Focus - Force of the Future A Tale of Two Futures
By CDR Tom “Brother” Murray, USN Commanding Officer, HSC-4
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uch has been written of late on the purpose and identity of the Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Community. I have no identity crisis – I’m a utility player and a rescue pilot. My squadron provides critical protection and support to our Carrier Air Wing (CVW) and Carrier Strike Group on a daily basis; we also fill the gaps and seams when needed. When tasked, we deliver people and parts; provide permissive, contested and combat Search and Rescue coverage; and ruthlessly defend any asset with deadly accurate fires. But this article is not about the identity of the HSC Community. This article is also not an academic research paper. Rather, I’m writing to offer my thoughts on the future of the HSC Community, raise awareness about changes afoot, and generate discussion about the same. I see our CVW squadrons rapidly approaching a fork in the road. I didn’t see this fork approaching when I coordinated the first HS to HSC (CVW) squadron transition in 2007 as a first tour aviator at HS-8. But, I see it clearly now as I lead the last HSC (CVW) squadron to deploy with our traditional complement of eight MH-60S helicopters. This fork offers two futures – a future in which my successors have a significantly reduced capacity (Future 1) and a future with an ever-increasing workload (Future 2). Perhaps they are not mutually exclusive. But first – a few sentences on innovation and change. Some reading this article may suppose that I am resisting change or unable to innovate. I am absolutely in favor of adapting to meet changing missions and operating environments. Further, I do not believe that the way we’ve always done business is good enough. However, I believe that the change about to occur in our HSC (CVW) squadrons may be out in front of some prerequisite discussions and resource reallocation. That is, funding for billets and airframes was cut and racks are being earmarked for redistribution prior to a shared understanding
(or conversation) about how to rebalance Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) resources & requirements. We owe it to ourselves, to the future of our community, and to the NAE to have an open discussion about the changes afoot. And if the fully informed plan has us continue as briefed, I’ll be the first to jump in with both feet and get to work.
Future 1: Reduced Capacity The HSC Community has been a community in “transition” for the entirety of its life. From Naval Air Ambulance Detachments in Kuwait and Iraq, to frequent pop up tasking around the globe, to Littoral Combat Ships and MQ-8B/C, and to being the most widely deployed Community in all of the NAE, HSC is literally everywhere and doing myriad things at any one time. It’s no surprise to many of us that the transition continues. In the latest significant change, the HSC (CVW) community – that is, our squadrons assigned to CVWs – is shifting from an eight MH-60S footprint (six airframes on the CVN and two airframes on a Combat Logistics Force (CLF) ship) to a five aircraft footprint (three MH60S on the CVN and two on a CLF). The decision, first shared with HSC Community leadership in mid-2020, is billed as a mix of budget savings from the Pentagon and one of many steps across the NAE toward freeing up CVN deck space (and rack space) for the everMH-60S from HSC-4 departing USS CARL VINSON to provide long range growing and ever-changing Air Wing of personnel recovery for air wing operations. the Future. Rotor Review #154 Fall '21
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