VSCA attends Army aviation convention in Nashville

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VSCA attends Army aviation convention in Nashville

By B.J. Weiner
April 18, 2006

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, April 18, 2006) – Thanks to outstanding performances by aviation Soldiers, and a commitment from Congress, the Department of Defense, Army senior leadership and industry partners, Army aviation has never been more relevant tactically nor as committed to modernization than it is today, according to Gen. Richard A. Cody, vice chief of staff of the Army, at the Army Aviation Association of America (Quad A) annual convention April 9-11.

Challenging industry partners in the audience, Cody praised the remarkable speed of the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter acquisition process and reiterated the Army’s dedication to transforming aviation.

“We are deadly serious about delivering on our modernization plan for tomorrow’s aviation Soldiers. We have a moral obligation to do so,” he said.

Army has ‘best pilots in the world’

Cody gave the keynote address and took part in the presentation of individual and unit aviation awards at the conference. He also chaired the aviation senior leader panel where aviation general officers discussed Army aviation’s present and future, and fielded questions from military and defense industry attendees.

“We have the best pilots in the world. We have the best commanders, the best maintenance crews and the best equipment. Our aviation Soldiers have shown great courage, great ingenuity and superb leadership in a tough and demanding fight. We must demand the same of ourselves as we move forward,” Cody said.

Brig. Gen. E.J. Sinclair, commander of the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Ala., also praised the efforts of Soldiers and field commanders, noting that the simultaneous reorganization, re-stationing, reset and modernization of the aviation branch would be impossible without the Herculean efforts of aviation units, aviators and their partners in industry.

Sinclair highlighted some of the branch’s accomplishments in the last year, to include advancements in the Flight School XXI program, “dunker” training for water aviation accidents and the incredible advancements in air-ground coordination in theater.

“Our number one priority remains our Soldiers – getting them supplies and equipment to fight the global war on terror,” Sinclair said. “We have increased our collective training capabilities as Soldiers get ready to deploy, by using observer control, flight simulation, and units from training support brigades and subject matter experts to bring all that to fruition.”

Commenting on the role of Army aviation in the collective Army effort, Cody said, “Our pilots have flown more than one million combat flight hours in Afghanistan and Iraq as of January 2006. They have done some unbelievable flying. And they have taken those skills that they honed in combat, turned right around, and used them to great effect and to great benefit to our citizens here at home in relief efforts like Katrina and Rita, and international efforts like [earthquake relief in] Pakistan.”

Army aviators fly more than a million combat hours

At a press conference later in the day, Cody emphasized that while equipment and technology are important in aviation, it is still the aviation Soldier who is the centerpiece of the Army’s success.

“We have flown more than a million combat hours. More than a million hours,” Cody emphasized. “And in that time, we have not suffered a single maintenance related accident. Our crew chiefs truly don’t get enough recognition for their work.”

“In the early morning, you walk to the flight line alone, in the dark,” said the first recipient of the Crew Chief of the Year Award, Sgt. Christopher J. Scangarello, Company B, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment, Florida Army National Guard, regarding the long hours crews dedicate to maintaining the Army’s aircraft in theater. “And after the pilots come home, you work the aircraft and you walk home, alone, in the dark.”

Cody underscored his pride in the Soldiers and the great examples they have set in the field. He noted that four or five years ago, if someone had suggested that the accomplishments made to date by Army aviators, no one would have believed it that aviators would have chalked up over one million flying hours in less than four years. He credited leadership from the officer corps, the enlisted corps and the Soldiers who have volunteered for duty during this time of war.

“Look at these great Soldiers,” he said of the awardees and the Soldiers attending the Quad A. “Where do we get people like this? This country is so blessed to have them in our ranks. We appreciate our partners in industry and our DA (Department of the Army) civilians, and everything you do. For those Soldiers who are protected on the ground by our aircraft, for the Soldiers flying them and for the Soldiers being medevaced by them – well, it’s one team and one fight over there.”

Cody also visited Fort Rucker, Ala., and spoke to participants in the Warrant Officer Course. He re-emphasized the need for strong leadership and urged that, before they decided to retire or leave the service, to look in the mirror and ask who else would be able to continue the fine work being done in all specialties in the Army.

“You are the specialists,” he said. “I see many more opportunities in the future for the warrant officer corps to teach and mentor young officers and enlisted personnel. It is critical for the success of our mission in the global war on terror, and the future of the Army, that we continue to foster the kind of leadership we have in its ranks today. And all of you exemplify that strength, that dedication we need to persevere in the future.”