swash plate february 2013

February2013

• “President’sMessage” RobertFrost• “WeAreFamily” KarinWindorski‐Cruz• ”RodsforSoldiers” JohnFore• “BrothersInArms” ChuckCannon• “ThatInnerVoice” JayBrown• andmuch,muchmore!

Presenting!President’sMessageRobertFrost

This month has been an interestingoneforcombatveterans.Asyoumayknow,the Pentagon has decided to issue a newDistinguished Warfare Medal which willoutrankthePurpleHeart,BronzeStarandAirMedal. Personally, I sidewith theVeteransofForeignWars(VFW)intheiroppositiontothisdecision.

“It is very important to properlyrecognizeallwhofaithfullyserveandexcel,butthisnewmedal–nomatterhowwellintended–couldquicklydeteriorateinamoraleissue,”saidJohnE. Hamilton, National Commander of the 2 million‐member Veterans of

ForeignWarsoftheUSanditAuxiliaries.In announcing the medal, the Pentagon recently said that modern technology enables service

memberswith special training and capabilities tomore directly and precisely impactmilitary operations attimesfarfromthebattlefield.TheDistinguishedWarfareMedalwascreatedtorecognizesuchextraordinaryachievement,regardlessofthedistancefromthebattlefield.

“TheVFWfullyconcursthatthosefarfromthefightarehavinganimmediateimpactonthebattlefieldinreal‐time,”saidMr.Hamilton,acombat‐woundedMarineCorpsRiflemaninVietnam,“butmedalsthatcanonly be earned in direct combatmustmeanmore thanmedals awarded in the rear. The VFW urges theDepartmentofDefensetoreconsiderthenewmedal’splacementinthemilitaryorderofprecedence.”

IrecentlysawamessagepostedbyATroop,3/17thAirCavalry(SilverSpurs). Theirpresidentwasalittlelessdelicateinhislettertotheirmembers.Iquote:“This‘medal’willhaveahigherratingthanaPurpleHeartorBronzeStarwith“V”device.Thisbasicallysaysthesepeoplewhohaveneverputtheirassesontheline,tookthepoint,orflewinahostilecombatfightarehonoredonahigherscalethanthosewhomadetheultimatesacrifice.

“For us in the Silver Spurs know far too well what the Purple Heart, especially posthumous, reallymeans.Wehaveseenourbrothersdieonthebattlefield,woundedwithgrievouslifechangingwoundsandsomeofushadthesaddutyofplacingourbrother’sbodies inarubberbag. Somethingyoudon’t forget.”Endquote.

IhavepolledtheCHPABoardofDirectorsandweareunanimousinourresolvetodowhatwecantovoiceouropinionaboutthemilitaryorderofprecedenceforthisnewmedal.RheaRippey,ourChairmanof

Volume 9, Issue 2 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org

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TheSwash!Onceamonth,ineachissueofTheSwashPlate,wepassalongitemsofinterestto

our members. Things like the President’s Message, book reviews and notices ofupcoming reunions and gatherings come together pretty easy. What we don’tregularly get are those interesting stories fromourmembers. Nobody tells a betterstory than a combat helicopter crewmember, whether it’s the truth or “enhancedtruth.” Our most entertaining and informative stories come from you, ourmembership.

So,ifyouhaveanideaforanarticle,orifyouhaveastoryyou’dliketosubmitit’saseasyassendingitin.Thestorycanbeaboutanythingfromflightschooltoreallifethere‐I‐wasstories.We’vepublishedseveralstoriesovertheyearsrangingfromtalesofflightschoolalong,longtimeagoto“warstories”thatwe’resuremostofyoucanidentifywith.

Takeamoment to lay fingersonkeyboardor justputpen topaperand send inthosestories.Youcanemailthemtohq@chpa‐us.orgorthroughtheUSPostOfficeto:CHPA•POBox42•Divide,CO80814‐0042

[CallForArticles]

theBoard,willbedraftingalettertobesenttoSecretaryPanettathatstatesourofficialpositionasaVeteransorganization.ThatletterwillbepostedonourwebsiteandwillbepublishedintheSwashPlate.

Asyouknow,CHPAisnotapoliticalorganization,anditdoesnotengageinpoliticalactivitiesofanykind. However,ourBy‐lawsdoallowustoadoptanofficialpositionregardingnational issuesof interesttoveteransingeneral,andcombatrotarywingpilotsandflightcrewmembers.Inaddition,CHPAmayutilizeitsresourcesforthepurposeof influencingthelegislativeorregulatoryprocessofsuchissues. Inotherwords,thereisnothinginourBy‐lawsthatprohibitsourspeakingoutonthisissueofinterest.Therefore,weseeitasourdutytoproduceanobjectivestatementthatclearlydefinesourpositiononthisawardpolicy.

If you feel as we do, I hope you will take the time to contact your US Representative, your twoSenators,theSecretaryofDefense,andthePresident.Yourvoiceshouldbeheardbyourleaders.


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WeAreFamilyKarinWindorski‐Cruz

ConcludedonPage5

Editor’s note. CW3 Philip E. Windorski was KIA 26 January, 2009 while flying an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior in Iraq. Ms Windorski-Cruz delivered this speech at the 6th Cavalry Ball on the fourth anniversary of his loss.

When LTC Sweet first approachedme about speaking tonight,

myinitialthoughtwas,“What?Areyouinsane?!?!”Butsomehowthewordsthatcameoutofmymouthsoundedmuchmorelike,“Sure.I'dbehonored.”Iguessmyheartwasalotbraverthanmymind.

I'm sure you might be asking yourselves: Why her? I'm notgonna lie to you. I askedmyself that very question aswell. But themoreIthoughtaboutit,themoreIrealizedthatthebestansweris:Whynotme?

Yousee,likeyou,IamCAV.Iam6/6.Ihavebeenwhereyouareandmyheartremainsthere.Why?Becauseofonesimplereason:FAMILY.

When I first enlisted in theArmy, back in the days of grey cotton PTs andwoodland camo, I did itbecause I felt the strong push to paymy dues to this country so that I would never feel that I acceptedanythingthatIwasn'twillingtopayformyself.IguessIfeltthatsenseofduty,ofhonor.Youknow,thereissomethingtobesaidaboutgivingmoreofyourselfthanyouexpectinreturn.Istandnowbeforearoomfullofmenandwomenwhounderstandthatveryfeeling.

Afewmonthsaftersigningintomyfirstunit,ImetayoungSGTinmybattalionnamedPhil.Hewascharming,funnyandboy,didhelookdarngoodinapairofWranglers.BeingstationedincentralTexas,hefitrightinwithallthelocalcowboys.HewasacountryboyfromMinnesota,andIwasacitygirlfromCalifornia.AndheandI,well,wemadeareallygreatteam.

Philand Igotmarriedthefollowing4thofJuly. Wethought itwasfittingfortwosoldierstotietheknotonthedaythatrepresentsFreedomandwhatallAmericansoldiersfightfor. Truthbetold, ifyouhadaskedPhilwhywepickedthatdate,Ibethewouldhavesaid,“ItwasonaSaturday.”

Afewweeksbeforetheceremony,Philgotselectedforflightschool.Hisreportdatewasjustamonthafterourwedding.Unfortunately,IhadtostaybackatFortHoodtofinishoutmyenlistment,sowemissedoutonspendingthefirstfewmonthsofourmarriagetogether.Beingapartforthatfirstfivemonthswasgoodtrainingforwhatwastocomeafterflightschool.Oncewewerereunited,therealadventurebegan.

WespentthenextfewyearslivinginexoticplaceslikeFortPolk,Louisiana.Hey,ifyouhaveeverbeenthere,youwillagreethatLouisianaislikeawhole‘nothercountry!Ifmemoryserves,Ithinkthestatebirdistheflyingcockroach.

Duringourtravelsfromdutystationtodutystation,wenever livedclosetoeitherofourfamiliesoforigin.Sowhat'sahighspeedscoutpilotandhisyoungbridetodo?Well,beingtheadventuroustype,wemadeourownFAMILY(theoldfashionedway).

He got the glamorous job of flyingmissions over Bosnia and Iraq,while I spent timewithmorningsickness, sick kids, broken down vehicles, and dealingwiththelovelypeopleatthehousingoffice.IhadplentyofdayswhereIthoughtIgottheshortendofthatstick!


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Please feel free to forward this issue of “The Swash Plate” to your colleagues, potential members and other interested parties!

Sharethe“Swash”

FacingoverseasdeploymentsandNTCandJRTCrotationswithoutbeinggeographicallyclosetomineorPhil'sparents, Iquickly learnedthatFAMILYwasmorethanjustthepeoplethathadsharedahomewithme.

Yousee,FAMILYcomesinmanyforms.YouhavetheFAMILYyouwerebornintooradoptedby.TheFAMILY you createwith the partner you choose. Or it is the group ofmen andwomen that your BranchManagersaysyouhavetolivewithforthenext3to5years.

So,whenPhilwasjustaWOJGandIwasanewlymintedspouse,wereachedouttoourfellowArmyFAMILYmembersandgottoknowthem.WehadcookoutsandmovienightswithournewextendedFAMILY.Ourkidsmadefriendsinschoolandalsowiththeotherkidsintheunit.Spendingtimewiththeotherfamiliesintheunitbecamearegularoccurrence.AnditmadeeachdutystationfeelalittlemorelikeHOME.

It's no secret thatArmyAviation is a small community and thatAir CAV is even smaller. It's not anexaggerationwhenyouheartheseniorsoldiersortheirspousessaythatyouwillrunintohalfthesepeopleagainatsomepointinyourcareer.It'strue.Evennow,IseefacesinthisroomthatIhaveknownfromourdaysatFortRuckerwhenPhilwasanIPthere.Andthat'sbeenovereightyearsago.

Itdoesn'tmattertheairframeorMOS. Itdoesn'tmatter ifyouweartheuniformor lovethesoldierwearingit.WeareALLpartofaFAMILY;First,theArmyFAMILY,thentheAviationCommunityFAMILY,andfinallythe6/6FAMILY.

So,havinganeventlikethisisakintoaFAMILYreunion.Bytheendofthenight,wewillhaveseentheanticsofour“CrazyUncleWillard”.Andnodoubteven

“NoseyCousinNelda”willbetryingtogetthescooponwhat'sbeengoingonwithyou.Wewilllaughattheyoung‘unsastheytrytoputfoodintoGrandpaGeorge'smouthwhilehenaps.AndIamsurethetwinswillentertainus asoneholds thebeermugand theotherone says “Hey!Watch this!” Andwewill all gatheraroundandgive thanks toGod forbringingus together tonight to celebrate theFAMILYHehasblesseduswith,crazyrelativesandall.

WhenI lostmyhusbandfouryearsagotonight,mychildrenandIwerebeyondbroken.Butthecareandsupportofeveryoneherein6/6showedushowtrulyexpansiveourFAMILYreallywas.TheywerethereforusonthatcoldJanuarymorningwhenwereceivedthedevastatingnews.Andour6/6FAMILYremainsbyoursidestoday,asmychildrenandIcontinuetopickupthepiecesandDRIVEON.

So, I would like to say thank you. Thank you to each and every one of my SIX SHOOTER FAMILYMEMBERShereinthisroomtonight.Wemaybecloseandspeakonaregularbasis,orwemightbeliketwocousinswhohaveyettomeet.Butonethingiscertain,WEAREANDWILLREMAIN...FAMILY!

PleaseconsidersponsoringCHPA’sprograms.YoumaymaketaxdeductibledonationstosupporttheGoldieFund,CHPA’sScholarshipprogram,theHolidayBoxesfortheTroops,T‐shirtsforHeroesortheAssociation.ForfurtherinformationpleaselookatSponsorshipatthewebsite,http://www.chpa‐us.org.

Sponsorship


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Alittlefriendlyinter‐servicerivalry

ASoldier,aSailor,anAirmanandaMarinegot intoanargumentaboutwhichbranchof theservicewas"TheBest."Thearguingbecamesoheatedthefourservicemenfailedtoseeanoncomingtruckastheycrossedthestreet.Theywerehitbythetruckandkilledinstantly.

Soon,thefourservicemenfoundthemselvesatthePearlygatesofHeaven.There,theymetSaintPeteranddecidedthatonlyhecouldbetheultimatesourceof truthandhonesty.So, thefourservicemenaskedhim,"SaintPeter,whichbranchoftheUnitedStatesArmedForcesisthebest?"

SaintPeter replied, "I can'tanswer that.However, IwillaskGodwhatHe thinks thenext time I seeHim.Meanwhile,thankyouforyourserviceonEarthandwelcometoHeaven."

Sometime later the fourservicemenseeSaintPeterandremindhimof thequestiontheyhadaskedwhen first entering Heaven. The four servicemen asked Saint Peter if he was able to find the answer.Suddenly,asparklingwhitedovelandsonSaintPeter'sshoulder.

Inthedove'sbeakisanoteglisteningwithgolddust.SaintPeteropensthenote,trumpetsblare,golddust drifts into the air, harps play crescendos and Saint Peter begins to read the note aloud to the fourservicemen:

MEMORANDUMFROMTHEDESKOFTHEALMIGHTYONETO:AllFormerSoldiers,Sailors,Airmen,andMarinesSUBJECT:WhichMilitaryServiceIstheBest

1.AllbranchesoftheUnitedStatesArmedForcesarehonorableandnoble.

2.EachservesAmericawellandwithdistinction.

3. Serving in theUnited Statesmilitary represents a great honorwarranting special respect, tribute, anddedicationfromyourfellowman.

4.Alwaysbeproudofthat.

Warmregards,

GOD

Aviation,USArmy(Retired)


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CHPA continues to receive quite an assortment of patches from our members. These patches are displayed at our booth at HAI, Quad A, and VHPA. Several of you have donated patches, but we’re always looking for more. They are very eye catching and help us garner attention. So please dig through your old patches and if you have some you’d like to share, send them to us at: CHPA • PO Box 42 • Divide, CO80814‐0042

GOT PATCHES?

RodsforSoldiersJohnFore

Forsome,catchinganice troutor redfish in thespringalongthecoast insouthTexas isa thrillofalifetime.HopespringseternalandthereishopethatthefishinggodswillbesmilingMay16‐19asPatHeltonand Texas Rod Builders, founders of “Rods for Soldiers”, along with Phil and Barbara Maley, owners ofPolebenders Lodge in Seadrift, TXwill be hosting six combat veterans for a two‐day fishing trip. Rods forSoldiersisaprogramtohonorandshowgratitudetoveteransreturningfrombattlebyprovidingapotentialphysical andmental therapeuticoutlet for stress, and to learnandparticipate in the timehonoredcraftoffishing.

Whatstartedoutasadonationrodbuildforawoundedveteranhasturnedintoamajorfocalpointofaworld‐widemovement.TheTexasRodBuilders,anonlinegroup,haslaunchedRodsForSoldierstoprovidefree,custom‐madefishingrodstoournation’sheroes. Originallyfourmemberswhenitbeganin2010,thegroupnowhasover 100members fromall over theworld. Pat, aVietnamveteranhimself, said, “Wearelimitingittowoundedanddecoratedsoldiersbecausewejustcan’tbuildarodforeverybody.Soldiershavedoneextraforuswhetherthey’veperformedsomeheroicfeat,they’vedonesomethingextraforussowecanlive the lifewe live so a fishing rod is the leastwe can do. Wewishwe could build rods for every singlesoldier.”

Sinceitsinception,hundredsofrodshavebeengiventodeservingsoldiers,alldonatedbycustomrodbuildersthroughoutAmerica. DuringtheMaytrip,eachsoldierwillbepresentedwithacustomrod,anewreel,acustomfiletknife,shirts,andmanyothergoodies.Everyoneislookingforwardtoanoutstandingtimeofgoodfood,camaraderie,andanopportunitytosaythanks.Thisisawonderfulprogramthatputssmilesonthefacesofthosewhohavesufferedforusall.Ifyouarearodbuilderandwouldliketoparticipateorjustmake a charitable donation, tax deductible of course, go towww.rodsforsoldiers.com and click on “HELP”.Please be generous. “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in itspreservation”…‐GeneralDouglasMacArthur


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BrothersinArmsChuckCannon,Ft.PolkGuardianStaffWriter

ContinuedonPage8

Beingstationedwitha familymemberwhileintheArmyisoftentimesadifficulttask.True,theArmydoes itsbesttoassignhusbandsandwivestothesamepost‐oratleastinthesamevicinity‐butatourwithasiblingisnexttoimpossible.

That taskbecomesevenmoredifficult if thesiblings have the same job ‐ particularly if thenumber of Soldiers who do that job Army‐wide issmall.

Youcanthereforeunderstandtheelation feltbyCW3MattDeGrootandhisyoungerbrother,CW2BenDeGrootwhentheyreceivedorderstoFortPolk,LA,aftertoursinAfghanistan.

Thatelationgrewevenmorewhenthehelicopterpilotswereassignedtothesamecompany‐USArmyAirAmbulanceDetachment,5thAviationBattalion.

"WestartedtryingtocoordinatethisassignmentwhenwewereinAfghanistan,"Mattsaid."Thenwegothereandwoundupinthesamecompany.Weactuallygettoflytogethereverynowandthen;that'salotoffun."

BensaidtheArmywouldprobablynothaveapprovedtheassignmentwithhisbrotheriftheywereincombat.

"Butrightnowwe'reatatraininginstallationandIdon'tthinkitisanissueatall,"Bensaid.At31,Mattistheelderbyfouryears,butitwasBenwhoalwaysharboredadesiretofly."I'vewantedtoflysinceIwasakid,"Bensaid."Mattwaswiththe2ndRangerBattalionandstarted

applyingforflightschoolandIstartedapplyingasacivilian."Mattsaidthatwhilehewasintheinfantry,hewoundupflyinginthebackofChinooksduringtraining

and deployments. He said he talked with the pilots and that's when he developed an interest in flyinghelicopters.

"They(pilots)said,'You'vegottobereallysmarttobeapilot,'soIdecidedtogiveitatry,"Mattsaid,thetraceofagringracingbothbrothers'faces.

ThepairactuallywoundupattheArmy'shelicopterschoolinEnterprise,AL,atthesametime."Hewasaboutsixmonthsbehindmesowelivedtogetheratflightschoolforaboutsixmonths,"Matt

said.Thatsix‐monthheadstartisthereasontheelderDeGrootoutrankshisbrother."We'reatthesamelevelasfarasflighttimegoesandexperience,"Mattsaid."Iwassixmonthsahead

ofhiminflightschoolwhichputmeayeargroupaheadofhim."Ben addedwith a smile: "It's not becausehe's a better pilot thanme, I actually got promoted last

month,butdon'tpinitonuntilJune."OnechallengefacingtheWrightwood,CAnativeshasnothingtodowithbeingassignedtothesame

company."We both typically fly Chinooks, so after flight

school he went to Fort Drum and I went to Fort


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Concludedonpage9

Campbell,"Mattsaid."ThenwecameherewhereweareflyingthesmallerLakota;itwasanadjustment."Anevenbiggeradjustmentcamewiththeirnewunit'smission."Boredomwasabigchallengewhenwefirstarrived,"Mattsaid."GoingfromslammingaChinookinto

adustyLZ(landingzone)orthesideofamountain,pickingupbulletholes,allthatexcitingstuff,thencomingtothis.It'skindoflikebeingafirefighter:Wesitaroundandwaitforacall,andevenwhenwegetacall,it'smostlylikeheatcasualtiesinthesummertime.That'stheonlydownsideofbeinghere."

Thepilots'detachmentcommander,MAJHeinsV.Recheugel,hadnothingbutpraiseforthebrothers."This ismy first time tohave thisdynamic,"Recheugel said. "Theybringa lotof flavor to theunit.

Theyarebothsmartguysanddependable.Itgivesourunitmoreofafamilyfeel."Recheugelsaideveryoneintheunitenjoysthegood‐naturedbanterbetweentheDeGroots."IapprovetheflightssometimesandI'llseethey'reononetogether,"hesaid."I'lltellthem,'OK,no

fightinginthecockpit.'"The commander said he was hesitant about accepting the younger of the two pilots because of

possibleproblemswithissuessuchasemergencyleave."IfsomethinghappenedintheirFamily,Iwouldhavetoletthembothgoandthatwouldputusdown

twopilots,"hesaid."Icouldn'tletoneofthemgoandtelltheotheronehecouldn'tgo.ButItoldthemwe'dcrossthatbridgewhenwegettoit,andsofarithasn'tbeenaproblem.We'vehadplentyofpilotsonhand."

Thesoldiers'battalioncommander,LTCGuyGierhart,alsospokehighlyofMattandBen."I've never been in a unit where there were brothers in the same company," he said. "I've seen

husbandsandwives,butnotbrothers.Ithought,whatareallyneatthing.IknowmybrotherandIusedtofightlikecatsanddogs,butwe'regreatfriendsnow.Ithink,howcoolwouldthatbetobeabletogoflywithyourbrotherordomissionswithyourbrother."

GierhartsaidtheexperienceissomethingtheDeGrootswouldprobablyrememberfortherestoftheirmilitarycareers.

"Theymustknowsomebodybecauseit'susuallyaharddealtogettowhereyouwanttogo,letalonecoordinatewithyourbrothertogettothesameplace,"hesaid. "Notonlyaretheybrothers, they'regoodpilots,goodofficersandgoodpeople.Ithinkthosewhoarestationedherenowwilllookbackandsay,'Iwasinthesameunitwithbrotherswhowerebothpilots.'It'soneofthosethingsI'mthankfulfor."

Havingsonswhoarepilotsinawarzonehastobetough,andtheDeGrootbrotherssaidtheirmotherworriedaboutthemwhentheyweredeployedtoAfghanistanandIraq.

"Likeanymother,sheworries,"Mattsaid."Butsheanddadarebothproudofus."Soproud,thatBensaidtheirdadbragsaboutthemtohisfriends."We send them pictures of us flying and dad prints them and takes them into work to show his

colleagues,"Bensaid."Hisfriendsarealwaysaskingforthelatestpictures."Mattsaidhisdad'spickuptrucklookslikeitbelongstoaretiredsergeantmajor."He'sgoteverystickerwe'veeversenthimstuckonthebackofhistruck,"Mattsaid."Hesaidhenever

getsaspeedingticket."Bothbrothersagreethattheyfoundtheirlives'passionwithaviation."Ilikeeverythingaboutflying,"Mattsaid."It'sawesome.Idon'twanttodoanythingelse.I'vehad

theopportunity to flymyold platoon. I've taken a guywhowas a privatewhen Iwas,whowas now theplatoonsergeantandIthepilot.Itwasgreat.Hegavemealittleragging,butitwasgreat."

Benagreed."AviationisafieldIalwayswantedtobein,and

nowthatIaminit,Ican'tgetenoughofit,"hesaid."It's


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SubmitYourPhotos!

CHPAhasagrowingcollectionofphotos,fromflightschoolclasspictureslikethese,toactionphotostohelicoptershotsfromaroundtheworld…IfyouwouldliketocontributetothecollectionpleaseuploadyourphotosbyfollowingthelinksontheCHPAwebsiteorclickhere!

somethingthat'scoveted;it'ssomethingthatalotofpeopledesiretodobutonlyafewgetto.I'mfortunatetohavethechancetodoitandIwanttokeepdoingit."

Matt,a12‐yearveteranwithaspousewhoisaveteranandthreechildren,hopestostayintheArmyfor20years.

"Afterthat,I'dliketoflyontheoutside,"hesaid."TheonlythingthatwouldreallystopmewouldbeifforsomereasonIhadhealthissues."

Ben,whoissingle,saidhehasadecisiontomakeinacoupleofyears."ThenextopportunityI'llhavetomakeadecisiontostayinorgetout,I'llhave10yearsofservice,"he

said."I'mconsideringtransitioningtotheNationalGuardanddoingthisparttime,thengettingacivilianflightjob.WhatI'dreallyliketodoisaerialfirefighting.I'dliketoheadbackoutwestandtrytogetinvolvedwithfirefighting.IthinkitwouldbecomparableinexcitementtowhatIdointhemilitary."

While bothmen understand they are in a unique situation, they don't see themselves as anythingspecial.

"Otherguysdothesamethingwedo,wejusthappentohavethesamelastnameandcomefromthesamehometown,"Bensaid.


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ThatInnerVoiceJayBrown

Concludedonpage11

AgreatmanyyearsagoIreadanarticleinaUSNavyAviationmagazinetitled “Listening to The Mice.” The article was about a naval aviator’sexperiencesflyingthosemissionswe’veallhadwherethingsjustdidn’tgorightfrom the beginning; toomany things foundwrong on pre‐flight, systems thatrefusedtocomeonlineunlesscoaxedandradiocontactsthatseemedtobeoutforcoffeewhenyoutried toconnect. Ofcourse theyweretheoneswhohadtheinformationyouneededtocompleteyourmission.

Therearemanytermstodescribethisparticularsituationranging from“gremlins” to“justnotmeant to fly.” In thisarticle theauthordescribed itaslistening to thesystemsthatweretrying, in theirownwayto tellyouperhapsyoushouldstayontheground.ListeningtotheMice.

AsayoungaviatorIdidn’thavethecapabilityto“hear”anaircraft,ormiceforthatmatter,talktome.EitherIhadn’tdevelopedthematurity,therelationshiptotheaircraftorhadn’tyetlearnedthelanguage.Ittakesafewyearsandafewhundredflighthourstolearntolisten,togetpastthemissionurgency,slowthepaceand“converse”withtheaircraft.TothisdaywhenI’mclosetoahelicopterIhavetotouchher,totellherhelloandlistentoanythingshemighthavetotellme.Somefolks,especiallythosewhodon’tflyorthosewhohaveneverflownhelicoptersmightlookatmelikeI’mlosingwhatlittleisleftofmymind,buttheydon’tknowthelanguagesoIforgivethem.TheconversationsI’vehadwithvarioushelicoptersovertheyearshaveonoccasion literallysavedmy life, the livesofmycrewandtheaircraft itself. Ican’tcall it listeningtothemiceasthatseemsabitinsultingtotheaircraft,andit’sbeenused.Irefertoitasthatinnervoice.

Allyouoldtimershaveitbutyoumaycallitsomethingelse;asixthsense,agutfeelingorahunchbutit’sthere. It’sthatsuddenrealizationthatyouneedtolookataparticulargauge,orfindthatdimlightinadarknightskythattellsyouyou’reoncourse(ornot),ortojustgetyoureyesupandoutofthecockpit.It’sthatfinalresignationafterthethirdpre‐flightandrunup,whenradiosrefusetoworkorthecompasscardis180outorthechiplightwillnotresetthatyoudecidemaybeitwouldbebettertojustgrabacupofcoffeeanddosometabletalk. Myconversationshavekeptmefromimpactingthesurfaceof theocean inaverynoselowattitudeononeofthedarkestnightsknowntoman.They’vekeptmeoncourseduringadarknightoverwaterwheretherewasonelightshiningverydimlyontheblackcanvasofskyandocean.Andthey’vekeptme,quiteliterally,alivebywhisperingIshouldlookupNOWatthatmostpropitiousmoment.

Suchwas the caseonenight flyingmissions in thePersianGulf in supportof theCommander, JointTask Force Middle East. I was assigned to Task Force 118 at Ft. Bragg flying the OH‐58D (Armed), theprecursoroftheKiowaWarrior.WewereflyingarmedreconnaissancemissionsinthePersianGulfduringtheIran/IraqwarprotectingshippingfromthenortherngulfallthewaythroughtheStraitsofHormuz.Tonight’smissionwasgoingtobeaneasyone.Wewouldn’tevengetoutofsightof“Mother,”theMaritimeSupportBargeWimbrown7.Thegulfhadbeenquiet,noactivityonourownradaroronthelinkedsystemsoftheUSNavy radars covering the gulf, sowewere going to do some trainingwith the SEAL teamwho shared ourquarters.ThetrainingmissionwouldbetopracticenightoverwaterCSARextractionspullingtheSEALsfromthe waters of the gulf and depositing them on the flight deck of the Wimbrown 7. The OH‐58Ds wereequippedwithcavingladderswhichcouldbedeployedinflight but could not be repacked until you landed. ThecrewsflewwithANPVS‐5NVGsotheentirecyclewould


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becarriedoutwithnolightsontheaircraftorontheflightdeck.TheonlylightswouldbetheNVGcompatiblepositionlightsandtheNVGcompatiblelightstickstheSEALswouldusetomarktheirpositionsfloatinginthewater. Theideawastohaveoneofourtwoaircraftonstand‐byontheotherflightdeckincasetheywereneededforanemergencywhilethesecondaircraftpracticedextractions,hookinguptheSEALteamoneatatime,pullingthemfromthewateranddepositingthemonthesecondaryflightdeck.Thentheaircraftwouldswitchpositionsandthestand‐bycrewwouldpracticeextractions.Eachpilotwouldhavetopracticeseveralextractionssothecyclewasexpectedtolastacoupleofhours.

Themissionwasgoingquitewell,ifnotrepetitiveandeveryonewasgainingsomevaluableexperienceworking with a sister service, special operations forces, night vision goggle over water extractions andrecoveries.TheworkingaircrafttookofffromthesecondaryflightdeckandflewaroundthebargeataboutahalfmiledistanceandlocatedtheSEALteaminthewater.Oncethepersontobeextractedwasidentifiedthecavingladderwasdeployedandtheaircraftmaneuveredintopositiontoallowtheswimmertohookontotheladder. Oncehewashookedin,theaircraft liftedtheswimmeroutandreturnedthehalf‐miletothebargeanddepositedtheswimmeronthesecondarydeck.Wash,rinserepeat.

Iwasflyingfromtherightseatandhadpickedseveralswimmersupanddroppedthemonthedeckwithout incident. TheSEALs,onceunhooked fromthe ladderwere reformingon the lowerdeckandgoingbackintothewatertobepickedupagain.ThesecondaryflightdeckwaslargeenoughtoholdtwoOH‐58Dsbutlookedmuchsmallerhovering60feetaboveit.IwasonthecontrolslookingstraightdownunderNVGsandworkingtoputahumanbeingswingingontheendofa50footladdersomewherenearaselectedspotonthe deck. All you helicopter pilots know that’s a workload. On what would be my last pick‐up I wasmaneuvering the guy on the end of the ladder and the wind had picked upmaking the job a little moredifficult.MovingthecontrolsmillimetersatatimeIwasmovingtheswimmernearertothespotIneededhimtobeon.That’swhenIheardtheinnervoicewhisper.

AsIwaslookingdownIhadinstructedtheguyintheleftseattokeepaneyeoutforobstructionsandkeepus clear. I don’t knowwhathe said that caughtmyattention, itmayhavebeenadirection tomoveforwardabout a foot, that alertedme thatwewereboth lookingdownandnobodywas lookingout. Theinnervoicesoftlywhispered,“Lookupatabout1o’clock.”WhenIdidso,Iimmediatelynotedwehadmoveddangerously close to an antenna array, some of which were quite thick and constructed of pretty robustmaterial.Ourrotortipswereeasilywithinacoupleofinchesoftheseantennaeandhadwecontactedthemwe’dhave losta substantialamountof rotordisc. Directlybelowtheantennaarray, in theareawherewewouldhaveinallprobabilitycrashedwasa100gallontankfullofaviationfuelwhichwouldhaveaddednicelytotheensuingfireandcausedthelossofseverallivesonthedeck.Onesplitsecondofmisdirectedattentioncanresultinconsiderabledamage.Theinnervoicesavedseverallivesandmillionsofdollarsindamage.AllbecauseI’dlearnedthelanguage,learnedtolistenandlearnedtotrustthatvoice.

Sonow,yes,whenI’mnearahelicopterItakeamomenttotouchthenoseandsayhello. Ifthere’sanythingshewantstotellmeIlistenandsharealittletime.Ittakesmebacktothoseheadydaysofbeingapartofasystem,whereIdidn’tsomuch“strapinto”ahelicopter,Iputiton,likeyou’dputonafavoriteshirtorslipintoacomfortablepairofboots.ThosedayswhenIandtheaircraftbecameasoneandIknewwherethetailrotorwasaswellasIknewwheretheendofmyfingerswere,andspoketomeandhelpedmedomyjobandhelpedkeepmesafe.


12

DistinguishedWarfareMedalRheaRippey

Editor’sNote: ThefollowingistheletterpreparedbyChairmanoftheBoardRheaRippeytobesenttothePentagonreflectingCHPA’spositionontheDistinguishedWarfareMedalanditsplacementintheorderofprecedenceabovetheDistinguishedFlyingCrossandBronzeStarwithVdevice.

CombatHelicopterPilotsAssociation (CHPA)membershistorically serve incombatzonesaroundtheworld.Becauseweroutinelyoperatewithinthehostilebattlespacethatincludesenemybaseareas,trainingfacilities, routes ofmovement, and areas of direct contactwith armed enemy forces,we know somethingaboutjobperformanceunderduress.

CHPA fully supports the official recognition of individuals whose performance of duty exceeds thenormbyvirtueofheroicactsof self‐discipline,creativity,andcourageabovethecallofdutyundercombatconditions.Theseawardsareapartofoursharedmilitaryheritage.Therecognitionofindividualexcellenceisappropriateandconducivebothtohighmoraleandreinforceddedicationtotheunitandthemission."Duty,honor,country"ismorethanaslogantomilitarymenandwomen.Itisourethic.

Recently, the Secretary of Defense announced the creation of a new military decoration. TheDistinguishedWarfareMedal (DWM) isacombat‐relatedserviceawarddesignedtorecognizeextraordinaryachievement,specificallyintheemergingcriticalarenasofcyberwarfareandunmannedaircraftoperations.CHPAapplaudstheneedtoacknowledgetheexcellenceachievedbythesetalentedspecialistswhoconductessentialoperationsagainstenemy forces through their applicationofpersonal and technological skill sets.These remote drone and computer operators provide invaluable intelligence‐gathering and remote attackcapability that serve both as a force‐multiplier and a life‐savingmeasure for combat crewswho otherwisewouldbetaskedtoperformsomeofthosemissions.

CHPAbelieves,however,thattheOrderofPrecedencedesignatedforthismedaldevaluescombatactsofvaloranddegreesofpersonalriskcurrentlyrecognizedbysuchawardsastheAirMedalwith"V"device,Purple Heart, and Bronze Star with "V" device, among others. Under the current proposal, these combatawardsrankbelowthenewDWMachievementaward.RankeddirectlybelowtheDistinguishedFlyingCrossinOrderOfPrecedence,the ideathatarear‐areaoperator'spersonal jobperformance inanywayapproachesthoseoflivecrewsflyingagainstliveammunitionorequatestothesacrificesofthosewhowerewoundedorkilledinactionbyenemyweaponsoutinthebattlespaceissimplyludicrous.

CHPAcallsupontheDefenseDepartmenttorethinkthecriteria for thisnewaward; todevelopnewcriteriathatmoreadequatelyacknowledgetheenvironmentalconditions involvedintheremoteapplicationof technology. The award should recognize the unique and indispensible contributions of skilled remoteoperators,butdosoinamannerthatfairlyreflectstherealitiesofthejobconditions.Suchrecognitionmighteasily be conferred by the simple development of a new specialty device to be affixed to existing serviceawards. If this new stand‐alone DWM award is to be established, then CHPA calls upon its Order OfPrecedencetobeadjustedinordertoreflectthestarkdifferencesbetweenactualandvirtualcombat.


13

ReunionsandGatherings

Areyouplanningareunionoreventthatmaybeofinteresttoourmembers?Letushelpyougetthe

wordoutandsupportveteransgroupsofallsizesandlocations.JustsendamessagewiththeinformationtoHQ@chpa‐us.org.Ifyouhavealogo,sendthatalongaswell.

Besuretoincludeaccuratecontactandregistrationinformationandwe’lltakecareoftherest.

ATroop,1/9Cavalry,1AirCavDivisionApache Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Air Cavalry Division will host itsannualreunionattheSouthLakeTahoeEmbassySuites.CheckinwillbeSunday,August25,2013withafinalMemorialServiceanddepartureonThursday,August29, 2013. This reunion is for all formermembers, families andhonored guests.Special emphasis is for enlisted personnel regardless of flight status or position.ContactJeffCromaratapachetroopreunion2013@gmail.comor817‐647‐5213formoreinformation.

BTroop,7/17thCavalry,1AirCavDivisionBTroop7/17thCAVTroopers&AllRuthlessRidersareinvitedtoaGathering,atBally's,onthestrip,inLasVegas,NVJune3rd‐7th2013.POC(s)‐BuddyHarp:[email protected]‐324‐3924RichHefferman:[email protected]‐771‐8214JohnnieGriffits:[email protected]‐535‐8523WEB:http://www.b717.homestead.com/

TheWarriorsofAnLocTheWarriorsofAnLocwillhosttheirannualreunioninSumter,SCfrom25‐27Oct2013.ThehosthotelwillbetheHamptonInn–Sumter,803‐469‐2222.Thespecialrateforthereunionis$77pernightbutyoumustreserveyourroombySeptember27thtoreceivethisrate. Whenmakingyourhotelreservationstellthemyou’rewith“TheWarriorsofAnLoc.”ThereunionwilltakeplaceatPepMcPhillips house, 2515 Maidenfair Lane, Sumter, telephone 803‐720‐4902.Contact Pep (Sundog 07) with any questions or for more information.


14

2013ConventionNotesJayBrown

Call on Us! Contact Quick Reference ChairmanoftheBoard–RheaRippey BuzzCovingtonChairman@chpa‐us.org BCovington@chpa‐us.orgPresident–RobertFrost AlMajor Callus!president@chpa‐us.org AMajor@chpa‐us.org 800•832•5144VPAdministration–RichMiller RandyJones Faxus!admin@chpa‐us.org RJones@chpa‐us.org 719•687•4167VPMembership–RustyBourgoyne RandyZahn Writeus!membership@chpa‐us.org RZahn@chpa‐us.org CHPA

POBox42Secretary–MickTesanovich JimFerguson Divide,CO80814‐0042secretary@chpa‐us.org JFerguson@chpa‐us.orgTreasurer–LorenMcAnally JohnFore Remember!Treasurer@chpa‐us.org JFore@chpa‐us.org Feelfreetocontact usanytime.ExecutiveDirector–JayBrown HQ@chpa‐us.org

The2013AnnualConventionandBusinessmeetingwilltakeplaceinSanAntonio,TXtowardtheendof October. The exact date is yet to be set and the Board of Directors is working to finalize that item,dependingonthescheduleofeventstakingplaceinSanAntonio,theweatherandamyriadofotherthingstobe taken into consideration. A coupleof important things to consider for this year are theelectionof theBoardofDirectorsandsubmissionofnomineesfortheRobertN.TredwayAward.

TheBoardofDirectorselectiontakesplaceattheAnnualBusinessMeetinginoddnumberedyearsandthisisyouropportunitytotakepartinselectingthemembersthatwillguideCHPAforthenexttwoyears.Itisalso your opportunity to play an active role in the future of your organization. Service on the Board ofDirectors takes very little time and requires participation in amonthly toll free teleconference that usuallytakesaboutanhour. Theremaybe, fromtimetotime,sometaskoractivitytotakecareofthatmaytakesomeattentiononyourpartbutthetimeinvestmentisstillminimalwithgreatrewardinhelpingbuildCHPAintothefuture. Soconsidernominatingyourselforanothermemberwhoyouthink isdeservingandwouldservewellontheBoardofDirectors.NominationscanbesubmittedtoHQ@chpa‐us.org.

The other detail for your consideration is the submission of nominees for the Robert N. TredwayAward. The details of the award can be found on the CHPAwebsite atwww.chpa‐us.org. The Robert N.Tredwayawardisnamedinhonorofagentlemanwhopersonifiedtheword“leader”duringhisdistinguishedmilitary career and well afterward. Nominations for this prestigious award can also be submitted toHQ@chpa‐us.org.

swash plate february 2013

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