FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) – The Arctic Air Command, which was formalized during a ceremony Aug. 8, will include two aviation battalions.
One of them was designated the 1-25th Attack Battalion by its commander, Col. Russ Vanderlugt. “This battalion provides the 11th Airborne Division with a wealth of capability and a large number of aircraft for large-scale combat operations,” he explained.
The other is the U.S. Army's only active-duty Arctic medical evacuation company, VanderLugt said. The company commands a fleet of helicopters equipped with equipment for Alaska's unique climate. “We have retractable skis that make it easier to pull the helicopters out here for Arctic operations,” VanderLugt said.
These new “Mike” model aircraft also come with FLIRs and stormscopes, enabling operations in the Arctic, where remote areas, weather conditions are changeable and forecasts are often poor.”
The skis are useful not only in the snow in winter, but also in the Alaskan swamps (muddy ground) in summer. According to the colonel, the soldiers also undergo training in something called “dynamic hoist.” “This not only makes them safer when they're trying to lift the patient on the ground, but also when the crew arrives. They can maintain that dynamic airspeed throughout the operation, instead of going into a stationary hovering state. It's also important tactically because it allows them to get away from the landing site quicker.”
“In the Arctic, especially in Alaska, we operate in some pretty remote areas,” said Maj. Jeffrey William Crook, 1-52nd General Support Aviation Battalion Charlie Company. “One of the advantages the HH-60 Mike has over its predecessor, the UH-60 Lima, is that it has a forward-looking infrared device mounted on the nose that allows it to see in some pretty obscure areas.”
The unit is also tasked with performing maintenance in extreme conditions, according to Crook, “Not only do we do everything a regular Army unit does, we work in minus 40 degrees, we work in the summer when it's hot outside, but we have to switch from those extreme temperatures and we have to be able to operate these aircraft, maintain them and perform the mission in any weather, any condition at any time. We're always ready to go, 24/7, 365 days a year.”
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