We did more than just "support". I take it as a compliment that you didn't see us. Prefer it that way. BTW, our own leaders don't even know we're there. Shows you where the Navy's priorities are.
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Navy Helo MEDEVAC Update 2515th Navy Air Ambulance Deatchment
- Thread starter ChuckMK23
- Start date
Sad but true. Senior Navy helo leadership has traditionally not been the "warfighting" types - personality or career wise. They don't pick "Warrior" mentality leaders to fill those spots. HM and HSC especially but I bet it's LAMPS too... HS has done a good job since their fitreps are usually written by CAG, etc.
The HS guys have also been hampered by some CAGs that don't think that the helo guys are "warriors". HSC will also need to be willing to accept some more risk in their ops and change their det manning if they are going to prep for non-standard HSC missions. It was like pulling teeth to get a harddeck below 500'.
HSCS,
I know that you guys work in a totally different enviorment. I'm just saying that compared to the Army you guys have a pretty small presence there. In no way was I implying that it wasn't important.
I know that you guys work in a totally different enviorment. I'm just saying that compared to the Army you guys have a pretty small presence there. In no way was I implying that it wasn't important.
Army aviation has a very difficult time changing with the times. We are a pretty closed community and that tends to hurt us. When I was a brand new pilot our unit had two Air Force 0-3's in it. They flew mostly NVG's with us. Their job was to take what they could from our training and vice versa.
Wih the op tempo they way it is I think the Army could benefit by taking some on some Navy pilot to serve as exchange pilots in country. We flew with the Easy Riders in Hawaii to get us deck qualed so it can be done. They loved flying our Lima models.
I'm sure that many Navy 0-3 and 0-4 types would love the chance. The problem is the reualr army officers. Mot of these guy have a hard enough time getting flight time. And the last thing they want to be doing is competing with another 0-3 ( Navy )who way more experience then them.
It makes no sense to me to take an experienced pilot and send him on an IA
ttour that doesn't involve flying. I guess the senior leadership in both services have lost touch with the real needs of guys.
Wih the op tempo they way it is I think the Army could benefit by taking some on some Navy pilot to serve as exchange pilots in country. We flew with the Easy Riders in Hawaii to get us deck qualed so it can be done. They loved flying our Lima models.
I'm sure that many Navy 0-3 and 0-4 types would love the chance. The problem is the reualr army officers. Mot of these guy have a hard enough time getting flight time. And the last thing they want to be doing is competing with another 0-3 ( Navy )who way more experience then them.
It makes no sense to me to take an experienced pilot and send him on an IA
ttour that doesn't involve flying. I guess the senior leadership in both services have lost touch with the real needs of guys.
Be careful what you say on here. Some of the "company" guys will gang up on you if you start talking common sense. Official party line is we should do a boat tour, not fly.
I think you missed the point of that "other" thread.
Usually you have already broken out from your peers so to speak to even be considered for an exchange at least on the green side.
zero
Registered User
Update...
Finishing up the last few weeks of the 2nd wave here of a combined HS-15/HSC-21 Air Ambulance Det under the 2515th NAAD title here in Kuwait. Over all every flight seemed to be a quality flight(Alert launch, NVG, unprepared landings at the range, etc.) but little total flight time compared to the standard CVN, VERTREP, or GATOR cruise (maybe 1/2 compared to my last cruise).
We got tasked with a handfull of cross boarder missions into S. Iraq, but as alluded to earlier they have to be dual ship. The irony is, I'm sure the initial intent is for dash2 to be a gun ship, but only one of our missions had such a formation (3 ship, 2 Navy AA(1 MH-60S, 1 HH-60H, 1 Army UH-60L gunship), and only because the threat level was raised at that time for the LZ.
We also provided MEDEVAC support for ships in the NAG and the bragging rights to the first oil platform MEDEVAC. It was a litter hoist (at night, on goggles, near HOGE limits, with intermittant Oil Temp hi lights flashing, etc). The Army units we replaced didn't ever get one of those calls. I'd post pics, but the connectivity here sucks at best.
Overall good times, but I'm ready to head back stateside. Wave 3 will be all HSC (MH-60S) with another combined unit comprised of HSC-21 and the newly established HSC-23. They're slated to arrive soon. Looks like the Navy will be here in this mission for a few more years at least.
Finishing up the last few weeks of the 2nd wave here of a combined HS-15/HSC-21 Air Ambulance Det under the 2515th NAAD title here in Kuwait. Over all every flight seemed to be a quality flight(Alert launch, NVG, unprepared landings at the range, etc.) but little total flight time compared to the standard CVN, VERTREP, or GATOR cruise (maybe 1/2 compared to my last cruise).
We got tasked with a handfull of cross boarder missions into S. Iraq, but as alluded to earlier they have to be dual ship. The irony is, I'm sure the initial intent is for dash2 to be a gun ship, but only one of our missions had such a formation (3 ship, 2 Navy AA(1 MH-60S, 1 HH-60H, 1 Army UH-60L gunship), and only because the threat level was raised at that time for the LZ.
We also provided MEDEVAC support for ships in the NAG and the bragging rights to the first oil platform MEDEVAC. It was a litter hoist (at night, on goggles, near HOGE limits, with intermittant Oil Temp hi lights flashing, etc). The Army units we replaced didn't ever get one of those calls. I'd post pics, but the connectivity here sucks at best.
Overall good times, but I'm ready to head back stateside. Wave 3 will be all HSC (MH-60S) with another combined unit comprised of HSC-21 and the newly established HSC-23. They're slated to arrive soon. Looks like the Navy will be here in this mission for a few more years at least.