sunlight any- forever” Phillips: “Who gonna go through our where. It is only day because it isn’t technically night. cares if its 200 over? whole duty day without The delta’s flat as flying. AGAIN” a table top. Nothing sticks up any LTJG Steve Hanvey looked back sign of it letting up” Hanvey: “Exactly. What do you higher than the trees.” at me for a moment and resumed think the VC are doing today? They Hall: “This from the guy who watching the movie. broke out his chin bubble on a tree Hanvey: “Yeah. When’s it s’pose sure aren’t hitting outposts or ambushing patrol boats” branch!” interjected CDR Hall, enjoyto break?” Phillips: ”If they’re smart, they’re ing himself immensely. Phillips: “Weather guesser thinks watching movies like us” I ignored this shot and continued, it will last another two days. We Hanvey: “And if they’re REALLY “We’ve got RAD ALTs, and it’s still could get rained out day after tomorsmart, they’re taking advantage of the daylight and we can see enough to row too” world being grounded to do somenavigate low level, and we know the We had the flight duty for a 24thing we’re gonna regret. It isn’t area well enough. We’ll RTB with hour stretch every other day, rotating often they can operate in daylight plenty of fuel so we can bingo if it’s the two crews of our fire team with too bad to find the AT when it’s time the two other crews of the det which without fear of air attack. Why don’t to come back, and we can divert to made up the other fire team; brand X. we go see if we can find out what they’re up to?” Tra Vinh whatever the weather as Hanvey:Heck with that, let’s go Phillips: “You’re not talking about long as we get there before dark. It’s flying. I need the hours to make another walk up to check the radio raining, but it’s not storming” FTL” traffic in C-I-C are you?” Hall: “Go on” Steve was more than qualiHanvey: “Let’s take out the fire Hanvey: No chance of a mid-air fied to be a fire team leader, except team. Whatever they may be up to since nobody else will be flying” for one detail; he didn’t have 100 they’d never expect to see us show Steve chimed in hopefully. I looked hours as an AHAC yet. Since he up. I’ll bet we might catch them with a pained expression at Steve. That had come straight out to det, he got their black pajamas down around their wasn’t exactly the most supportive more combat time as a copilot than and convincing assurance. He flushed those of us who had done a couple of ankles” Phillips: “You know Steve, it a little. The Boss’s eyes twinkled. months at the main Seawolf base at makes sense in a perverted way. With a theatrical scowl, he said; “ OK Binh Thuy, building up hours while We’re instrument pilots. Let’s start plan a patrol track using good visual avoiding much combat. You had to acting like it. The army is grounded references, factor in some extra gravy have 500 hours to make AHAC (the and the VC know it. Let’s show them in your fuel planning, and plan to go same OPNAV requirements we still the difference between army air and to Tra Vinh for a full bag BEFORE have today) and both he and I had Navy Air” you try to get back to the boat. Don’t made AHAC with exactly 500. I This was enough for CDR Charlie even try for the boat except with a full had made FTL right on the numbers Hall, our O-in-C. bag” too, with 600 hours in my log book. Hall: “You guys are certifiable, I knew what he was thinking, He still needed a few hours to get to 23

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and Steve’s eyes confirmed that he did too. We were all thinking of the fiasco a few weeks ago which started when LT Max Prudence (a nom de guerre) had cut the fuel too close on a bright sunny day trying to find the AT under an isolated squall line. One bad decision led to another and Steve ended up getting shot down trying to avoid becoming a guest in the Hanoi Hilton or worse. (See Scramble Seawolves, Parts VII and VIII, Summer and Fall ‘94) I wouldn’t make THAT mistake, of that all those present could be absolutely certain. Charlie Hall knew it. We reasoned that we should sweep the free fire zones along the coast. At the altitudes we would be flying because of the overcast, we wouldn’t be able to get radio comms with the regular clearance authority if we ran into anything that was not in a free fire zone and needed killing, so searching in the free fire zone simplified things. CDR Hall planned to notify province HQ, using the ship’s HF, after we already were on station to prevent anybody there getting the word out in time (we always suspected leaks from that headquarters, and never told them any more than absolutely necessary to ensure safety of friendlies.) In this case, he would verify that no ARVN friendlies were operating in the free fire zone and advise us before we went out of VHF line-of-sight comm range of the AT” Our birds didn’t have HF radios to communicate over-the-horizon. This was a mere formality considering that there wasn’t no way the ARVN would be out in this weather. We brief the rest of the fire team. The crewmen were unfazed by our plans to launch. Their trust was unshakable. LTJG Terry Tomlinson, Steve’s copilot, and the new pilot on det, was clearly jazzed. If he was concerned about the weather, he didn’t let on. His eyes said this was gonna be cool. He was less than thirty hours flight time in country, and would have no huge responsibilities other than his guns. He would perform navigation for his own training,

as usual, but only as backup. The real naval responsibilities belonged to LTJG Tom Cleverdon, my copilot in the lead ship of the fire team. Cleverdon, who had been shot down with Steve, and in whose lap the tree branches had come to rest when we had our little midair, is the strong silent type. He was silent now. His eyes did the talking. They were amused as they reviewed the track plan and the operating plans. Since I too, was a LTJG, we were an allJaygee fire team; what Charlie Hall called his secret weapon. We were also an all-Naval Academy fire team, all class of ‘69” Wait till Shipmate Magazine hears about this! At the

Apparently the VC weren’t in the mood to take advantage of the fact that every aircraft in the entire delta was on deck because of the weather. hatch leading to the flight deck, we pause and look out at the scene. The view out the hatch is low black-grey overcast, with grey tendrils hanging down everywhere. The sea is dark grey and covered with whitecaps. There is no horizon and we can’t see the coast a mile away. No sign of sunlight anywhere. It is only day because it isn’t technically night. The birds, normally mottled and sunfaded, are shiny black-green. The pilot doors are installed for the first time since I’ve been on det. The rain is coming down in buckets. Can’t see any sign of a break so we man up. We couldn’t have gotten wetter running to the birds if the damage control party had knocked us down with streams from their fire hoses. As soon as we get strapped in, the rain subsides. Nature’s sense of humor at work. Just shows how hard it’s raining that we can’t see it clearing off until suddenly it’s clear. Another black wall is approaching. Might as well make the takeoff before the next squall hits. The launch is uneventful. We lift and move

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forward off the flight deck and out over the water horizontally since we can’t climb out without going into the overcast. Better to stay below it in mere deluge. We have the sea to ourselves. The normal sprinkle of fishing boats usually present are absent. At home with Mama-san like sane people, no doubt. We steer for the mouth of a moderate size bay, our first NAVAID check point. If anybody is running the Market Time blockade, it’s a likely place to put in. “Permission to test the guns, Sir” asks Red Elder, my first gunner, who is manning the .50-cal gun in the right door. Red is a little feisty runt with bright red hair. Tougher than a man his size should be, he’s an RCA cowboy whose specialty is bull riding. True to his calling, Red the smallest gunner on the det prefers the aviation .50-cal, the heaviest gun to manhandle around in the slipstream of the helicopter door. The .50 spews a short burst and I follow the tracers as the first hits the water. A half dozen splashes scatter near each other and then the next thirty pour down the same hole churning the water to froth. Pinpoint, as usual. I can hear AEAN Barry Solomon, my other gunner, fire a burst of 7.62 from his M-60 in the left door. A Jewish kid, with oily skin, and an acne problem that the heat and humidity exacerbate, he is a door gunner virtuoso despite his John Lennon round glasses. He regularly knocks sea gulls out of the sky with one-second bursts. If the bird isn’t hit by the fourth tracer, he lets it go. Not many get away unscathed. “Good afternoon Seawolves” came a voice over the FM radio. Intelligible English, but with a Vietnamese sing-song twang. Silence at our end. Something funny here. “Seawolves, where you go?” Then it dawns on me; it’s the goddam VC! Unbelievable. “Seawolves, what you doing?” he persisted. “Looking for you, Charlie. Hey, Charlie, pop a smoke, we don’t have

your position” “No can do, Seawolves” “OK Charlie, how about a long count then?”

growth mangrove swamp laced with creeks and sloughs. We parallel the largest creek emptying into the bay, criss-crossing from bank to bank to

“Niner-eight, roger, be advised that these guys are in the process of di di mau-ing (running away, fast). Request expedite clearance, over” “No can do, no can do. Seawolves, today you DIE” “Don’t think so, Charlie, not today. Break, 99 starboard parade. Now” Click, click Two static breaks are a roger from Seawolf 99. When 99 tucked in, I gave him hand signals for a new frequency. Thumbs up to roger, and he floated away, back into trail. Tactical trail is normally a 100 feet up and a 1000 feet back, but at this low level in this poor visibility, he’s level and only about 500 feet back. “We’re up” came 99’s laconic check-in on UHF. Double click reply. Let those bastards find us now. They might have the province chief’s operational freq, but they’ll never keep up with us on tactical. He’s probably searching the FM band now. Cleaver: “Wow, Tom, just like the movies. I never would have believed it if I hadn’t heard it myself” Phillips: “Yeah, I know, me too” Cleaver: “For all we know, the bastard is at province headquarters” Phillips : “I don’t think so, they’re somewhere along the coast where they can see the AT so they know when we launch. They may know when we’re up, but they still don’t know where we’re going until we get there” Cleverdon: “Hell, Tom, WE don’t even know where we’re going” Phillips: “Good point, Cleaver” We pressed on and swept into the bay at low level. Nothing happening here. Crossing the bay, we continue ahead feet dry (meaning we went from over water to over land, such as it was). Feet dry here, even without the torrential rain was a second

get a look under the overhang. With our altitude and the rain, our approach to anyone would be muffled until the very last minute. Hanvey closes up more than normal for tree dodging low level because of the rain. He takes a distant left echelon, on the bearing for a parade position but much more loose so he could concentrate on the terrain more than the leader. We worked our way up the coast from inlet to inlet, over the mangrove. We passed out of the free fire zone, according to my copilot-navigator. Phillips: “Nine-nine, I hold us out of the free fire zone. Guns tight unless fired upon, over” Hanvey:”Roger, Nine-eight, concur” The next little bay up ahead was shaped like a golf club head with the shaft opening to the sea and the bay shielded from ocean view by the sharp turn from shaft to club face. It was easy to observe and defend the bay at the narrow entrance should some patrol craft get too nosy. We approached the little bay from overland at an altitude of 30 feet, bursting into the bay at the heel of the club face heading along the length of the bay parallel to the sea. There in the middle of the little bay was a large ocean-going junk, surrounded by a dozen or so sampans, canoes, and other little water craft. The junk was lit up with floodlights in the rainy dusk. It was swarming with people, as were the small craft. The junk was at my right front and inside my radius of turn for my 90 knot speed, so I continued past them. As I roared by them, people were running

everywhere on the junk, and some in the sampans alongside took to the water, right over the side, fully expecting us to deliver a hail of gunfire, but no one shot at us. I think they were so surprised, they couldn’t change from stevedores to soldiers before we were past them. I set up a circle around the boats, out of their small arms range, and got on the radio to the province chief for clearance, since they were out of the free fire zone, but clearly engaged in smuggling supplies in from the sea. Cleverdon: “Trader Jackpot Delta, Seawolf Niner-eight, over I hope we are close enough, cause I sure don’t want to climb into this shit to get comms”. No joy. Phillips: “Nine-nine, hold your altitude, I’m climbing to get comms” I turn tail to the targets and start a climb. At 500 feet, 300 feet into the goo, they finally answered. “This is Trader Jackpot Delta, roger over” Phillips: Delta, this is Seawolf Niner-eight, I have a seagoing junk being unloaded by a dozen sampans at coordinates Xray Romeo eight two niner zero. Request weapons free, over” “ Seawolf niner-eight, wait out” Phillips: “Niner-eight, roger, be advised that these guys are in the process of di di mau-ing (running away, fast). Request expedite clearance, over” Silence. Interminable, it seemed. “Seawolf Niner-eight, this is Trader Jackpot Delta, over” Thank God, that didn’t take so long! “Seawolf Niner-eight, go ahead” “Seawolf Niner-eight, permission denied. I say again, permission denied. There are friendly forces on patrol in that general area, over” Yeah, right. ARVN out in this? That’ll be the day, Pilgrim.

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“This is Seawolf Niner-eight, copy permission denied. Is that Charlie, over?” “Seawolf, readback is correct. Do not fire unless fired upon, over” Phillips: This is Niner-eight, what are the coordinates of the nearest friendlies, over” “Coordinates are unavailable, Seawolf” Phillips: Niner-eight, roger, understand do not fire unless fired upon” “Seawolf, that is correct, Out” Phillips: “Nine-nine, I’m descending” Click-click. I spiraled back down through the overcast and broke out into the rain, immediately leveling off to stay above Nine-nine’s altitude until we could spot him. By climbing on course outbound from the target to get comms and spiraling back down when completed talking to province headquarters, I should be away from the junk and sampans, not right over them. All eyes are scanning for Ninenine. “There he is Mr. P, three o’clock low, heading the other way” reported Elder. “Right behind you, Nine-nine. Join on me” Click-click” Nine-nine turned right and came around to rendezvous on my starboard quarter as I held a slight left turn for him. Cleverdon: Nine-nine, in trail” Phillips: Roger, Nine-nine, let’s go get shot at” “ Roger that” I turned inbound to the junk. The sampans were scattering like quail and the leaders were nearing the foliage. Phillips: “OK everybody, don’t fire unless fired upon, understand?” Elder, Solomon, and Cleverdon rogered. “ Nine-nine, we’re still weapons tight unless fired upon, copy?” Hanvey: Roger that, Nine-eight gunners, if we take fire, shoot for the sampans heading for the beach, Tom, you take the junk” Again, three rogers. I reached down and reset the rocket system intervelometer from single pod to both pods. The effect of

this move is to make both rocket pods fire when I pressed the rocket firing button, instead of one pod. Not only does this double the number of rockets flying per push of the rocket-firing button on the cyclic, it starts using the second pod, which is loaded with proximity fuse warheads. This target called for prox fuses. Lots of them. We charged right for them, right on the deck. Have no choice. The overcast prevents us from climbing to a safer altitude from which we would normally have made short work of such a gaggle of vulnerable boats in the middle of such a big bay. We would prefer either a shallow glidedive from 1000 feet for a rocket run, or a circle around a target area at 1000 feet (above the most significant danger from small arms coming back at us) if it was work for guns only. If we were on the deck at this altitude, we were almost always right on the tree tops, which blocked visibility of enemy on the ground, and gave the enemy only a quick burst as we passed near them. It also limited our own visibility of the enemy, and made it almost impossible to catch sight of them in time to use rockets, so I had very little experience firing rockets at this altitude. That didn’t bother me since, at this altitude, I relied on our guns and speed. Coming in over a big expanse of water was a distinctly naked and very uncomfortable feeling. They had a great field of fire. Looks like a fair fight coming up real soon. And, if you’ve read any of the previous installments of Scramble Seawolves, you know how much I hate a fair fight. Somebody must have decided we were attacking, because Cleverdon, Elder, and I all saw automatic weapon muzzle flashes as someone on the junk let fly a burst of automatic rifle fire. “Taking fire!” We all three stepped on one another calling it out. Red Elder instantly opened up, followed by Solomon, then Cleverdon. I quickly guesstimated the range

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

with this abnormal sight picture, squeezed off a pair of rockets, and watched them go. Two white-orange dots marked the motors before they burned out. I tried to concentrate on where they were going in order to adjust the next ones. The prox fuse went off first in a dirty grey air burst, which churned into white spray the surface of the bay, short of the junk. The point det rocket went right over the junk and splashed beyond. Two rockets from Hanvey pass up my starboard side about 50 feet away and level, and detonate among the boats. He is in trail on my right rear so he can shoot at the biggest junk and cover me, knowing that I will break left to keep my best gun on target as I pull away. A guesstimate adjustment, and two more of mine are away. Too close to shoot any more rockets this pass, and too close is no place to be at low altitude. Time to take steps to follow Rule One - NEVER overfly the target. “Coming left!” I shouted over the radio, banking away from the fire while letting my right gunner have a clear shot without the rotors getting in the way. As I look away to take care of the low turn, in my peripheral vision, I catch a blizzard of geysers as Hanvey’s guns cross-stitch with Red’s. My two rockets arrived, with the prox fuse going off right over the junk’s well deck, and the point det entering the bulkhead of the after superstructure. Brown smoke bursts out the windows and the door. There are now numerous muzzle flashes as the VC battle back. As I continue my hard turn away, both Red and Solomon are now firing aft. Red is standing with his weight on his left foot on the cargo door edge, his right foot having no purchase on the steeply sloping floor of the cabin because of the angle of bank. He hangs on to the ammo box with his left hand, while his right reaches over his shoulder to the but-

terfly grip of the .50. His .50-cal gun backing me up on the instruments, like Ward Bond leading the Texas is almost above his head as he keeps especially the altimeter, whose low Rangers through the Noyecki Coit on the target drawing aft as the turn altitude warning light stares in mute manche camp in John Ford’s classic continues. As the target continues to disapproval of our flight regime. western, The Searchers. But instead draw aft and the bank is held, he pulls “Coming right!” I call on the radio. himself up until his head and shoulSolomon ceases fire as the rotating fu- of telling the young Cavalry Second Lieutenant to “watch that knife, boy” ders are out the door to keep sight of selage blocks his gun target line. He I wanted to tell LTJG Hanvey to the targets behind us. His fire is going climbs back into the cabin, getting a back almost parallel to the tail boom. boost from the right rolling helicopter. watch those rockets. The junk does not seem to be trySolomon, the left door gunner, is As the angle of bank increases, Red ing to get under way, so I elect to hold standing down on the left skid, tied also ceases fire because of the rotor fire with the rockets and concentrate to the helicopter by his sissy belt blades dipping into his field of fire. on presenting the guns with good (gunner’s belt). He’s bending down I’m confident that Hanvey is closing targets. I angle left heading between to bring his free-gun M-60 to bear, me from my right in a sort of running firing under the tail boom toward the rendezvous after delivering his cover- the junk and the shore, leaving the five o’clock direction where the target ing fire as I broke left. From his more junk on my right. Elder shoots across it’s bow at a fleeing sampan, and lies. He watches the tracers to adjust distant position in trail, he should be Solomon takes fire on target another under rather than line As I continue my hard turn away, both Red and Solomon are now concentrated up his eyes along the barrel. firing aft. Red is standing with his weight on his left foot on the fire which has almost gotten Using his macargo door edge, his right foot having no purchase on the steeply to the overchine gun. “Afree” sloping floor of the cabin because of the angle of bank. hanging trees gun means the on our left. machine gun is Cleverdon lays not attached to a a three-second mini-gun burst on angun mount. It is held with both hands able to easily keep his right door gun other little sampan right off our nose by the gunner who is free to swing the on target as he follows me outbound gun where he desires. The M-60’s are from the target area. His right gunner since his flex-gun would not bear on the junk to our right on my new headspecially modified by our gunners to saturates the target as my tight turn to ing. As soon as the automatic cutout allow them to do this. The bipod and head back in to the target area masks breaks the stream of rounds out of the fore stock are removed and a dummy my own guns. I glance up and right, gatlin gun, he depresses the trigger pistol grip is wired to the barrel and over my shoulder, as the nose pulls again to begin another three-second gas piston sticking out horizontally. across the tree-line horizon. There he burst as we close the sampan. His (To the right for the left gunner’s gun is, a steady stream of tracers pouring canoe-sized sampan target literally when the gun is held upright. To the from the door-mounted mini-gun in disappears in white froth which spatleft for the right gunner’s gun.) The his right door. ters our windscreen as we race by. left gunner holds the gun rotated Once I am almost around to the Nobody’s talking, ICS or radio. clockwise 90 degrees so the dummy inbound heading, I ease the turn so Nothing needs to be said. Each grip is pointed down and the real the rotor disk rises and Red, my right pistol grip with the trigger is stickgunner, can resume firing. As soon as shooter in my helicopter works his assigned sector, adjusting as I weave ing out to the left. The gunner grasps Red opens fire again, Hanvey wraps through the boats in a roaring dash. the forestock pistol grip with his left it up, masking his own guns as he Hanvey maneuvers to cover me and hand and grasps the rear pistol grip, swings into a tactical trail. Just like keep his guns bearing. As we reach the one with the trigger, with his right. clockwork. Looked easy, but that abeam the big junk, big chunks of The right hand holds the grip with little precision timing for mutual fire its foc’sle spew into the air amidst the pinky finger through the trigger support with at least one gun able to a grey-black jet of smoke as one of guard to squeeze the trigger. With the fire at any moment, was the result of Hanvey’s rockets drives home. The gun held this way, he can hold the ma- many hours of teamwork. It’s what muted WHUMP is audible over the chine gun down at arms length, and makes us good. Hours and hours of cacophony of two door guns chatterswing it aft to aim under the tail boom working together, talking together, ing and the three-second r-r-r-r-r-i-iand still pull the trigger. thinking as one, anticipating each i-p-p of Cleverdon’s flex mini-gun. I other. hold the outbound heading for a long Cleverdon has no targets for his We start our second run in. I felt 10 seconds, calling for a left turn this gun on this outbound heading, so time. I know without looking that he’s 27

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

We complete the one-eighty and I lead the fire team back, this time to the right of target area, so that Cleverdon’s flex mini-gun can sweep the entire scene. With Hanvey in trail, two mini-guns and two M-60’s are brought to bear on the target area to our left front. Only a couple of sampans are still upright and moving. Several others are DIW with no one aboard. Dozens of heads are bobbing in the water all over the place, many splashing desperately for shore. As I scan across the cockpit in a gentle left turn, I see muzzle flashes from the junk. Somebody still putting up a fight from there. The junk is immediately smothered amidst a forest of geysers as Hanvey’s guns suppress the fire. From the junk, pieces of wood flying off are visible (or imagined subliminally?), and a small redblack fireball mushroom rises as it’s fuel tank or engine goes up. There is no more return fire. Hanvey: “Get the last of the boats, Solly. Tom, take the swimmers” “Roger” “Roger” It sounds cruel to put it like this. As Navy men, we are taught that the enemy is no longer the enemy when his ship is sunk. He is now a shipwrecked sailor, and, with the exception of Japanese sailors who would refuse to accept offers of help, history demonstrates that you aid your enemy if you can. The British Navy stopped in submarine-infested waters and rescued survivors of the Bismarck, until a fresh submarine scare forced them to get underway. But this is not the open ocean, where sailors will surely die if not rendered succor by their victors. We can’t pick them up and capture them. These men can easily swim the short distance to the swamp edge. If they reach shore they will escape into the mangroves to fight another day. A shipmate, countryman, or an ally will die on another day if we don’t finish them. Solomon sinks a sampan while Cleverdon strafes the men nearest

the shoreline. Phillips: Slowing down, Ninenine. Get the swimmers” I tighten the radius of the circle as the decreasing airspeed allows, without dipping the rotor tips into the path of the rounds going out. We spiral in gently towards the junk, churning every collection of flotsam to debris, ripping every swamped sampan to shreds, and shooting every body in sight, head up or head down, at close range. Two of the abandoned sampans blow up in greasy black-grey gushes, explaining why they had been so hastily forsaken by their occupants. The concussions buffet the helicopter and are audible because they are so close. We end up in a near air-taxi with nothing left to shoot except the big junk. In spite of all the ordnance which it had absorbed, and despite the gasoline explosion, the junk was not on fire. A pass close aboard showed no bodies on deck in the open. Since we had taken a lot of fire from the junk, that meant that someone must still be alive there, and that precluded putting a crewman aboard to search for documents or scuttle it. We were not going to give anybody aboard an even chance for some retribution, not when we had scored such a lopsided victory. Instead, we opened out and turned back in to try to sink it with our remaining rockets. The low overcast prevented us from getting a good angle and the two-dart salvos make their ballistic flight less predictable than normal. When firing pairs, both rockets, being launched at the same time, are flying in close proximity to each other, and can screw each other up if (frequently) one is slightly ahead of the other; its wake throws off the other as they converge when nearing boresight range. (Another reason we don’t like to fire pairs, except under special circumstances). Only half of these rockets available to fire at the junk were point-det fused. The prox fuses weren’t going to sink it, and the point det fuses seemed to have no salutary effect. Of the sixteen or

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

so rockets remaining between us, we only managed to get hits with about five of the point-det warheads. There must not have been anything explosive left on board to be set off to help the rocket warheads demolition, and it wouldn’t burn, probably because of a combination of the rainy conditions and the apparent absence of flammables on board. To make matters worse, while the warhead explosions tore holes in the sides, deck, and superstructure, they wouldn’t penetrate before going off, and we didn’t get any hits along the waterline, so no great progress was made toward sinking the junk. All that buoyant wood held together against the warheads, which proves the old axiom that you can sink ships easier by letting water in the bottom than by letting air in the top. We needed to open some holes and let the water in We clunked in the few willy pete M-79 rounds we had, but even those didn’t start satisfactory fires. We hosed down the waterline with .50cal, our biggest rounds, and punched some holes, but not enough. The junk was far sturdier and of more resilient construction than the fragile sampans and canoes. Hanvey: Nine-nine, Nine-eight, any ideas? Phillips: None, unless you want to board it, and I don’t recommend that” Hanvey: Concur. Say your state” Phillips: Call it bingo right now, given this weather” Hanvey: Roger, let’s go get some willy pete at Tra Vinh” We refueled and rearmed at Tra Vinh, and checked the birds for battle damage. We took no hits. All that fire and no hits. That’s what door gunners are all about. There is no doubt in my mind that even the VC, notoriously poor shots that they were, with careful aim, and plenty of time, if not distracted, couldn’t help but hit a low, fat, relatively slow (don’t kid yourself about 120 knots being fast and elusive), target which we presented that day. Not until you factor in not less than 5,000 rounds per minute, and as much as 13,000 rounds per minute, of distraction. Visualize being seated in

sampans, or exposed on the deck of the junk while, two, four, or six guns fire at you without ceasing, sometimes in crossfire. Stand up and take careful aim if you dare. We returned to find the junk aground on a mud bank near shore and no one in sight. More rockets, even the willy pete (white phosphorous) failed to set the junk afire. So we broke off, topped off at Tra Vinh, and went looking for the LST with enough time to allow for Murphy’s Law to do it’s worst before dark. Return to the LST was uneventful. Flying compass bearing off a well-known shoreline feature brought us to within sight of the AT getting a tally at less than a quarter mile. Then it was merely another low vis approach over the restless sea, in the rain, under a low overcast, in the fading light, to a postage stamp deck,

without any NAVAIDS, in a single engine helicopter. A VN Navy patrol ventured into the bay the next day and inspected the very waterlogged junk where it had been beached. Apparently we had done enough damage to sink her after all. It had been cleaned out of all undamaged and usable supplies and there were no bodies aboard; proof that we hadn’t made a clean sweep of all the VC in the area. Oh well. How did I sleep that night knowing we had shot all those men (and women?) helpless in the water? Slept like a baby. Do I ever have nightmares or regrets about that fight? Not at all. I have regrets about that battalion of NVA we caught in the open up on the Cambodian border during the Test cease-fire, who had the discipline NOT to be provoked into firing on us, even though we

nearly knocked their heads off with our skids trying to get them to shoot at us. If they had, it would have been the same for them as it was for these, except they would have been blasted under the sea of grass, like these VC were blasted under the sea. If they had, Americans wouldn’t have died in the upper Delta fighting them later. But we obeyed the rules. Both times. I want to thank the VC whose appalling poor discipline and judgement, allowed us to slaughter him and dozens of his comrades. There was not another significant engagement in that local area during the rest of my tour of duty, or in the tours of my det mates who remained there after I went home to the land of the big PX and round-eyed women.

Dilbert Dunker By William “Red Dogg” Moss, Naval Helicopter Historical Society Historian

s I read in last quarter’s Rotor Review about the damage that Hurricane Ivan did to rescue swimmer school I flashed back to a time many moons ago when I took my first Dilbert Dunker ride. Though not the same building I still feel a certain sadness about the loss of, not only RSS, but the other historic buildings around the NAS known as the “Birthplace of Naval Aviation”. Cant help but wonder if they saved Randy Bogle’s residence on “the Row”. In June 1967 I left VP-46 in Utapau, Thailand, for NAAS Ellyson Field, FL. After working Check Crew on the UH-34G/J at Ellyson for a couple months I was approached by ADR1 Bill Lee who I had known in VU5 Det B at NAF Naha, Okinawa. Bill knew that I had flown the HU16C Albatross at Naha and wanted to know if I would like to fly the venerable UH-34.

or so of us SAR Swimmer candidates head to PCola for the Dunker ride... Upon arrival at the “tank” we unloaded and got in line with about fifty other naval aviator candidates. While sitting in the bleachers getting the Safety brief and final instructions for our two rides I watched the divers pull out four or five candidates who were puking and crying and hanging on to the side for dear life... NQ’s....Oh well I There was a new dunker for helo crews. The 9D5. was looking forward Better known as “Panic in a Drum”. to the fun that was ahead... troop at Ellyson that had been to Needless to say all ten of our SAR DWEST at the time) I was already swimmer candidates performed their a qualified life guard and had comrides flawlessly and we were in and pleted most of the Red Cross Water out in short order. Safety Instructor course so the swim Now let me fast forward to 1981, I course Bill taught was a no brainer believe that was the year. The annual for me. Fleetwide SAR Conference held by Part of the course was a ride in the HC-16 at NAS Pensacola FL. Here Dilbert Dunker at NAS Pensacola. was a whole room full of bad ass SAR So we load the bus at Ellyson and ten SWIMMERS. They could do anyAfter an affirmative answer he placed me into the NATOPS training program and into swim school. In those days most SAR crewman were home grown and each squadron pretty much had its own swim qualifications. I had already been to DWEST in Naha which was run by the Air Force so that was a pencil qual for HT8. (I think I was the only enlisted

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

SAR swinmers make preparations for the dunk thing. They weren’t scared of man nor beast. Been there done that got the Tee Shirt. The discussions at that time leaned toward standardizing SAR syllabus and equipment for both coasts, would the Uniform board allow us to have a SAR insignia (AGENDA item 01 1978), why did P3 Engineers get SDAP pay and SAR SWIMMERS couldn’t, should the SAR Swimmer have to run three miles (West Coast Swim School) or a mile and a half (East Coast Swim School) to keep his qualifications, (West Coast won), and there was a new dunker for helo crews. The 9D5. Better known as “Panic in a Drum”. During the first day of the conference there was a list circulating that asked the attending SAR swimmers to volunteer for the 9D5 for testing purposes. Several of us West Coasters signed up. Remember, we be bad!!! Ain’t no Dunker been built that would scare a SAR Swimmer!!! Especially a West Coast SAR Swimmer. On the following Wednesday, the list came out for the Dunker times. As luck would have it Old Red Dogg was on the 0800 first ride. (It was apparent to me that the SAR Model Manager’s Office was setting me up because there were several of us that kept the CPO Club manager up late the night before!!) Hey its just another Dunker ride right? So I muster with my SAR shorts and tennis shoes at the Tank. 0745... Too damn early! I have only had a Sausage Biscuit and two cups of coffee. As I enter the tank and don my flight suit this “creature” arises out of the pool. Man this is one big Coffee can. I watch as it is tested, rolling once left and dropped then out and rolling right and dropped. Well at least there are divers in there. As we are briefed on the procedures I could hear my dad, god rest his soul, telling me to never, ever volunteer for anything. The sausage biscuit just back flipped. These

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guys are serious!!! So I was going to get my first ride in the cockpit...I immediately assured the instructors that I would never be up there. “I’m a SAR Swimmer and will always be in the back...” yeah like that carried any weight. After learning about access points and reference points and quick release fittings I was seated in the pilot’s seat. Bang I’m in the water. OK wait for it to roll over and release and use your reference point. Release the window reach back and find the pole and pull...oops how did I get under the copilots seat? Where was my reference point supposed to be?? Man, I wish I would have paid more attention to the brief!!! After flailing around on the deck of the Dunker for a while I finally figured out which was up and was the last man out of the damn thing and glad to be there!!! The second and third ride were about as successful as the first but I got out three times. As we’re being briefed for our final three rides, it was at that time that they tell us if we No Qual on any of these we would have to reride until we got it right. Damn, I wish I would have stayed at the conference and argued about SDAP pay!!! Now for the fun part, they hand me a swimmers mask with duct tape over the lens. Whoa bubba this just got unfun. Sausage biscuit was back flipping again!! “Night Quals...” after the reference point explanation and seating assignments I got thru all three rides with minimal problems. See, when you can’t see you have to maintain your reference points and have no outside influences like being able to look around etc. It forces you to remember the reference points. All in all my first trip to “Panic in a Drum” was just that. It was the most realistic survival trainer I had ever experienced and I said so upon my return to the conference. I believe I used the term “that is the scariest SOB I have ever been in and I am glad I don’t have to do it again for four years”... Well we all broke for lunch and as I walked thru the entrance hallway at the conference I noticed a large crowd gathered around the bulletin board. Upon investigation I found out why.There were all my fellow SAR Swimmers who had so boldly volunteered to take a ride in the Panic in a Drum. “I ain’t scared of nuttin”....scratching their names off the volunteer list...” I’ll wait for it to come to the West Coast!!”...I laughed like hell...Guess you had to be there, but the 9D5 has proven to save lives and still remains one of the most realistic survival tools in the School House Curriculum. It, combined with the later HEEDS bottle addition to the Aircrew

Rotor Review # 90 Summer â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;05

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS

S E C O N D

Blast Off featuring MH-53E from Helicopter Support

Squadron Four departs NAS Patuxent River to test upgrades for a new mission of assault support in Iraq taken by Chris Barrett

S E C O N D

HSC-25 DET FOUR in Papua, New Guinea (Mercy Task Force) taken by LT Ric Brietwieser, USN

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;05

T H I R D

Get Some featuring Marine Combat Aircrewman Sgt Dungan (from HX-21) ﬁring the GAU-21 automatic weapon on a test ﬂight for HC-4 taken by Kurt Lengfield

HONORABLE MENTION

TH-57C Sea Ranger, Training Air Wing Five, NAS Whiting Field, Milton Florida taken by T. K. Dudley

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

Industry News

Presidential Helo is Now VH-71A By John Milliman,USMC Helicopter Program Public Affairs

Photo courtesy of LMSI.

program proposed an initial operating maintainability; and expanded potencapability in 2013 but was accelerated tial for future growth. arking a major step in 2003 to a currently planned IOC in The mixed fleet of VH-3D and in the aggressive transition VH-60N helicopters that currently sup- fiscal year 2009.” from concept to fielded caA $1.7 billion, cost plus award ports the presidential mission includes pability, the next generation fee contract awarded to Lockheed 30-year old aircraft that were designed presidential helicopter shed Martin Systems Integration of Owego, in the 1960’s, fielded in the 1970’s its generic VXX placeholder NY launched the VH-71A’s system and, while still safe and reliable, no and received its mission development and demonstration phase longer has the growth capability to design series designator of Jan. 28. VH-71 July Flight testing of 7. the VH-71A began A popuwith engine integralar name for tion testing on a the VH-71A contractor vehicle in is still under considDecember, 2004. Aderation. Assignment ditional flight testing of MDS designawill begin shortly at tors and popular Owego using Test names is done by the Vehicle One, which deputy chief of staff arrived there June of the U.S. Air Force 10. Flight testing (Plans and Policies), will transition here in the agency respon2006. sible for assigning The program plans designators for to procure 23 VH-71 military aerospace operational aircraft vehicles. and three test aircraft The VH-71A Test Vehicle #1 arrives at Lockheed Martin Systems Integraat an expected per unit will provide the tion, Owego, NY and it will be used as an avionics equipment cost of approximately $82 office of the president and communications gear test bed for the VH-71A presidential million per aircraft (initial a mobile command helicopter design. increments) and approxiand control capabilmately $110 million per ity featuring seamless aircraft in the final configuand secure informational connectivration. incorporate the equipment necessary to ity essential in the post 9-11 security As the prime contractor and provide suitable presidential support in environment. systems integrator, Lockheed Martin the post 9-11 environment. Presidential helicopters provide is basing the VH-71A on its US101 “Under this replacement program, helicopter transportation of the helicopter. The US101 is an Ameriwith its technology and performance president and vice president of the can-built variant of AgustaWestland’s United States, heads of state and other improvements, a single platform will successful EH101 multimission provide better savings in total ownerofficial parties. helicopter that currently serves with ship costs, engineering, maintenance As an integrated “system of sysfive allied armed forces and has and logistical support over the lifetime tems,” the VH-71A will feature latest logged more than 65,000 flight hours. generation technology in an open sys- of the program,” said John Young, The VH-71A features components assistant secretary of the Navy for tems architecture to provide not just provided by more than 200 suppliers research, development and acquisia transportation platform, but a comin 41 states. tion. “The president needs a more plete, compact and mobile command Lockheed Martin’s team includes survivable helicopter while the nation and control capability. The VH-71A AgustaWestland (aircraft design), Bell engages in the global war on terrorism, will provide: increased performance; Helicopter (aircraft production) and and we are committed to providing improved mission, communications General Electric (engines). it as soon as possible. Originally, the and navigation systems; improved

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

U.S. Navy Awards Lockheed Martin $49.8 Million Contract to Begin Next Phase of MH60R Helicopter Integration Lockheed Martin Press Release

ockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received a $49.8 million award from the U.S. Navy to integrate anti- submarine and surface warfare subsystems on board six new MH-60R multimission helicopters. The aircraft comprise the third phase of low-rate initial production (LRIP III). The award modifies a $14.8 million Navy contract to Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego in September 2004, which enabled the purchase of longlead items in advance of LRIP III aircraft integration. As the MH-60R prime avionics systems integrator, Lockheed Martin will equip each LRIP III aircraft with a Common Cockpit(TM) avionics suite and mission systems that enable the aircraft to conduct force protection. Integration will be completed by mid 2008. LRIP III is the final low-rate production contract before full rate production begins in 2006. The Navy is expected to order as many as 254 MH-60R aircraft through 2015, with production quantities increasing from six to 30 aircraft per year. “LRIP III marks a another major step toward full rate production and highlights the U.S. Navy’s tremendous

confidence in both the MH-60R Weapons System and the important new capabilities it will provide to aircrews,” said Jeff Bantle, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Multi- Mission Solutions business unit. “The six LRIP III aircraft will deploy with the Navy’s first MH-60R operational squadron, which takes possession of its first four aircraft at the end of this year.” This summer, the Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX-1) is putting MH-60R test aircraft through a final test phase known as Operational Evaluation. The tests, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, are expected to conclude in September 2005. Lockheed Martin is the systems integrator for the MH60R and provides the Common Cockpit(TM) avionics suite, Photo courtesy of Sikorsky which is common to all MH60R and MH-60S helicopters. Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation designs and manufactures the MH-60R and MH-60S aircraft and is responsible for the mechanical and electrical modifications on the airframe. Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

Fire Scout UAV Successfully Fires Weapons NAVAIR News Release Number: EPEOW200508091

orthrop Grumman Unmanned Systems recently conducted a series of flight tests at the Yuma Proving Grounds, Yuma, Ariz., that culminated in two successful launches of a 2.75” Hydra class rocket from the Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Fire Scout is the Navy’s vehicle take-off unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV), which is programmed to deploy aboard the littoral combat ship and become operational in FY 09. Recently the Fire Scout was redesignated from RQ-8B to MQ-8B. This new designation, MQ, reflects the multi-mission functionality of the Fire Scout. The live fire demonstrations were preceded by functional flight tests, which focused on integration of the launcher related hardware and the hybrid software associated with vehicle management computers that send arm, safe and release commands to the missiles. The functional check flight was followed by a dry run and took place over the same flight path at identical altitudes the UAV would take once armed with a missile. Following a successful check flight and dry runs, the air vehicle performed two separate missile firings. The UAV was uploaded with one missile on the starboard side, and took off on the preprogrammed route. After commands were verified and accepted by the management computers, the UAV flew a down wind leg and prepared to enter the flight path to conduct the live fire event. At the appropriate waypoint, with altitude approximately 1850’, air speed 35 knots, the arm and fire commands were accepted and the missile was successfully launched from the Fire Scout. The vehicle was then returned to the launch point where it recovered and was shut down. Following a data review and debrief by the test and engineering teams, the vehicle was prepared for a second launch. After uploading another missile and conducting ground safety checks, the air vehicle was launched again and performed the

Photos courtesy of Northrop Grumman same procedures as the first run. Arm and fire commands were accepted and a second successful missile launch occurred. The successful Fire Scout test firings are of great interest as the Navy researches the feasibility of a weaponized, tactical UAV,” said CAPT Paul Morgan, Navy UAV program manager. “Bringing such a capability to our Fleet will ultimately improve their responsiveness and adaptability, as we continue to support current readiness and future war fighting objectives.” The Navy is acquiring the MQ-8B Fire Scout UAV to fulfill the service’s requirement for a tactical UAV capable of operating in the shipboard environment. Fire Scout is designed to operate from air capable ships and will provide a significant improvement in capability. With vehicle endurance greater than six hours, Fire Scout will be capable of continuous operations providing coverage 110 nautical miles from the launch site. A baseline payload that includes electro-optical/infrared sensors and a laser designator enables Fire Scout to find tactical targets, track and designate targets, accurately provide targeting data to strike platforms and perform battle damage assessment.

Northrop Grumman’s RQ-8 Fire Scout UAV successfully test fires the second of two Mark 66 unguided rockets during weapons testing at Arizona’s Yuma Proving Grounds

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

BOOK SHELF

UNIFORM ROMEO Book Review By Chip Lancester

ne might expect the antiquated U.S.S. Waylon County to be immersed in boring routine during peacetime. However, in 1959, as the LST embarks on its last mission, the ship and its crew prove to be anything but. In his new book, Uniform Romeo,, A.J. “Duke” Libby tells a fascinating story involving a helicopter detachment’s deployment aboard a not so normal ship.

Uniform Romeo is a military novel with a unique twist. The WW II warship is on its final mission. An unusual one-of-a-kind peacetime mission, at the end of which both the ship and its captain will most probably be decommissioned. During the course of this mission, the crew has its greatest adventures in port; that is, until a harrowing rescue at sea offers a surprising conclusion.

About the Author

The book is filled with humorous accounts of on-board events and in-port frolics. The ship is sent on a 10-week mission to restock NASA’s tracking stations in the South Atlantic. Malloy, the enigmatic American Indian helo det OINC, known as “The Apache”, is constantly at odds with the cantankerous ship’s captain, Klemmerhorn. The OINC’s unorthodox methods include trance-like in-flight metaphysical connections to an unseen force that helps him fly the helo safely out of tight situations; a practice that adds to his mystique in the eyes of his rookie copilot, Shane.

A.J. “Duke” Libby became a Navy pilot in 1956. After flying jet fighters and helicopters, he returned to college before entering the aerospace field as a production test pilot, sales engineer and marketing representative. Following 30 years in the international arena, he retired as the head of the McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company’s Latin American operations. He and his wife live in Newport Beach, CA.

Where to get the book Uniform Romeo is available in hard and soft cover. Order through 888-280-7115 or on line at uniformromeo.com or amazon.com.

Klemmerhorn’s battle with Malloy is an obstacle the captain does not need. The Navy is forcing retirement on mid-level commanders, and this mission is his last chance to save his career. Libby details this ongoing feud along with colorful crew member liberty romps in exotic ports in the Caribbean and Brazil. 37

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

In Memory

VADM James B. Stockdale, USN (Ret) By Chief Journalist Donnie Ryan and Journalist 2nd Class Stephanie Senn, USS Ronald Reagan Public Affairs

undreds of friends, family members and shipmates gathered on the flight deck of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) July 16 for a special tribute to honor the late VADM James B. Stockdale. Stockdale, who had been suffering with Alzheimer’s disease, died July 5 in Coronado, Calif. at the age of 81. The ceremony was planned to honor the highly decorated veteran in the local area before his funeral July 23 in Annapolis. CAPT James Symonds, Ronald Reagan commanding officer, opened the ceremony and spoke about Stockdale’s personal connections to President Reagan and his extraordinary naval career. “We came to show our respect and admiration for one who has had such a profound influence on our Navy,”

said Symonds. “We remember a great man, an exceptional leader and a naval aviation legend.” Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England spoke at the ceremony to honor Stockdale and the other Medal of Honor recipients who attended the event. “It is important that we celebrate and remember our heroes. They exemplify the best attributes we all aspire to,” said England. “Heroes make us unafraid. Their example of courage sustains us in difficult times and gives us the courage to strive to be better people and better citizens.” According to England, when Stockdale was asked how he wished to be remembered he replied, “I guess I’d like to be thought of as a guy who tried to help his country – as someone who never shirked battle. As someone who realized it was an honor to be an American and tried to live up to the responsibilities of that honor at any personal cost.” A recipient of the Medal of Honor in 1976, Stockdale was the highest ranking naval officer ever held as a prisoner of war. His plane was shot down Sept.. 9, 1965, while flying combat missions over North Vietnam. Stockdale spent more than seven years in captivity - including four years in solitary confinement - at prisons in North Vietnam, including time at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton.” He is credited with organizing a set of rules to govern the behavior of fellow prisoners of war. He also helped develop ADM Stockdale exiting his A-4E Sky- a code for prisoners to communicate hawk aboard USS Oriskany (CVA 34) with each other that included tapping in 1965 on cell walls. Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

Rear Adm. James B. Stockdale in full dress white uniform and wearing twenty six personal combat decorations, including two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Distinguished Service Medals, two Purple Hearts, and four Silver Star medals in addition to the Medal of Honor..

In addition to the Medal of Honor, Stockdale received twenty-six combat medals and awards, including two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Distinguished Service Medals, two Purple Hearts and four Silver Stars. He was also named to the Aircraft Carrier Hall of Fame, National Aviation Hall of Fame, and was an honorary member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Stockdale was named as the Reform Party candidate for vice president during H. Ross Perot’s 1992 presidential campaign. He is survived by his wife, Sybil, and four sons; James, Sidney, Stanford and Taylor.

Major Bennie H. Mann, Jr., USMC, (Ret)

By Cpl Paul Leicht, USMC

The Navy Cross is awarded to Major Bennie H.

Mann, Jr., United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism as a Helicopter Aircraft Commander and Division Flight Leader with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 in Quang Bin Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 31 March 1965 ...” With these words, a United States Marine helicopter pilot marked a historical first for Marine Corps aviation history: the Navy Cross. During the tumultuous conflict in Vietnam, 362 Marines would go on to receive the Navy Cross and one of our nation’s highest military honors for their selfless actions in war. For retired Col. Bennie Howard Mann, Jr. - who recently passed away June 9 at the age of 77 after struggling with lymphoma (Hodgkin’s Disease) - the milestone was but one of many demonstrations of courage that became the standard for helicopter pilots. “(Bennie) was a great pilot, a greater leader and an inspiration for all those who served with him,” said Tim O’Hara, curator, Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum. “He had complete command of the concepts of leadership that made everyone want to fly into hell, if need be, because (he) thought it was a good idea. He was one of the ‘great ones’ and will be missed by all those who knew him.” A former commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 16, Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161, Mann had an illustrious military career since first joining the military. His decorations and medals included the Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and 37 air medals.

Colonel Bennie Howard Mann, Navy Cross recipient and former Marine Aircraft Group 16 Commanding Officer.

Mann is survived by his wife Carroll; sons George and Russ, and daughter, Connie; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He will be buried July 7 alongside fellow American patriots in the silent garden of fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

Change of Command

CAPT Peter Spaulding, USNR was relieved by CAPT Buddy Iannone, USNR as Commanding Officer of HELWINGRES on July 23 aboard NAS North Island

HSL-40 CDR Richard Sny-

HS-75 CDR Zachary

HSL-42 CDR Douglas

HCS-5 CDR Russell Allen, USNR

der, USN was relieved by CDR Joseph Baukneckt,USN on April 14, 2005

Malin,USN was relieved by CDR Douglas Tenhoopen,USN on September 1, 2005

Taylor, USNR relieved by CDR Paul Reinhart, USNR on September 10, 2005

relieved by CDR Pat Baccanari, USNR on October 1, 2005

HSCWINGPAC CAPT Louis Cortellini, USN relieved by CAPT John Hardison,USN on September 22, 2005

HSL-48 CDR Donald

Cuddington,USN relieved by CDR Jeff Hughes, USN on September 15, 2005

HX-21 CDR Dean Peters, USN, relieved Col. Keith W. Danel, USMC, as Commanding Officer on 01 July 2005 during a ceremony aboard NAS Patuxent River, MD. COL Danel’s next duty station is the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair in Washington D.C..

USS Bonhomme Richard In a traditional change of command ceremony, CAPT Stephen Greene USN, assummed command of the Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) relieving CAPT J Scott Jones, USN Aug. 31 aboard Bonhomme Richard.

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

Fly In

16th ANNUAL NHA/TW-5 GULF COAST FLEET FLY-IN 25-28 OCTOBER

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

TUESDAY, 25 OCTOBER 1100 WELCOME ABOARD BBQ STARTS, HT VERANDA. 1200 LAST PLANE ON DECK, HT-8, 18, HITU. 1500 COURSE RULES BRIEF FOR FLEET AIRCREWS, HT-18 RR. 1530 HAPPY HOUR, ACE’S BAR.

WEDNESDAY, 26 OCTOBER 0800 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOQ BREAKFAST, JPATS. 0900 OPENING REMARKS (COMMO), INDUSTRY DISLAYS, JPATS. 0915 SNA FLY WINDOW OPENS, INDUSTRY DISPLAYS ONGOING. 1100 NHA DIRECTORS MEETING, GOLF CLUBHOUSE UPSTAIRS 1245 SNA FLY WINDOW CLOSES. DISPLAYS AT INDUSTRY DISCRETION. 1330 GOLF TOURNAMENT, WHITING GOLF COURSE. 1800 ALL HANDS HAPPY HOUR, WHITING GOLF COURSE.

THURSDAY, 27 OCTOBER 0800 LIGHT BREAKFAST AVAILABLE, JPATS 0830 COMMUNITY BRIEFS NAVY- JPATS MARINES – BASE OPS AUDITORIUM COAST GUARD – JPATS CLASSROOM AIRCREW – TBD 0800 DETAILER VISITS FOR FLEET AIRCREWS, HT-18 WARDROOM. 1000 ALL 0800 EVENTS CONLUDE, ALL SNA’S/IP’S TO JPATS. 1030 SENIOR OFFICER PANEL, JPATS. 1215 LUNCH BBQ, HT VERANDA. 1300 SNA FLY WINDOW OPENS, INSTRUCTOR DETAILER BRIEFS, HT-18 WARDROOM. INDUSTRY DISPLAYS OPEN. 1600 SNA FLY WINDOW CLOSES, HAPPY HOUR/SOFT PATCH COMMENCES, WINGS CLUB. INDUSTRY DISPLAYS CLOSE. 1615 AIRCRAFT FLY-BY.

FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 0800 – 1200

FLEET AIRCREW RENTAL CAR RETURN, DEPARTURE WINDOW

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

Marine Corps Update

HMM-262 (REIN) Flying Tigers’ Crew Chiefs Train To Engage Enemy By Lance Cpl. Scott M. Biscuiti , USMC

he training scenario: A squad-sized element of enemy troops, armed with anti-aircraft missiles inhabit an island off the coast of Okinawa. Helicopter pilots must attempt to keep their “Phrogs” concealed during the flight to the hostile island, engage targets of opportunity, and insert troops to take out the enemy. The crew chiefs will engage multiple targets on the island using M2 .50 caliber machine guns. The Flying Tigers of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 (reinforced), currently attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, stormed the island during a training exercise that took place June 28. Pilots and crew chiefs worked hand-in-hand during the training. The training counted as aircraft division leader training, aimed at developing pilots leadership in the air and aerial gunnery, intended to improve the crew chiefs marksmanship. All flight operations require a strong sense of teamwork. When it comes to overall readiness of a helicopter squadron, the pilots control where the helicopter flies, and the crew chiefs work long hours, making sure the helicopters are ready for the mission. “In Iraq, I saw first hand how important crew chiefs are to overall mission success,” said 1st Lt. Alex T. Kushnir, flight equipment officer, HMM-262 (REIN). “A crew chief is a jack of all trades. They are the guys who get the helos ready for us.” Before a helicopter can fly, crew chiefs inspect the helicopter, prepare the cabin in accordance with mission requirements, fuel it, and acquire all needed equipment, said Cpl. Leif D. Skredsvig, a CH-46E crew chief with HMM-262 (REIN). “We’re responsible for the mechanics of the aircraft, as well as operating all crew-served weapons,” Skredsvig said. “We make sure the weapons are in working order and set up so they fire when we pull the trigger.” During the scenario, twelve to fourteen enemy troops threatened the helicopters with anti-aircraft missiles. The objective was to fly to Idesuna Island undetected, conduct troop insertions, and eliminate or capture any enemy personnel and equipment.

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

A CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter can be seen in the distance as three helicopters make their way to Idesuna Jima as part of a training exercise. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Scott M. Biscuiti

“The training helps us build combat readiness and flight leadership,” said Kushnir. “Flying is a perishable skill, and we need to train constantly to be proficient. Since we are with the MEU, we are focused on readiness because we can leave at a moment’s notice.” Crew chiefs need to train on a daily basis, so that they can operate fluently when they are on a mission, said Lance Cpl. Brandon P. Pratt, a CH-46E crew chief with HMM-262 (REIN). They must be able to handle everything inside the helicopter and be conscious of other wingmen. “Our job is to train constantly until we go to combat,” Pratt said. “Crew chiefs have a great sense of dedication and responsibility to their fellow Marines. They put in long hours of hard work to ensure every aspect of the aircraft is prepared to complete any mission,” Skredsvig said. “Some days we pull thirteen or more hours a day, but it’s worth it,” Skredsvig said. “I love this job. I can’t see myself doing anything else in the Marine Corps.”

HMM-165

Marine Corps’ venerable CH-46 flies ahead Story and Photo by Cpl. Paul Leicht

where the Marine Corps flies, from the stable shores of the United States across the open seas to the more unforgiving climates of Asia and Africa.

ith protruding side wheels and a nose-up attitude on the ground, the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter has the appearance of a frog ready to hop - some would say it certainly does, especially when moving forward on the deck.

Although generally regarded as reliable, the Marine Corps has been looking to replace the aging CH46E with a faster, longer range and greater carrying capacity airframe.

Performing combat logistical support, casualty evacuation, search and rescue, as well as special operations missions for the Marine Corps, the CH-46E allows for increased agility and handling qualities in strong relative winds from all directions, according to www. boeing.com/rotorcraft/military/ch46e.

While the days of the Marine Corps’ CH-46E may at last be numbered with the advent of a faster, longerrange aircraft designed for the 21st century battlefield, it nonetheless continues to serve faithfully for the Marines.

“The original airframe is old, but everything else on the aircraft is new. Since Since the Vietnam era, the “Phrog” over time, safety and as it is affectionately known, can capability upgrades best be described as a flying bus. have continued to alLifting troops and cargo to and from low safe and effective the front lines, it can carry up to 25 operations until the combat-ready Marines while remain“Phrog” is eventually ing airborne for more than two hours replaced by a new on internal fuel tanks. The CH-46E has served the Marine Corps for more aircraft such as the than four decades. Osprey,” said Nicol. “The current CH-46E is a very resilient, combat-proven aircraft,” The MV-22 Osprey, said 1st Lt. David C. Nicol, pilot, a helicopter fixed-wing hybrid with a tilt-rotor design Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 165, Marine of the Bell-Boeing team, has been selected as that Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “It has some unique features that distinguish it from other he- replacement and is slated to begin operational testing licopters, but it is best known for its ability to provide in Bern, N.C., according to a recent Boeing press release. assault support and medium-lift requirements. What has made it so useful is it’s high maneuverability beIn the wake of such developments, Marine “Phrog” ing able to quickly drop off Marines and equipment pilots are already looking to the future. “Some 46 into combat zones more easily than other aircraft.” squadrons are preparing to stand down in anticipation of switching over,” said Nicol . “The CH-46 is a great Distinctive in appearance, the tandem-rotor, twin-piloted Sea Knight has six rotor blades, each measuring combat-proven aircraft, but we’re open to progress with the prospect of the Osprey.” more than 25-feet long. With the blades fully spread, the 16-foot, 8-inch tall aircraft is more than 84 feet For the Marine Corps, the operational testing is an long. Its twin-turbine General Electric engines can important first step in the development of a long-term propel the aircraft in excess of 160 miles per hour commitment to MV-22. Marine Tilt-rotor Test and to a ceiling of 10,000 feet with a maximum take-off Evaluation Squadron 22, the first MV-22 test and opweight of more than 24,000 pounds. In combat, it carries a crew of five: a pilot, co-pilot, crew chief and erational squadron, recently passed the Osprey with “flying colors” after completing their operational two aerial gunners each manning an M2 .50 caliber evaluation July 13. machine gun mounted to either side.

The CH-46E has served in all combat and peacetime environments, and can be found just about every43

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

HMH-466

HMH-466 changes into high gear However, with all the parts and components that need to be unhooked or disconnected, the complex task takes a relatively short amount of time to complete.

Story and Photo by Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke

uring an aircraft’s lifetime, certain parts and mechanisms have to be replaced at fixed intervals. This en-

sures that malfunctions are few and far between.

We have to keep track of the hours on each aircraft,” said Lance Cpl. Jeremiah M. Wilcox, crew chief, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “After a certain amount of time has passed in flight hours, we have to replace certain components.”

“Depending on the amount of people you have to work on it, this job takes about two to three days,” said Lance Cpl. Jeremy D. Wassink, crew chief, HMH-466. “If you have five to eight people working on this, you can take it all apart, make the replacement and put it all back together in about two days. After it is finished, the aircraft has to go through a four - to eight-hour testing period to make sure it is operational and working the way it is supposed to.”

Recently Marines with According to the Holland, HMH-466 replaced Mich., native, the aircraft an old gearbox on a cannot fly without an opCH-53 Super Stallion erational gearbox. at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Aug. A gearbox is the gear sys22, to ensure that the tem that is responsible for aircraft remains safe transmitting mechanical for future flights. power from an engine to Although parts and some form of useful output components have Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, device, in this case, the rotation to be replaced after Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, lower a CH-53 Super Stallion’s rotor head onto a trailer of the helicopter’s blades. a specific time, at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Aug. 22. each part has sevAccording to Wassink, these eral steps that need types of changes do not occur to be taken in the replacement process. that often, but when they do, the task is not taken lightly by any means. “For this particular project, we had to take off the rotor head and main gear box,” said the Redding, “When we are changing something like this we focus Calif., native. “To do this, we have to disconnect the on one thing at a time,” Wassink concluded. “Changnumber two engine and five different drive shafts, as ing the gearbox is one of the most demanding jobs on well as flight control rods, oil lines, hydraulic lines this aircraft, and it takes the longest. However, it has and electrical wires. By no means, is this a small to be done.” job.” Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

HMM-764

Dallas Marine serves second tour in Iraq, goes above and beyond

Story and Photos by Sgt. Juan Vara

here. While at work, a blaring boom box helped him ‘zone out’ and focus on the job. And when it rains, it pours. In April 2004, two months into the deployment, the unit found out their activation was extended and that they’d be coming back to Iraq the following year. Bredehoft wasn’t happy.

l Asad is home to hundreds of aircraft mechanics who are heavily relied upon to keep the aircraft here supporting the mission of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). Whether they’re working under “To me that was bad news,” he said. “I had a newborn the blazing sun or during the not much cooler nights, the little girl and I didn’t think I was going to get much time mechs do their best to maintain combat-ready aircraft. with her, coming back out here for One such Marine is Lance another six months.” Cpl. Nick Bredehoft, a CH-46E The time went by and the airframes mechanic and aerial obsquadron returned to the U.S. in server assigned to Marine Medium September. When personnel in the Helicopter Squadron 764. squadron were asking for volunAfter graduating from Hill teers to be aerial observers BredeCrest High School in his native hoft jumped at the opportunity Dallas, Bredehoft attended Richto do something different.“There land College. He was preparing were a few spots open,” he said. to transfer to Southern Methodist “I love flying and I thought it University and join the Lance Cpl. Nick Bredehoft shakes hands with Lt. Col. would be a good experience.” swim team there, when he Back in Iraq since March, suffered an injury to his left Jacques Naviaux II after Naviaux presented him with Bredehoft completed the the combat aircrew insignia shoulder. required training in May The sudden change of and was presented with the plans led him to make a combat aircrew insignia at a squadron formation in June. decision that would change his life forever. Among the things the aerial observer syllabus includes are “I wanted to join the Marine Corps since I was a little basic knowledge, emergency procedures and servicing of kid,” said Bredehoft. “College wasn’t working out and a the CH-46E, aerial gunner qualifications and high-level buddy and I decided to give (the Corps) a try.” and low-level night vision goggles flights. Bredehoft set foot on the yellow footprints at Marine Since his return to Iraq he has been out flying and Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego in November 2002. After works as an airframes mechanic when he’s not on the flight basic training he attended schools where he learned to be schedule. This time around his spirits are a lot higher. an airframes mechanic for KC-130 aerial refuelers. “I love being an aerial observer,” he said. “It’s a lot A Marine reservist, Bredehoft was sent to Naval Air different than just working and doing the same thing every Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. He was asnight. Now I get to see the whole country and I have a signed to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 great time doing it. This makes the deployment a lot better where he served for a few months before finding out his and it seems like it’s going by a lot faster.” wife, a service member in the U.S. Air Force, was being As an aerial observer Bredehoft serves as an assistant assigned to Travis Air Force Base, Calif. to the helicopter crew chief and handles the loading and Bredehoft’s superiors in the squadron arranged for him off-loading of passengers. He also serves as the pilots’ to transfer to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and become eyes from the back of the cabin, keeping a watchful eye on a CH-46E Sea Knight airframes mech. The move landed the ground for enemy activity and in the air for anything him with HMM-764 and closer to his wife. But that didn’t that can present a hazard to the helicopter such as towers, last long. wires or other aircraft. Shortly after transferring to California, Bredehoft’s Like Bredehoft, many of the already essential aircraft unit was activated and scheduled to deploy in support of mechanics here have taken the challenge of serving as Operation Iraqi Freedom. They arrived here in Februaerial observers. Their motivation and dedication, whether ary 2004. “My daughter was born two days before we it is repairing aircraft or manning a .50 caliber machine deployed,” said Bredehoft. gun, are instrumental in their units completing all of their Affected by the separation, the young father stayed in assigned missions and translate into daily accomplishtouch with his wife and newborn baby by using the phones ments in the Marine Corps’ efforts to establish a free Iraq. and computers available in the phone and Internet centers 45

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

MCAS Yuma SAR

Pilots make the move to Search and Rescue, Learn New Techniques

Story and Photo by Lance Cpl. Kamran Sadaghiani

magine a race car driver becoming a school bus driver. They would still be driving, but in different circumstances, just like when combat UH-1N Huey pilots join station search and rescue. Huey pilots from the fleet who join the SAR team — such as Capt. Bradley Walters, who recently joined SAR from Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. — need to train for their new and diverse mission of saving lives. Walters, a native of Arlington, Texas, is one of many who chose to leave combat flying and join SAR. He said in the fleet, he was more focused on working with the door gunner and quickly dropping off troops in combatoriented missions. For him, and those like him, SAR is a whole new world. Flying combat operations is nothing like search and rescue missions, said Maj. Michael J. Peitz, SAR UH-1N Huey pilot and a SAR pilot instructor. “A pilot who’s getting (qualified) needs to know how to fly a different kind of regime than he (usually) flies in,” said Peitz. “What he’s got to do is hover at three hundred feet with very few visual references. In the fleet you hover for fast roping at one hundred feet. (That’s) quick. Guys will just rappel down and then you just fly off. Here, with rappelling, you could hover for up to fifteen to twenty minutes in the same place.” The training course outline is much different from the fleet, agreed Staff Sgt. Robert McChesney, SAR HH-1 crew chief “(The fleet syllabus) encompasses all different types of missions,” said McChesney. “Here we’re concentrating on one specific mission, which is search and rescue.” When new pilots train for SAR qualification, they mostly focus on extraction techniques. “The main effort of focus is repelling guys down, hoisting guys up and short-hauling guys,” said Peitz. Short-hauling is when a crew member suspends from a cable from the helicopter and is flown around while hanging from the aircraft, Peitz explained. Peitz said one of the most important lessons taught in training is for pilots and their crew to have a consistent communication standard when flying a mission. With steady communication and operating procedures, the pilot, corpsman and crew chief can accomplish their mis-

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

sion safely, because they all rely on each other. Unlike the fleet, training in SAR covers communication more in depth, said McChesney. The crew chief continuously feeds the pilot information to move the aircraft over a small target area. This is important because in many cases a corpsman is lowered into a confined space to save a casualty. “They have to be able to process what we say,” said McChesney. “We’re talking to them a whole lot more here than we do in the fleet just because of the small areas we work in, so the information flow is going to be greater and that in turn brings our relationship closer. He has to be able to know (from) the tone of my voice how serious the situation is.” Besides all the in-air, practical application training pilots receive, they must read a number of manuals regarding SAR related operating procedures and general information. After training for approximately four months, on qualification day, the pilot flies one of several realistic practice scenarios available, such as an attempt to save a rescue dummy from a remote location with the assistance of the crew chief and the corpsman. Walters is slated to finish his training within approximately a month and a half, when he will take the test to see if he is ready to join the six SAR pilots on station and continue the SAR mission of saving lives.

Search and Rescue members in a HH-1N Huey helicopter perform a confined area landing exercise in Yuma County July 20.

Coast Guard news

U.S. Coast Guard Celebrates 215 Years of Service 11th District Press Release

and today is responsible for many diverse missions. The Coast Guard, one of the oldest organizations of the federal government, continues to protect the nation throughout its long history. Coast Guardsmen have served proudly in every one of the nation’s conflicts including providing waterborne security in the ongoing actions in Iraq. Maritime homeland defense remains one of the Coast Guard’s most important functions and has received renewed emphasis since recent terrorist attacks. The men and women of Sector San Diego, Maritime Safety and Security Team San Diego and the newly commissioned Sector Command Center-Joint remain ‘Always Ready’ to ensure the safety of the Port of San Diego and the security of our citizens.

oast Guard men and women serving the San Diego area, across the United States and stationed throughout the world has celebrated the service’s birthday on Thursday, August 4, 2005, observing 215 years of service to the American public. The Coast Guard, one of America’s five armed services, was created in 1790 when the first U.S. Congress authorized the construction of a fleet of “revenue marine” cutters. It received its present name in 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the U.S. Life-Saving Service. The service expanded in size and responsibilities as the nation grew

NEW ORLEANS (Aug. 30, 2005) -

Coast

Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott D. Rady, 34, of Tampa, Fla., give the signal to hoist a pregnant woman from her apartment here today. In all, the Coast Guard rescued 11 survivors from the apartStory courtesy of United States Coast Guard

U.S. COAST GUARD PHOTO by Petty Officer 2nd Class NyxoLyno Cangemi

ment building. Rady is a rescue swimmer sent from Clearwater, Fla., to help aid in search and rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

Coast Guard Rescues Four Fisherman Near Mustang Island

By CWO Adam Wine, USCG The Amberjack moored at the Corpus Christi Harbor t 1:10 p.m. today a Coast Guard helicop-

Facility while Coast Guard Sector Command Corpus

ter crew rescued four fishermen from the

Christi maintained radio communications with the Golden

shrimp boat Golden Dragon, as it was being battered by

Dragon throughout the night. During the night and into

heavy surf just off Mustang Island, Texas, five miles east

this morning Golden Dragon reported that they were drag-

of Corpus Christi.

ging anchor.

Heavy seas, strong winds and the shrimpers rigging made hoisting the fishermen extremely dificult. All four

This shrimper is now approximately twenty-five miles south of the jetties and is being pushed by the heavy seas

fishermen were safely

towards Mustang

rescued and were

Island shore. An HH-65B Dol-

taken to Coast Guard Air Station Corpus

phin helicopter crew

Christi. All are in

from Coast Guard Air

good condition.

Station Corpus Christi attempted to evacuate

The 90-ft shrimper, Golden Dragon,

HH-65B Dolphin enroute to the destination

the shrimper’s crew

was making its way to the Port

this morning, but the fishermen

Aransas Jetties Tuesday when it had engine trouble and

again refused to leave the Golden

called the Coast Guard for assistance. The Coast Guard

Dragon. At approximately 12:50, the Golden Dragon reported

patrol boat Amberjack responded and took the Golden

that their anchor chain had broken and they were being

Dragon in tow. The weather worsened, making it impossible for the

swept into the heavy surf on Mustang Island. A second

Amberjack to continue with the tow. The Amberjack sent

helicopter crew from Air Station Corpus Christi was sent

their rescue boat over to evacuate the Golden Dragon’s

to the Golden Dragon and effected a rescue at about 1 p.m.

crew, but the shrimpers decided to anchor and try to ride

today.

out the storm. At sunset on Tuesday evening they were

The Golden Dragon is homeported in Mobile, AL, and

approximately fifteen miles south of the Port Aransas

is owned by Son Vo. It had been shrimping in the area, but

Jetties.

did not heed Coast Guard warnings to make its way to a

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

Squadron Updates

Ghost Riders Prepare for Demolition of Sea King Fleet Reprinted from Stars and Stripes, European edition, Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Story and Photo by Sandra Jontz

aying goodbye to an old friend never is easy, especially when that friend is going to end up as razor blades. But that’s what LCDR Steve Miller has prepared for as he and other sailors get ready to bid farewell to the U.S. Navy’s aging fleet of 33 UH-3H Sea King helicopters. “It’s a sad feeling because the aircraft has been in the fleet for so long,” said Miller, the officer-in-charge of the nineteen sailors of the forward-deployed Detachment 1 of HC-2. “The Navy needs to press forward with new technology,” Miller said. “But that doesn’t take away the nostalgia.” One of the Naples-based workhorse choppers, Ghost Rider 741, already has been stripped to its mostly aluminum shell, and in the coming weeks, Seabees from Naval Support Activity Naples will cut it up and local contractors will take it away as scrap metal. Ghost Rider 743 will meet the same fate this fall. The Naples-based detachment, of which the helicopters are permanently based, but the sailors are not, got its name because it rode with 6th Fleet’s former flagship, the USS La Salle, which used to be painted white and was called the “great ghost” as it sailed. The Norfolk, Va.-based HC-2 has twelve of the aircraft in its inventory; six in Norfolk, two in Naples and four that make up the Desert Ducks, Detachment 2 stationed in Bahrain. Five of the twelve already have been decommissioned. Like so much of what is in the U.S. military’s inventory, the helicopters come in a variety of versions. There’s the VH-3D, used for presidential and executive transport, the SH-3H that is carrier-based for anti-submarine warfare, and UH-3H, used for torpedo recovery, logistics and search and rescue. Over the coming years, the Navy is replacing its aging fleet of the roughly $6.4 million Sea King twin engine helicopters with MH-60S Knighthawks. Costs for the new Sikorsky aircraft vary. the Knighthawk is a variant of the Navy’s Seahawk, the Army’s Black Hawk and Air Force’s Pave Hawk. The price tags can vary from $5.9 million for the Black Hawk to $10.2 million for the Pave Hawk, according to a Navy fact sheet. Sailors of the Naples Ghost Riders have ferried admirals and dignitaries, cargos of mail, meals and spare ship parts for 6th Fleet since 1962. Ghost Rider 743 has logged 14,500 hours in it’s lifetime.

It has been with DET 1 for about 1.5 years, ferrying VIPs, conducting search-and-rescue missions, or in exercises for special warfare and Marine Corps forces in Europe. Sea Kings not sold for scrap metal will be taken to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center — known as the bone yard — at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. Last year, LT John “Jack Mack” Mackowski, the operations officer for Detachment 1, said he reluctantly piloted a Sea King on its final and heart-wrenching flight from Norfolk to Tucson and into the bone yard. “The moment we cut the engines [the workers] were like ants all over it, tagging things, marking things. I knew it would never fly again,” Mackowski said. “They even inspected us as we walked away to make sure we didn’t have any ‘souvenirs.’” HC-2 provides executive transport in support of the Atlantic Fleet and operates the Fleet Replacement Squadron for all pilots and aircrew learning to fly the Sea King. In October, the new squadron detachment from Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 28, Detachment 7, will arrive in Naples with the new MH-60S Knighthawks to take over the mission. On Nov. 15, HC-2 DET 1 will officially stand down. “DET 1 has been serving 6th fleet since 1987 when we took over the DET from HS-1. It’ll be like going to a funeral,” Miller said.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Brad Coleman, on ladder, and Airman Eric Reed spend Tuesday morning polishing the Naples, Italy-based Detachment 1 HC-2 UH-3H Sea King helicopter, which by November will be sold for scrap metal. 49

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

HC-4 By John Milliman, USMC Helo Programs PAO

pick up the assault support mission, we’re installing the GAU-21 ramp-mounted .50-caliber machine gun, ALE47/AAR-47 missile warning and countermeasures suite, either chart-busting the ballistic protection system, and we’re making sure the techno thrillers nor cockpit is compatible with night vision devices.” action-packed Hollywood block busters are likely to use The $5 million effort will modify eight aircraft astheir daily routine for plot fodder any time soon, but that signed to both HC-4 and the Norfolk, Virginia-based has never fazed the MH-53E Sea Dragon crews of HeliHM-14. Ultimately, program officials expect to upgrade all copter Support Squadron Four. thirty-four aircraft in the Navy’s MH-53E fleet. Delivering critically needed spare parts, mail, passenAggressive and ambitious, according to Navy LCDR gers and other high-priority cargo to carrier battle groups Dave Padula, the H-53 program’s assistant program and expeditionary strike groups transiting the Meditermanager for systems engineering, the initial tasking was ranean and Persian Gulf, the heavy lift/vertical onboard received in February and the schedule delivery specialists assigned to the called for testing to be complete by Sigonella, Sicily Naval Air Station the end of June. The squadron is to be have gotten used to seeing others completely trained and equipped by head to the fight. the end of the year. That’s about to change. With “All these systems have been testthe help of the Naval Air Systems ed already on the CH-53E,” says Maj. Command’s H-53 Heavy Lift Hank Vanderborght, HX-21’s H-53 Helicopter Program, Rotary Wing test pilot here. “All we’re doing here Test Squadron 21, NAVAIR Cherry is verifying that we have no issues Point’s Fleet Support Team and with putting them on the MH-53E. Helicopter Mine Countermeasures “The biggest issue is determining Squadron 14, the Black Stallions of HC-4 will soon head to the A MH-53E from the Sigonella, Sicily-based Helicop- if the different airflow [caused by the MH-53E’s larger sponfight themselves armed with a ter Support Squadron Four departs NAS Patuxent sons) affects link and casing new mission assault support. River to test upgrades for a new mission of assault separation [from the GAUNot bad for a squadron support in Iraq. 21] and flare dispensing,” he formerly headed for the adds. “We’ll also be testing the archives. aircraft’s electromagnetic environment compatibility with “In the past year, our squadron was going to be decomother aircraft and aboard ship and upgrading the cockpit missioned,” explains HC-4s LT Todd Tavolazzi. “This lighting to make it compatible with night vision devices.” opportunity came up to go to support the war and we’re all Despite a seemingly straightforward and easy test propretty excited.” gram, Vanderborght isn’t complacent. “Nothing in testing Although designed to pull mine countermeasures is simple,” he quips. equipment through the water, the Sea Dragons assigned to In addition to the aircraft modifications, training the HC-4 are primarily used to ferry cargo to ships at sea from aircrews is an equally important part of the mission prepatheir base in Sigonella, according to Tavolazzi. ration. A few of HC-4’s pilots are attending the Marine Going to austere forward operating locations ashore Corps weapons and tactics course given by Marine Aviain Iraq in direct support of ground forces represents a new tion Weapons and Tactics Squadron One at Yuma, Ariz, challenge for the Navy crews. “For the end user like us according to Padula. They, in turn, will return to the squadit’s a huge effort to learn all these new tactics and environron and instruct the other crews in assault support tactics. ments we’re not as familiar with,” Tavolazzi explains. Others will be learning NVG tactics with the Marine’s “The Marines have this all ingrained, but it’s new to us.” Reserve CH-53E squadron at Willow Grove, Penn. To help them prepare, NAVAIR’s H-53 program office is “We have a lot of work ahead of us,” admits Tavolazzi. making sure upgrades designed for the aircraft at Cherry But well worth the effort, according to Sgt. Tom DunPoint, North Carolina enable the Black Stallions to “get it gan, H-53 crew chief at HX-21 himself an Iraq combat done” in Iraq. veteran with nenety-six missions. “You can’t have enough “We typically associate the assault support mission ˜53’s in country so it will be great having the Navy helping with the Marine Corps’ CH-53E and the MH-53E with out,” he says. vertical onboard delivery and airborne mine countermeasures,” says Marine Capt. Tom Page, the H-53 program’s avionics systems project officer. “To enable the MHs to

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

Sigonella’s HC-4 Relocating to Virginia and Deploying to Iraq By Sandra Jontz

Reprinted from Stars and Stripes, European edition, Saturday, August 6, 2005

he Navy’s Helicopter Combat Support Squadron Four, based at Naval Station Sigonella, Sicily, is getting a new home. The Black Stallions of HC-4 are moving to Norfolk, Va., as part of an overseas base operations reduction, Navy officials said. The move comes even as the squadron is prepping for a six-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom beginning in the early part of 2006. The relocation plans will not change the squadron’s

Marine Corps Sgt. Tom Dungan tests a GAU-21 .50-cal machine gun mounted on the ramp of a Navy MH-53E U.S.Navy Photo by Kurt Lenfield

deployment, officials said. The process got started in July, when newly assigned sailors reported to Norfolk instead of coming to Sigonella, said Lt. Chris Servello, a 6th Fleet spokesman. Most of the roughly 300 sailors currently stationed at Sigonella will finish out their tours, Servello said. HC-4 has eight MH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters, some of which will move to Norfolk over the next calendar year, ending the transition by summer 2006. Norfolk already has facilities to accommodate the influx of both personnel and

equipment. The rest of the squadron will head to the Middle East because the Army has a shortage of medium-lift helicopters in the region, according to CDR Eric Shirey, squadron commander. “[The Army] asked the Navy to help out, and the Navy provided us,” Shirey said. Planning and training for that mission started in December. In particular, crews are learning to operate in nighttime environments, something they’re not used to, said Shirey, who assumed command of the squadron June 17 after serving as HC-4’s executive officer since September 2004. “That’s something new for pilots and aircrew [members] of the squadron,” he said. “A majority of their training is focused on learning to use night-vision goggles.” The Black Stallions also are being equipped with defensive weapons systems such as a ramp-mounted .50-caliber machine gun, survivability equipment and missile warning and countermeasure systems. In Europe, the squadron’s mission has been to provide heavy-lift combat support to European fleet units. After the move, U.S.-based detachments rotating through Sigonella deployments will perform the mission, a practice already done by rotating P-3 Orion squadrons. Rotating squadrons, versus those permanently stationed overseas, help reduce both costs and the U.S. military’s footprint abroad. Along those lines, the Sigonella-based Mobile Mine Assembly Unit Five (MOMAU 5) will be “disestablished,” and the roughly 30 sailors and the unit’s equipment will merge with MOMAU 11 at Naval Weapons Station Charleston, S.C., officials said.

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

HC-85 Golden Gaters Briefed on Sea Warrior Initiative By JO1 Joseph Caballero,USN Fleet Public Affairs Center, Pacific

embers from Task Force Warrior briefed the Golden Gaters of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) 85 June 22 about the Sea Warrior initiative at Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, Calif. Sea Warrior is the human resource component of the Chief of Naval Operation’s Sea Power 21 Transformational Roadmap supporting the recruitment, growth, development and assignment of the Navy’s workforce. Task Force Warrior is charged with helping to integrate, communicate and accelerate the Sea Warrior initiative. “When we’ve gone out and talked to people about it, we’ve found there is a lack of knowledge about NKO, JASS Career Management System (JCMS), and Five Vector Model (5VM),” said Chief Navy Counselor (AW) Michelle L. Brooks from Task Force Warrior. “As I show them how it works and what they’ll be capable of doing, they understand it better.” “During the Task Force Warrior briefing, there was stuff about the 5VM that I didn’t know a lot about,” said Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st Class (AW) Eugene Spencer, a command career training coordinator with HC-85. “I didn’t know how important and tied into the Navy it would be.” According to Brooks, Sea Warrior will enhance the Navy’s war-fighting effectiveness by ensuring the right people with the right skills are in the right places. It will also give Sailors more power of choice in their career. During her brief with the HC-85 Sailors, Brooks said that Sea Warrior will eventually be the roadmap for each Sailor’s Navy career. “Sea Warrior will be their journey from the time they come into the Navy to the time they retire,” Brooks said. “The Sea Warrior initiative will give them the power of choice, rather than having someone else decide their fate.

HCS-5

The needs of the Navy, however, are always paramount.” Brooks emphasized the potential importance 5VM and JCMS will have on Sailors in the near future. 5VM, available on NKO, will give Sailors the ability to see how their career is doing and will allow them to get recognized for their achievements. 5VM breaks down the main aspects of a Sailor’s career into five categories, or vectors: professional development, personal development, leadership, certifications and qualifications, and performance. With 5VM, a Sailor can set a goal or a desired job and all the requirements will be displayed. “It will give you all the tools you need to get ahead in the Navy with all the courses to do and all the schools you need to attend,” said Personnelman 1st Class (AW) Michael G. Millin, the administrative leading petty officer for HC-85. “In the past, you would call a detailer and he would tell you where he needs to fill a billet. He would basically give you one or two options.” JCMS, when completed, will allow Sailors to view billets available to them. “With JCMS, Sailors will be able to apply for any job they are qualified for,” said Brooks. Task Force Warrior is planning more briefings for fleet commands as the Navy continues to roll out upgrades to NKO, JCMS and the 5VM. Task Force Warrior representatives said Sailors should start familiarizing themselves with the Web sites and provide feedback about how sites work for them. Like Sea Power 21, the Sea Warrior initiative is designed with the future in mind.“It is ahead of the times,” Brooks said. “There isn’t any civilian network out there using these systems. Some of the other military branches are even watching this to see how it goes.”

This is the second deployment for the reserve helicopter squadron from San Diego. HCS-5 originally s the war in Iraq moved past the mobilized and deployed 79 reservists and FTS to Kuwait in March 2003 in support of Joint Special two and a half year mark, the Firehawks of HCS-5 headed back into Operations Air Detachment South (JSOAD-S). In the desert for a second year of supporting US Special June 2003 they moved up to Baghdad in June 2003 and provided air support for Naval Special OperaForces. In late July the Air Force sent a C-17 and a C-5 to transport HCS-5 Det One and their aircraft tions Detachment Arabian Peninsula (NSOD-AP). Then in October 2003 the Air Force joined HCS-5 in from North Island to Iraq. The Firehawks relieved Baghdad and they became JSOAD-AP. When HCS-4 HCS-4 Det one in early August.

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

took over mission lead from HCS-5 in March 2004 the Firehawks returned to San Diego. Most of the reservists demobilized but, for the next fifteen months, HCS-5 continued to support HCS-4 with maintainers, pilots, aircrew, and aircraft. Many of the Det One sailors are returning to Iraq on their second and third tours. Some of them, who supported HCS-4 Det One, are in Iraq for their fourth time. In August HCS-5 marked the retirement AFCM(AW) Gregory Nelson, AOC(AW/NAC) David Reynolds, and ABHC(NAC) Eugene Kramer with a retirement

ceremony at their hangar on NAS North Island. This event was historic in the fact that together the three retirees had served over 90 years in the Navy, including four wars, and 53 years in HCS-5 alone. Chiefs Reynolds and Kramer have been in the community since the HA(L)-5 days, before HCS-5 was established as a combination of HA(L)-5 and HC-9. The leadership, professional knowledge, experience and mentoring these men have brought to the squadron and the Navy is reflected in the professionalism of the sailors they have mentored throughout their careers. They will be missed.

Naval Reservist Receives Bronze Star By JO2 (SW) Alicia Boatwright, USNR

avy Reservist CDR Craig Miller received the Bronze Star,April 30, on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., for leading his squadron through a successful one-year tour in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Bronze Star is awarded for meritorious service while engaged in conflict with an opposing foreign force. Miller was Commanding Officer of Helicopter Combat Support Special Squadron Five (HCS-5) in March 2003 when nearly half of the squadron was mobilized to Iraq. HCS-5 is a Naval Air Reserve Squadron under the command of Helicopter Wing Reserve, San Diego, Calif., and Naval Air Force Reserve, New Orleans, La. The Firehawks of HCS-5 are one of two squadrons performing both Special Warfare Support and Combat Search and Rescue as primary missions. The squadron, flying the HH-60H Seahawk helicopter, flew over 1,700 hours and completed over 900 combat sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The squadron worked with Army Rangers, Navy SEALs and Air Force Special Forces as well as coalition forces during the deployment, aiding strategic intelligence early in the conflict. Their main focus, however, was cracking down on Iraqi insurgents after the fall of the regime. “We put a great amount of fear in (the insurgents). We showed them that you can’t just throw a bomb (in a crowd) and get away with it,” Miller said. At one point, the squadron had to support themselves for shelter by living in an abandoned Baghdad hardened aircraft hangar before permanent facilities were available. The fifteen- to twenty-foot thick walled hangar, which Miller said was about the size of a basketball court, held the squadron’s three helicopters as well as forty people. Miller noted many of the reservists’ civilian skill sets came in handy.

“We had someone who was a contractor in their civilian job build a sort of outhouse for us and rigged a large tub and hung hoses to make a shower,” he said. “It was like camping but in a war zone.” They spent several weeks in the shelter before relocating to an Air Force expeditionary facility. Although HCS-5 came across some dangerous situations on a daily basis, the Firehawks accomplished their tour with no squadron or special operations forces losses. “It was a real testament to what we did there.” Unity between the squadron and other forces involved in operations played a large part in the mission’s success. “The unit cohesiveness was there from the beginning (of the deployment). It was one team, one fight,” Miller explained with pride. M i l l e r b e l i e v e s H C S - 5 ’s p a r t i n O p e r ation Iraqi Freedom was significant and necessary. “I think we saved a lot of lives by keeping the Iraqi insurgents off their guard. It was a very hard and dangerous mission, but it needed to be done.” Miller is currently attached to reserve unit CV Northwest under Naval Air Reserve Whidbey Island. CAPT Vic Yanega, Commanding Officer of Naval Air Reserve Whidbey Island presented the Bronze Star to Miller and said he is proud to have him as part of the command. “The experience and warrior ethos he brings as a recent Commanding Officer of HCS-5 is greatly appreciated,” Yanega said. “He is a welcome addition to the Naval Air Reserve Whidbey Island team.” Miller said that while he is the one receiving the award, the mission’s success was the result of the squadron as a whole. “I don’t look at this award as a personal one. I look at it more of a squadron medal. I just happen to be the one lucky enough to have been in charge of it during this mission.” 53

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

HS-2

The Golden Falcons of HS-2… Post Tsunami Story released by Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Two (HS-2) Public Affairs Office

ince the January 2005 Tsunami relief efforts and the 1010 flight hour month, the Golden Falcons have continued their tradition of excellence. LCDR Ruben “Cheater” Ramos, LT John “Curtis” Burroughs, AW1 Dave Vander Beek and AW2 Jake Ohlsen were named the CHSWP Aircrew of the Year (Embarked) for 2004 and AW1 Maxwell Bjerke was named CNAF Aircrewman of the Year for 2004. AOAN Ashley Mcneese distinguished himself as CVW-2 Blue Jacket of the Year and the command earned both the Arnold J. Isabell and the Arleigh Burke Trophies for mission excellence. The Golden Falcons were recently awarded two CVW-2 Leadership Awards and a Community Service Award for Environmental Stewardship. The squadron has added to its cadre of expert aviators four more HAC’s (LTJG Matt “Fish” Pescador, LTJG Ethan “Nasty” Haines, LTJG Bill “SB” Stickney, LT Josh “Dorothy” Hamel, and LT Greg “K-NUT” Knutson) and several motivated H2Ps stepping up to take the challenge in the next few months. While saying hello to a few new aircrew (LTJG Chris “NUFF” Otto, LTJG Jeff “Paris” Schwab, LTJG Matthew Wright, LCDR Jennifer “Beast” Wilderman, LTJG Blake Chaney, AW1 Paul Noriega, AW3 Justin Creen, and AW3 Patrick Treman) and goodbye to a few old friends (LT Dan “Puck” Lennon, LT Eric “Generic” Danielson, LT John “Curtis” Burroughs, LT Matt “Bert” Davis, LT Dave “Shades” Moffat, AWC Sean Milligan, AWCS Troy Marsinko, AW2 Jason Dexter, and AW3 Mike Papada), the Golden Falcons enjoyed a much-deserved POM period in March but were back to the trenches in April as the squadron packed up and left for Air Wing Fallon. Fallon proved to be a superb training period for the squadron; not only receiving high marks for air wing training but adding five Strike level II’s and two Strike level IIIs (LT Dave “Shades” Moffat and LT Matt “Burt” Davis) to our mix; congratulations to all. Now don’t think it was all work; we still found time to lose all kinds of money during two weekends in Reno and Lake Tahoe. The squadron barely unpacked from Fallon before loading up again to board the newest carrier in the fleet, USS

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

The Goldren Falcons rallying in the effort of providing disaster relief to the tsunami victims U.S. Navy Photo courtesy by the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron TWO (HS-2)

RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76). CVW-14 borrowed the squadron for a weeklong deck certification and carrier qualification detachment with LCDR Kevin “BUFF” Kennedy and LCDR Joel “Downtown” Moss leading the way. Ahh finally, the post cruise can begin – but wait we’re still on surge – time for work ups. In June, HS-2 embarked aboard the Lincoln for another COMPTUEX. The Golden Falcons continued to use their honed ASW and ASUW skills during the final battle problem maintaining continuous contact on the “red” submarine. July was BOAT free for HS-2 “and there was much rejoicing” however, the squadron participated in some exciting and unique training with the Swedish SSK Gotland. For one week the Golden Falcons along with DESRON NINE and HSL-47 practiced tactics with the Swedish crew. Too bad there wasn’t time to further international relationships with a pint at the I bar. August brings another CQ detachment to aide the future jet pilots of America aboard the USS RONALD REGAN with LCDR Mark “Beav” Leavitt and LT Josh “Dorothy” Hamel at the helm. What’s to come for the Golden Falcons? As part of the Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, the squadron is at the leading edge of the Fleet Response Plan. Flexibility has become the norm with our deployment schedule changing rapidly and frequently. Surge readiness requirements and frequent underway periods to sustain readiness keep the operations and maintenance teams in high gear. With all that the command has accomplished, there is no question that we are ready for any challenge that may lay ahead.

HS-5 HS-5 Det Alpha Conducts Operations in GWOT Transport of these individuals so that they could observe By LT John Kuta, , USN

he Nightdippers of HS-5 Det A continue to participate in Expanded Maritime Interdiction Operations (EMIO) and training operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism. In past weeks, the pilots, aircrew, and maintainers have successfully demonstrated their ability to work in conjunction with armed forces of the host nation. High-ranking officials and officers of the host nation’s government recently visited Det A personnel during interoperability training with the host nation’s armed forces, a Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST), a Mobile Security Squadron, and US operational support personnel.

HC-2

the training was provided exclusively via the helicopters of HS-5 Det A. During their visit, officials received an in-depth tour of the US facilities, to include a brief on the capabilities of the HH-60H helicopter. Officers of the host nation were extremely impressed by the training that their personnel were receiving with US forces, and expressed a desire to participate in further operations. Shortly after the visit by host nation officials, HS5 Det A participated in Helicopter Rope Suspension Training (HRST) operations with the armed forces of the host nation and the United States Marine Corps. This training involved helicopter transport to a secure location, where the troops were fast-roped out of the helo. This training will prove extremely valuable to the armed forces of the host nation as they fight terror in their homeland.

Fleet Angel’s train the Navy’s last H-3 “Sea King” Pilot “By LT J. J. Small, USN

able H-3 “Sea King’s” proud history of fleet he “Fleet support has included anti-submarine warfare, Angels” of search and rescue, passenger transfer, cargo, Helicopter VERTREP, drone recovery, paradrops, gunfire Combat Support Squadron TWO (HC-2), based support, executive transport and many other at Norfolk Naval Station, VA recently closed a special missions that still continue daily across chapter in Naval Aviation and the the globe. This last flight brings an Sikorsky H-3 “Sea King” helicopend to 44 years of providing profester. Upon successful completion of sional and skilled pilots and aircrewhis flight in Redhawk 731, UHman to the Fleet. Since 1996, HC-2 3H helicopter, BUNO 151549, on has been the sole H-3 Fleet ReplaceWednesday, 27 July 2005, Fleet ment Squadron (FRS) for the Navy. Replacement Pilot LT While training pilots The crew of Redhawk 731 (left to right): LT Dennis Aaron Cadle, USN, took Wajda (FRS Instructor Pilot), AD1(AW/NAC) Christian and aircrewmen asFulkerson, and LT Aaron Cadle part in a significant and signed to various SAR historical moment in Naval Aviation Training as stations and Fleet squadrons, HC-2 has safely the last Pilot to be trained and qualified in an Hand successfully trained over 500 Navy and For3 “Sea King” helicopter. Since it’s inception into eign flight students while logging over 22,500 Naval service in June of 1961, the U.S. Navy training flight hours. Beginning in January of has successfully trained Naval Aviators and air2006, HC-2 will become Helicopter Sea Combat crewman in the “Sea King.” For nearly four and Squadron TWO (HSC-2), and assume duties as a half decades the Navy has trained professional the east coast FRS for the newest addition to the helicopter pilots in the many different models of Navy’s helicopter fleet, the MH-60S “Knightthe H-3. As a result of this training, The venerhawk.” 55

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

HS-8

By JO3 (SW) Devin Dorney, USN, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs

ircraft aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) began their fly off July 30, concluding a highly successful six-plus month around-the-world combat deployment as part of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group team. Based out of Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island the Eightballers are one of the nine squadrons that comprise Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9.The Eightballers returned Aug. 3. During more than 100 days in the Persian Gulf, the Carl Vinson/Carrier Air Wing 9 team launched more than

6,500 sorties totaling more than 20,000 flight hours. Most of these sorties were in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the Gulf, playing a vital role in each of those missions. With missions that varied from basic air patrol to calculated ordnance delivery, the air wing became a vital and well-utilized asset for the U.S. and coalition forces around the Gulf. “We had the lion’s share of the operations supporting the forces on the ground,” said Commander, Carrier Air Wing 9, CAPT Mike Spence. “We had an obligation to fly long missions over the course of a day, and that meant that our day was generally about thirteen to thirteen-and-a-half hours of flying, plus all the preparations.”

HSC-25 Island Knights Support Exercise Talisman Saber 2005 By PO3 James Bartels, USN

Members of the Island Knights of Helicopter Sea

Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 provided search and rescue (SAR) support during pivotal flight operations June 12 to 25 for Exercise Talisman Saber 2005, a combined exercise between Australian and American forces. Hailing from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, the Island Knights have completed more than 100 incident-free landings during Talisman Saber 2005. Directly involved in numerous evolutions, including vertical replenishments and personnel transfers, SAR pilots and swimmers prowled the skies ensuring the safety of all personnel involved in the landing craft, air cushion, (LCAC), landing craft, mechanized (LCM8) and Australian S-70A Blackhawk helicopter operations. “It is very important to keep our pilots and swimmers in the air during exercises like this,” said Lt. Jerome A. Gussow, a pilot with HSC-25. “With helicopters in the air, LCAC’s on the water and soldiers and sailors on the ship conducting the mission, it is important to have us ready to help if the need arises.” The HSC-25 detachment, embarked on Boxer, consists of twenty-two enlisted sailors, six pilots, one warrant officer and two MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters. They worked in Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

tandem with more than 2,000 personnel in the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) led by Combined Forces Maritime Component Commander. Units within the Boxer ARG included USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), HMAS Manoora, HMAS Ballarat, Assault Craft Unit 5, Australian 5th Aviation Regiment and the Australian 1st Armored Brigade. “Our basic mission was to be prepared to salvage any craft or rescue any personnel in an optimal amount of time,” said Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic Mike Smith. “The faster we respond to a casualty the higher the percentage of survival for our fellow service members.” HSC-25 and more than 17,000 Australian and American service members participated in four weeks of intensive training during Exercise Talisman Saber, a combination of what were once Exercises Crocodile, Kingfisher, and Tandem Thrust. Talisman Saber is an exercise jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and Australian Defense Force Joint Operations Command designed to train U.S. Seventh Fleet and Australian Joint Operations staffs as a designated Combined Task Force (CTF) headquarters. The exercise focused on crisis action planning and execution of contingency response operations.

HSL-37 Yet Another Mission By LT Lesley Alexander, USN

he tasking for HSL-37 Detachment FOUR on 30 March 2004 was not a primary, or even a secondary mission for the SH-60B. It could not be easily classified as SUW or SAR. The mission that day was different from anything the crew had experienced before: AMIO, or Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations. Detachment FOUR had been operating in the Eastern Pacific for the previous two months on Counter-Narcotics Operation Caper Focus. When the crew launched on a seemingly normal Tuesday, there was no hot intelligence of any drug runners in the area, so the goal was to utilize the helicopter in an over-the-horizon search capacity only. Our ship was already in communication with a Coast Guard C-130 patrolling about 75 miles to the south. The C-130 was orbiting overhead a suspicious fishing vessel. The crew did not believe the vessel was involved in the drug-smuggling trade, but in another, equally insidious, business: people-smuggling. All the signs were there: A fishing vessel outside of normal fishing waters with no lines extended; a vessel flying an Ecuadorian flag although well outside of Ecuadorian territorial waters. The most telling sign, however, was a large tarp spread over the main deck of the vessel. The C-130 could not get a close enough look, so they requested the help of our ship in the form of their embarked helicopter. I was the H2P on that flight. As we flew closer to the area the C-130 was searching, we could see the “fishing” vessel, dead in the water. We were in communication with the C-130 and established ourselves at 500 feet and below for altitude separation. The C-130 had a bingo time of about 3 hours, so we planned to get FLIR video of the vessel, make a recommendation to our ship, return for gas and a crew swap, and then return on station before the C-130 returned to its base. We began flying a modified race track pattern around the vessel, coming in low and slow to capture good FLIR video. The images were disturbing. A hundred people, at least, on deck and probably more below. Women and teenagers were waving white pieces of cloth. The boat looked like it was in bad shape, but not too much worse than any other fishing vessel that we had seen so far. It was dead in the water as we flew around, but we had no

way of knowing if that was by necessity or choice. The call seemed easy to us in the helicopter: this was a migrant-smuggling boat and the people onboard wanted our help. Our ship was receiving our FLIR video, so they could see the same images that we were, but not in living color. The FLIR image did not do justice to the crowding and conditions onboard, so we tried to convey the situation as best we could. The CO decided to board the vessel, but wanted us to return and shutdown before launching the next crew. By the time the next crew launched, the C-130 had been off-station for over two hours and no one had been monitoring the boat, which by then was identified as the Margyl Margarita from Ecuador. The boat was not DIW, as we initially thought, because as soon as both aircraft were off-station, she started her engines and began heading east as fast as she could. The time off-station cost the ship several hours as we tried to close the Margyl Margarita’s position. Since she had been DIW, the ship assumed that she would be in the same position as when we had left her, but she traveled a significant distance once she got her engines back online. The second aircrew used RADAR and FLIR to re-establish contact and vectored our ship in to the new position. Late in the night our ship rendezvoused with the Margyl Margarita and maintained close proximity until dawn. The boarding took place the next morning at sunrise to minimize the risk to the Coast Guard LEDET boarding team and to the migrants. The migrants were uneventfully transferred from their unsafe vessel to the our ship for return to Ecuadorian authorities. When the LEDET OIC initially briefed us on the Counter-Narcotic mission, he mentioned the unlikely possibility of AMIO. He also stressed the importance, in the age of terrorism, of stopping everyone who tries to enter the United States illegally. The migrants in this case were using the sea route to Guatemala and then a land route through Mexico to the U.S. An important lesson we learned for AMIO is that an asset, if available, should be kept on-station to monitor the vessel until a ship can reach the area. When no one was watching, the Margyl Margarita could have sunk and endangered the lives of everyone onboard. With a helo or C-130 on-station throughout the evolution, a rescue effort can begin much more quickly. In the end, 149 migrants were rescued that day, one alien smuggling vessel was sunk as a hazard to navigation, and this H2P learned firsthand a new mission for the SH-60B.

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

HSL-41 By LT Brian Holmes,

n September 2005, The tutoring program was originally designed to help Helicopter Antione or two children per class. However, due to the

Submarine Squadron

popularity of the volunteers, the teachers decided to

Light 41 (HSL-41)

expose as many students as possible to the program

began a Partnership

by rotating different classes through each volun-

In Education with

teer visit. Principal Ana Biffil and parents alike are

Knox Elementary; a school in the local San

thrilled with the results of this special partnership.

Diego City School District. Through “Read Ins”,

Students have shown measurable progress and im-

where volunteers from the squadron sit down

provement in their daily work and most importantly

and read aloud to the younger students, award

in their test scores!

assembly participation, and one-on-one tutoring and mentoring HSL-41 became education

HSL-41 plans to continue this collaboration with

ambassadors to the local community.

Knox Elementary in the 2005-2006 school year. In addition to the current elements of the program that

Over the course of the 2004-2005 school year

made it such a success in 2005, the squadron plans to

squadron volunteers invested 250 hours of pre-

expand the program to include rewarding Honor Roll

cious time, tutoring, reading, and mentoring at

students with squadron tours and SH-60B simulator

Knox Elementary. One thing is for certain; HSL-

rides.

41’s influence has made a definite and positive impact. “The kids are so excited to see the military members on campus. They all want to read with the Navy!” says Edna Smith, the parent/teacher liaison.

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

HSL-49 Scorpions’ Det Two Returns Home! By LTJG Eric Bondurant, USN

he “Band of Brothers” Det 2 is one of HSL-49’s five helicopter detachments HSL-49 Det 2 returned home June 6 from a six-month home-ported at Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, Western Pacific/Arabian Gulf deployment aboard USS California. Each detachment consists of two SH-60B SeBunker Hill (CG-52). The deployment was highlighted by ahawk helicopters, six pilots, three enlisted aircrewmen, and participation in disaster relief operations for the victims of twenty-three aircraft maintainers. The SH-60B’s primary the Asian tsunami. missions are anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. It During a port visit to Singapore in early January, USS is also capable of a myriad of other missions, including Bunker Hill l was directed to steam at best speed to waters search and rescue, passenger and cargo transport, and comsurrounding Sumatra to provide aide for the massive hu- munications relay. The Seahawk’s armament consists of manitarian disaster caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami of torpedoes, Hellfire anti-ship missiles, and a door mounted Dec. 26, 2004. The detachment’s two SH-60B Seahawk machine gun. helicopters flew 94 hours in eight days Det 2 deployed as part of operation Unified Assistance. aboard USS BunThey delivered 106,000 pounds of food, ker Hill, one of the water, relief supplies, and twenty relief surface combatants agency personnel to difficult landing that comprise the zones in the Sumatran jungle. Bonhomme RichAfter completing operations off ard Expeditionary Sumatra, the Bunker Hill and Det Strike Group (ESG2 reported to the 5th Fleet Area of 5). During their sixResponsibility. Alternating station bemonth deployment, tween the Gulf of Oman and the waters Det 2 flew over 785 surrounding the Horn of Africa, Det 2 flight hours in supflew in support of the ongoing global port of Operations war on terrorism. The detachment’s Unified Assistance, aircraft, armed with a Forward Looking Enduring Freedom, Infrared camera (FLIR), and up to four Scopions’ Det Two heads home after a six month deploy- and Iraqi Freedom. Hellfire missiles, flew surveillance and While on station ment onboard the USS Bunker Hill reconnaissance missions supporting U.S. Navy Photo courtesy by Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron in the Gulf of Oman Task Force 150 (CTF-150). The task Light Forty-Nine (HSL-49) and the Horn of Afforce was an international coalition rica, Det 2 carried out made up of ships from Germany, additional mission Pakistan, Australia, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom. tasking in support of CTF-150 operations. Having two of the While carrying out its missions to interdict illicit shipping, handful of helicopters available in the area, the detachment Det 2 supported over twenty Visit, Board, Search and Seizure was called upon to conduct varied missions including verti(VBSS) missions. The aircrews conducted localization and cal replenishment of other CTF-150 ships; logistics flights surveillance of high interest shipping and provided armed to Seeb, Oman and Djibouti; and, six medical evacuations, support for Bunker Hill‘s VBSS teams during boarding op- including flights to Manama, Bahrain and Cochin, India. erations. These efforts culminated in the apprehension of One of these missions required the aircrew to hoist a critithe vessel Al Zhaidi, carrying over $30 million of hashish. cally injured Japanese merchant seaman from the deck of the To date, this is the largest drug seizure in the 5th Fleet Area vessel Apollo Sun and transport him to Seeb International of Responsibility. Airport in Oman.

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

HSL-51

Warlords Deploy in Support of Talisman Saber

. By LTJG Mitch “The Grizz” Gresko

he undeniably awesome, butt-kicking (ok…who are we trying to kid?!) Warlords of HSL-51 Det 3 recently completed an 88-day deployment with Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) and USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). Detachment Three is the first LAMPS detachment in the FDNF (Forward Deployed Naval Forces) to deploy aboard an aircraft carrier. The summer 2005 deployment marks the third successful carrier underway period for the detachment, now led by the intrepid LCDR Andy “Baywatch” Danko. Operating in cooperation with Royal Australian forces, the Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group participated in Exercise Talisman Saber. This exercise entailed a variety of events, including a SINK-EX, for which two decommissioned US Navy ships served as targets. CVW-5 aircraft and DESRON 15 ships had to the opportunity to test their strike capabilities against the former USS Standley (CG32) and USS Elliott (DD-967). Three HSL-51 detachments successfully engaged Standley with AGM-114B Hellfire missiles. CDR Ron “Bobo” Ravelo and LTJG Landon “Mopey” Jones from HS-14 provided remote lasing for LT Ben “Madman” Newhart and LTJG Mitch “The Grizz” Gresko of HSL-51, marking the first time FDNF HS and HSL squadrons have combined forces for a Hellfire exercise. Immediately following the missile shot, the helicopters coordinated a two-ship gun run, using .50 Caliber GAU-16 machine guns. AW1 Bob “Stimey” Simonton and AW2 Anthony “Dori” Tait tested their gunnery skills against the Standley. AW3 Chris “Head” Nelson provided spectacular sensor coverage during the event. Warlord aircraft from the USS Vandegrift (FFG-48) and USS Cowpens (CG-63) also participated in the SINKEX. LT Shaun “Lyzzle” Lynch and LTJG Bryan “Dot Com” Weatherup fired one missile and provided remote laser designation for LCDR John Sowers and LTJG Dave “Homegrown Hero” White. Sensor Operators AW2 Eliott “Biggy” Biggerstaff, AW3 Cory “Longizzle” Longo, AW2 A.J. “Heater” Heath and AW2 Brent “Zoolander” Spohrer provided essential tactical sensor support for these two shots. The SINK-EX provided invaluable strike training for all who participated. In addition to the normal helicopter operations associated with an exercise like Talisman Saber, two Det 3 pilots were fortunate enough to participate in a Combat Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

Search and Rescue (CSAR) event, although not as part of an aircrew. Instead, they were dropped in a remote area of Australia to act as survivors. With the opposing Australian forces searching for them, these pilots, along with LTJG Chris Kiesel and AW2 Justin “Sara” Lee from HS-14, were given a mere four hours to reach their designated extraction point. Due to some very determined Australian forces who were convinced this must have been a SEAL Team, the survivors had to use their secondary exfiltration point. “It was awesome,” said LT Kelly Flynn, Detachment Three’s Maintenance Officer. “We were being chased and had to use the evasion skills we learned at SERE.” The other “survivor” LT Ben Newhart added, “It may have been an exercise, but it felt pretty real to me!” Returning from Talisman Saber, Kitty Hawk held the traditional “Crossing the Line” ceremony to commemorate crossing the equator on July 14th. In all, 1700 “pollywogs” had the chance to participate in the celebration, thus earning the coveted title “Trusty Shellback.” The ritual involved a lot of water, a little PT, and some off-key singing, but was fun for all those who took part. Upon their return to the northern hemisphere, HSL51 conducted another coordinated Hellfire exercise on the island of Farallon de Medinilla (FDM). LT Steve “Cheeze” Steacy and LT Don “Short Round” Clemons from Det 4, deployed on USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) conducted remote lasing operations for LT Kelly “Knuckles” Flynn and LT Brett “Barbie” Meskimen from Det 3. The Sensor Operators for the event were AW2 Jacob “Snake” Lynd, AW3 Adam “Bruce” Wuest, AW2 Russell “Crash” Krenz and AW3 Phillip “Mongo” Gullo. In addition to Talisman Saber, Summer Cruise 2005 included Exercises Orange Crush and JAS-EX. Both exercises offered opportunities for HSL-51 to hone their USW and SUW skills while working closely with CVW-5 and DESRON 15. This cruise proved to be both challenging and rewarding for HSL-51 aircrews and maintenance teams

My Experience Aboard HMAS Canberra By LTJG Harriet Johnson, USN

iding the ocean waves in a small RHIB, four sailors wait for the signal to come alongside HMAS Canberra. A wave from the boat crew signals the beginning of twenty-four hours aboard an Australian frigate. Over the course of four days, the USS Cowpens (CG-63) and the HMAS Canberra exchanged approximately twenty people each to learn about the way the opposite country does business. My night on board was nothing short of outstanding. After a short safety brief, I met my sponsor, FLTLT Meg Hurley, pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the only pilot onboard the one-plane detachment. We talked for a bit as she showed me around the spaces of the frigate. My adventure began with an introduction to the SH70 and the crew who maintain it. As the export version of the SH-60, it is the same basic airframe with different toys and capabilities. For starters, the cabin space is quite versatile. Up to seven passengers sit back-to-back in the center of the compartment. Two removable racks hold sonobouys for the manual tube launcher similar to those of SH-60F. The SH-70 has a different way of processing electronic emissions and the basic cockpit setup includes a small glass screen where the pilot can manipulate fly-to points and load patterns without disturbing the left seat. A two hour discussion about maintenance with their chief taught me interesting differences in the way each country goes about sustaining the life of their aircraft. For example, the Australians track all of the same basic wear and tear on the aircraft but all of their information is on one large sheet of paper. We do more scheduled corrosion prevention, which is probably a function of aircraft age. They do not do turnaround inspections because they consider it redundant, a value we hold dearly in the US Navy. Finally, their aircraft looks so much “prettier” because the Aussies use a semi-gloss paint, which is more forgiving to blemishes than the matte finish we use.

drink among the Australians.) The evening capped off with a steel beach picnic and flight deck movie. Flamboyant shirts and hats came out of the wood works to compliment the Hawaiian themed food. The movie turned out to be Terminator 3, a poor decision in the unanimous opinion of the Air Det. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the movie beer in hand thanks to the XO’s beer call. Every morning there is flight deck physical training at 0600. Although not mandatory, I went because my opportunity to do so again was nonexistent. There I learned that the Australians have a physical training instructor rate. Given that the flight deck has a three-degree slope, of course I fell and skinned my knee. After breakfast, I observed a walk through general quarters session. The topic was pipe patching. They had a fire water main open a little bit with a broken piece of pipe attached. An Australian air detachment is as skilled in shipboard damage control as an American air detachment. Coincidentally when one of the tools accidentally fell overboard, a simulated MEDEVAC was called over the 1MC. It was a sign from above. The project was dropped for the sake of the bigger training picture. After a debrief of the general quarters to the crew and a short lunch, I found myself back in the RHIB with eight other people making our way back to the mighty Cowpens.

Upon meeting the remainder of the Air Det and the wardroom, I enjoyed discussions about basic operations both in aviation and shipboard life. As a frigate, their wardroom is a smaller, more centrally located room. The cozy environment spurred much discussion as people waited around for a spot at the table to open up. Thus, I was exposed to a large portion of the officer population. Being the odd man out became my advantage, and a two way information exchange began on various levels. Their supply officer in particular became a one-man sales stand. He was kind enough to let me buy six cans of ginger beer even though they only had one case left. 61 (Rather like root beer but ginger flavored, it is a popular

Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

HSL-60 HSL-60 “Jaguars” Support Maritime Security Operations From Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- The Sailors who make up Navy Reserve Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (Light) (HSL) 60, the squadron embarked aboard USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), play a key role assisting active-duty counterparts in conducting maritime security operations (MSO). The 28 Sailors of HSL-60, Det. 1, are part of the team ensuring security and stability in the region’s waters including the North Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden. “Reserve pilots have all completed at least two tours of active-duty service. Without this experience, the operational commanders might have to shift assets and send some ships to sea without a helicopter squadron,” said Lt. Cmdr. Alysa Ambrose, Philippine Sea’s operations officer.

use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material. It is also working closely with allies to protect seabased infrastructure, and build regional security and long-term stability. The deployment is the latest implementation of the Navy’s new operational construct, the Fleet Response Plan (FRP). FRP is about new ways of operating, training, manning, and maintaining the fleet that results in increased readiness and the ability to provide significant combat power when and where it’s needed. “We have worked closely with other militaries to enhance the MSO activities in this region,” said Ambrose.

The helicopter squadron, nicknamed the Jaguars, deployed earlier this year with the guided-missile Four of the six pilots currently aboard Philippine Sea cruiser. Both the ship and HSL-60 are based in Mayare Reservists, and HSL-60 is one of only four Reserve port, Fla. squadrons to operate the twin engine Seahawk also used in search and rescue, drug interdiction and special “This deployment showcases the ability of the Navy operations. Reserve to provide service in support of the activeduty fleet,” said Ambrose. “Their extra experience The squadron and Philippine Sea are working closely enables a detachment to become fully mission-capawith Commander, Task Force 150 in a multi-ship coble much more quickly and operate more efficiently.” alition performing MSO. Philippine Sea deployed in May in support of MSO. The ship is working with regional allies to detect, disrupt, and deny international terrorist organizations the

Rotor Review No. 90 / Summer ‘05

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Rotor Review # 90 Summer ‘05

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