4 minute read
Commodore's Corner
The Future is Very Bright
By CAPT Sam Bryant, USN
On behalf of the Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission (VRM) Community, I want to thank you for welcoming us to your membership ranks. I am CAPT Sam “Flesh” Bryant, Commodore VRMWING, and I am joined by CAPT Justin “Juice” McCaffree as my Deputy Commodore. I originally hail from the C-2A Greyhound Community, and Juice came from the HSC Community; which is fairly representative of the Navy Tiltrotor Community as a whole. We are excited to have the talent mission knowledge of both VRC and HSC Communities as we employ them with this entirely different kind of airframe. The CMV-22 Osprey brings the same flexible and transformational capabilities to the U.S. Navy, that the MV-22B brought to the USMC and USAFSOC almost 20 years ago. While, we employ the aircraft differently than our sister services, the Fleet is already recognizing the CMV-22’s awesome flexibility over its predecessor, the venerable C-2A Greyhound.
Through a tremendous effort between our Industry partners and the USMC, the Navy VRM Community was able to leverage over 20 years of experience, best practices, and scar tissue to accelerate our learning with operating and maintaining the CMV-22B. Our first squadron, the “Titans” of VRM-30, accepted their first aircraft in June of 2020 and went Safe-forFlight just over a year ago in October of 2020. Here we are, only a year later, and we already have our first detachment of three aircraft under way with USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and CVW 2. Our second detachment is executing COMPTUEX with USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and CVW 9, and our FRS (VRM-50) has already accepted its first two aircraft. The pace our team has been able to perform at, has been truly eye-watering to witness.
I am pleased to report that Detachment 1 on Vinson has already been exercising the flexibility of the CMV-22 in several mission areas, to include MEDEVAC at-sea. In addition to completing over 13 MEDEVAC missions so far, one mission in particular stood out as “transformational." While operating over 600NM off the coast of Okinawa, a Sailor onboard Vinson experienced a stroke. Due to the fact that the ship was out of helicopter range, and the patient could not withstand a catapult shot, the call went out for the CMV22. Detachment 1 was able to fly 1000 NM round-trip, at airplane speeds, and bring a critical care patient directly to the helo pad and the waiting hands of trauma personnel at Camp Foster, Okinawa, rather than to a runway and a waiting ambulance. The patient was able to get the time-critical care required to reverse the stroke symptoms, and will regain use of his arm. Meanwhile, back at NASNI in San Diego, a CMV-22 that happened to
VRC-30 Detachment 1 lands at Camp Foster, Okinawa JP during a MEDEVAC mission
be at the hot pits received a call to immediately proceed to USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) for another critical MEDEVAC during the recent tragic HSC-8 mishap. Despite the awful circumstances surrounding that day, the CMV-22 was able to expedite transfer of a critical survivor with a spinal injury to a level one trauma center in San Diego. This is just one example of the flexibility this aircraft will offer the Fleet, and will likely change how Carrier Strike Groups approach future contingencies.
In addition to MEDEVAC, the CMV-22 is capable of landing on multiple classes of ships, as well as those of our strategic allies, acting as an expeditionary refueling platform, and many other missions outside the capability of the C-2A. These transformational capabilities of the CMV-22, are the exact reason the aircraft was procured by N98. As we look to the horizon and see the looming Great Power Competition, and begin to fully understand the contested logistics scenarios we will likely face in a high-end fight—this aircraft is exactly the multi-tool required to take us into the era of Air Wing of The Future. With the combined talents of the rotarywing and tilt rotor members of our community - that future is very bright!
VRM-30 Detachment 1 aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth during Exercise MALIBAR
VRM-30 experiments with providing ground refueling to HSCWINGPAC aircraft during CMV-22 Operational Test.
Create a login (this doesn’t have to be your NHA login) – they will send you a verification code – enter it per instructions, Next Enter “Rotor Review” in the search bar on the Issuu app. Click on Rotor Review. Be informed, be entertained, be NHA.
