swash plate july 2011
DESCRIPTION
Combat Helicopter Pilots Association monthly newsletterTRANSCRIPT
Volume 6, Issue 1 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
• “Annual Meeting Update”
Rick Roll
• “Autorotation Competition”
• “Tredway Award Winner”
Jay Brown
“Kiowa Warrior Dedication”
Kenneth Kesner
“ISAF Change of Command”
1LT Jason Sweeney
and much much more!
It is with a great deal of enthusiasm and pride
that CHPA announces its first recipient of the Robert N. Tredway Award for exemplary support to the US military helicopter and veterans communities. The
fact that Mike Sloniker has been chosen as the first recipient of this award will surprise no one who
knows him and the limitless good works he has expended in the past and continues to perform on behalf of our veterans, living or dead, and their
families. I extend my own personal congratulations to Mike on this occasion, and urge each of you to read the full announcement found in this issue. Mike's work is a tribute to the prevailing ethic of the combat
warrior: none shall be left behind, or forgotten. Thank you, Mike, for walking the walk, and for setting the example for us all. Bob Tredway
would be proud of your selection to receive the award that bears his name. Our 2011 Reunion at Ft. Rucker continues to evolve, both in
content and participation. Those of you who plan to attend, but have not yet registered, I urge you to make your reservations soon. Several of our activities are space-limited due to constraints placed upon our numbers at the venues by Ft. Rucker personnel. Insure your place at these timely events; register
today. Several other as yet unannounced activities are still under negotiation, so plan to join our group of warriors for a comprehensive, event-filled gathering at the heart of Army Aviation in early fall.
As you all know, elections will be held at our Business Meeting at Rucker. Any three-year member in good standing who shares an interest in the future of CHPA and who is willing to expend a small
amount of his or her time and energy on behalf of our organization should contact our Election Committee Chair, Jay Brown about the possibility of serving. Jay will give you all the pertinent details.
Jay can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 800•832•5144. Telephonic board meetings are
held once monthly. Share your experience and perspective with other like-minded volunteers by helping CHPA attain its maximum potential. We need your fresh insight and energy to continue our unique
legacy. Speaking of maintaining our energy, the board of directors is now addressing potential locations for
our 2012 Reunion. We are looking for great locations and volunteers who might facilitate 2012 as our Reunion Chair. Our past Reunion Chairs have a wealth of experience and a range of slightly differing philosophies in organizing our Reunion events and venues. Should you decide to volunteer, you will have
extensive back up and support from those who have performed that function for our membership in the past. Give back a little to CHPA. Support our unique organization. Volunteer your ideas and time as our
2012 Reunion Chair. If you have suggestions for either, please contact HQ or me.
Never, Ever Forget!
Presenting! President’s Message Rhea Rippey
July 2011
Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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Well, we’re now one month closer to our reunion and the registrations have
been coming in at a good clip. In addition to encouraging all of you who have not already registered to sign-up ASAP because the spaces we have available on the Ft.
Rucker venue tours are limited, I’m pleased to announce that we’re adding another very nice event to our schedule.
The folks at the historic Rawls Hotel in downtown Enterprise, have invited us to have drinks and
dinner on the 21st at their historic facility, 116 South Main St.; www.rawlsbandb.com. We will be on our own for transportation to and from The Rawls and drinks/dinner will be a la carte/on our own. We’ll
meet there starting at 1800 hours on the 21st and directions can be found on their website. They are going to set-up a room just for our group so it should be a lot of fun!!
Also, you will note on the registration form that we have commissioned some very special shirts to
commemorate this big event. These black shirts have our traditional Joe Galloway quote, “God’s Own
Lunatics,” and a small CHPA logo on their fronts. The backs sport a huge CHPA logo along with 2011
Reunion across the top and Mother Rucker across the bottom. It will be great if most of us wear these shirts at the reunion so please note the special ordering deadline on the registration form.
We look forward to hearing from you and for those who are learning about the reunion for the first
time, I have included the highlights below. We will be holding our reunion at Fort Rucker, AL this year; the dates are October 20th – 23rd.
The Fort is going to roll out the red carpet for us and we will be enjoying tours of many of Rucker’s helo training venues. We will open the festivities Thursday evening the 20th at 1700 hours in our hospitality
room and at 1800 hours, Rhea Rippey will host his President’s reception in the hospitality room as well. His reception will also include a light dinner for us weary travelers.
The tours, including a hands-on exploration of the Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, will take
place on Friday the 21st followed by a group dinner at the Rawls Hotel. On Saturday the 22nd, after our membership/business meeting, we will enjoy a catered lunch inside the Army Aviation Museum on base.
After the lunch we will be given guided tours of the facility to be followed by our evening banquet at the “Landings;” Fort Rucker’s club.
Our reunion hotel is the Enterprise Hampton Inn and we will be running a well-stocked, BYOB, hospitality room in the Hampton. Light snacks, mixers, and ice will be provided every evening.
If you have questions/comments of any kind concerning the reunion please feel free to e-mail Rick
Roll, reunion chair, at ANY time!!
Rick Roll Reunion Chairman
Annual Meeting Update Rick Roll
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Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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Jerry Trimble Helicopters of McMinnville, OR (JTH) held their first annual touchdown autorotation competition at the McMinnville airport on June 26, 2011.
Twelve helicopter pilots competed in the event with Mark Stott, a JTH flight instructor, taking first place. Adam Goad, also a
JTH flight instructor, took a close second with Shannon Glenn of Apex Helicopters taking third. Scoring was based on technique,
accuracy and slide distance. Trimble flew with all pilots unless they provided their own helicopter.
The judges for the event were Mike Moffett, Life Flight pilot
for Air Methods, Michael Wilson, Vice-President of Evergreen Helicopters and Klara Rizell, helicopter pilot from Sweden.
“We were very pleased with the turnout and caliber of pilots that competed. Mark did a great job and we’re very proud of him,”
Jerry Trimble said. Mark Stott did all of his training at JTH and is now working for JTH as a flight instructor, hoping to get a job in
Alaska next season.
The number of airplanes and cars that came to the event far surpassed years past. There were 92 classic cars and many unique aircraft were on display as well. The Coast Guard flew the HH65 Dolphin
from North Bend, OR, finishing off the day with a SAR demonstration. Jerry Trimble Helicopters gave $10 helicopter rides, with the Lions Club serving up pancakes as a fund raiser for their charity programs.
Thanks to all those who came out to support the helicopter industry.
CHPA is building quite a collection of patches from our members. These patches are displayed at our booth at HAI, Quad A, and VHPA. Several of you have donated patches, like the one shown here, 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, CO 80814-0042
Got Patches?
Touchdown Autorotation Competition Winner Announced Jerry Trimble
Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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It is with a great deal of pleasure that I announce the inaugural recipient of the Robert N. Tredway
Award. We extend our congratulations to Mike Sloniker on receiving this prestigious award and our
grateful appreciation for all that he continues to do in support of the US veterans community, as well as
the families of our fallen brothers and sisters.
I’ve known Mike for a few years now and was familiar with his efforts in support of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. I was not familiar with some of the details and the extent of his dedication and hard work in that support. Mike’s nomination, submitted by Legacy member Susan
Clotfelter Jimison, provided some insight into those missing details.
“I would like to nominate, if I can, Mike Sloniker. The reasons why are
heartfelt. Thirteen years ago I began my journey to find someone who might remember
my brother who was KIA 6-16-69. I was only 14 when he was killed and there was so
much that I didn’t know and very little that I did know. Those were the years we didn’t
talk about it or ask questions.
So when I put a request out for information Mike Sloniker, who I didn’t know
mailed me songs, recordings, video’s and typed out information about the unit my
brother was with. He didn’t know me, but he reached out to me so I would learn the
real history not a Hollywood version. Veteran’s Day weekend 1997 he gave a tour of the
Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial. These were all a labor of love. I know for a fact he has
met Gold Star Mother’s at the Wall for their first time, going for his strength and his
knowledge of the war and the Wall. He has met veterans late at night to be in the dark
for their first visit to the Wall.
Mike has spent countless hours visiting Walter Reed Medical Center. He won’t
admit it but I know he has spent his own money more than once so the injured at
WRMC could go to the mall in decent clothes.
Mike has spent countless hours working on the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot’s
history. He wants to make sure their story is told right.
Mike has been the conduit between many families of the fallen and coming to
terms with what may have happened to their loved one decades ago.”
The final paragraph of Susan’s nomination speak volumes about Mike and his unwavering support
to veterans and their families and the reason he was selected to receive the Tredway award.
“If I may, I would like to nominate Mike Sloniker for the Robert N. Tredway
Award for his outstanding service to the military, his dedication to the history of
Vietnam Helicopter pilots, his successful career with a defense contractor and for his
huge, huge heart for the families of the fallen.”
Congratulations, Mike, and thank you for your service and all that you do.
Robert N Tredway Award Announced Jay Brown
Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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General Information for the 2011 CHPA Annual Meeting
Host Hotel This year our host hotel is the Hampton Inn at 8 West Pointe Court, Enterprise, AL 36330. Their
telephone number is 334-347-5763. Remember, your hotel reservation is separate from your Annual Meeting registration. The special rate for CHPA is $79/night for a double or $89/night for a king. When
you make your reservation remember to tell them you’ll be attending the CHPA Annual Meeting.
Annual Meeting Registration Registration for the 2011 Annual Meeting is $125.00 per person. This price includes the costs associated with name tags and snacks and ice in the BYOB Hospitality Suite. It also includes transportation to the
training venues tours on October 21st; and luncheon at the Army Aviation Museum and dinner at the Landings on October 22nd. You can register online by clicking the link on the Welcome to CHPA page,
or you can print and fax or mail a registration by clicking here.
Reunion T-Shirts This year we’re offering T-shirts made specifically for the 2011 Annual Meeting. The shirts are black with
the CHPA logo on the back and our motto, “God’s Own Lunatics” on the front. The Annual Meeting T- shirts include a smaller CHPA logo on the front and the words, “Mother Rucker” and “2011 Reunion” around the logo on the back. The T-shirts are $35.00 each and can be ordered on the registration form.
The shirts are available in short or long sleeve and small to XXXL sizes.
The Swash! [Got a story to share?]
We hope you enjoy your newsletter! We work to find articles of interest for our very diverse
membership, ranging from human interest to humor and wonderful war stories of helicopter pilots’
and crewmembers’ daring do. Our most entertaining and informative stories come from you, our
membership but I know there are more stores waiting to be told. The story can be about anything
from flight school to real life, TINS, or there-I-was stories. We’ve published several stories over the
years ranging from tales of flight school a long, long time ago to real life “war stories” that we’re sure
most of you can identify with.
I know there are a lot of stories out there that have not been heard by our membership so, take a
moment to lay fingers on keyboard or just put pen to paper and send in those stories. You can email
them to [email protected] or through the US Post Office to:
CHPA • PO Box 42 • Divide, CO 80814-0042
Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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2011 CHPA Annual Meeting/Reunion Schedule
Day 1 (Thursday, Oct 20th)
All Day Check In at Enterprise Hampton Inn
1700 – 2100 Annual Meeting Registration – Hospitality Room 1800 – Late President’s Informal Reception – Hospitality Room
Includes sandwiches, chips, etc Evening Activity: Individual Choice; Dinner for those interested;
Hospitality Suite open
Day 2 (Friday, Oct 21st)
0900 – 1130 Morning Training Venues Tour – Transportation provided
Lunch on your own 0900 – 1130 Late Annual Meeting Registration – Hospitality Room
1300 – 1630 Afternoon Training Venues Tour – Transportation provided 1800 Dinner at Rawls Hotel 1700 – Late Individual Choice; Hospitality Suite open
Day 3 (Saturday, Oct 22nd)
0800 – 1100 Business Meeting – Hospitality Room
1200 – 1330 Luncheon – Army Aviation Museum – Transportation by POV 1330 – 1700 Army Aviation Museum Tour – Transportation by POV 1730 – 2030 Dinner and Awards Presentation – The Landings – Transportation by POV
Evening Activity: Individual Choice; Hospitality Suite open
Day 4 (Sunday, Oct 23rd)
Depart
Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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COMBAT HELICOPTER PILOTS ASSOCIATION 2011 ANNUAL MEETING REGISTRATION
NAME _____________________ MEMBER NUMBER ________
NAME OF GUEST ________________
ADDRESS, LINE 1 __________________ ADDRESS LINE 2 _____________________
CITY __________ STATE ____ ZIP __________
HOME PHONE __________ EMAIL ____________________
MEMBER NAME PREFERRED ON BADGE ____________ Dietary/Physical restriction? (Y or N)
GUEST NAME PREFERRED ON BADGE ______________ Dietary/Physical restriction? (Y or N)
Mark the number of registrants in the spaces provided below. For instance if a member is bringing two
guests, enter 1 in the member box and 2 in the guest box. Also indicate if you wish to purchase a reunion T-shirt by entering long sleeve or short sleeve, size preference and number desired. Deadline for ordering T-shirts is September 15th.
NUMBER ITEM PRICE SUBTOTAL SIZE(S) Member Registration $125.00 ea
Guest Registration $125.00 ea
Long Sleeve Reunion T-Shirt $35.00 ea
Short Sleeve Reunion T-Shirt $35.00 ea
TOTAL
Multiply the number of items ordered by the price for each and enter the subtotal in the space provided on the same line, then add the subtotals together and enter the total in the space provided to the right of
“TOTAL.”
If you are paying by check, please make payable to CHPA and return your application and payment to: CHPA, P.O. Box 42, Divide, CO 80814-0042. If you would like to pay by credit card, please complete the
information below and mail this application to the address above or fax it to 719-687-4167. Credit Card (Circle one) AMEX Visa MC
Card number ______________________ Exp ______ Security Code ______
Signature _______________________
Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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Submit Your
Photos!
CHPA has a growing collection of photos, from flight school
class pictures to action photos to helicopter shots from
around the world …
If you would like to contribute to the collection please upload
your photos by following the links on the CHPA website or
click here!
Do you have an upcoming reunion or get-together? This is the spot where we help you get the word out to interested parties and make your gathering a huge success. The process is simple and easy.
Just send your reunion information to us at [email protected] or by mail to CHPA, PO Box 42, Divide, CO 80814-0042 and we’ll handle the rest. Be sure to include the contact information for your point of contact so others can get in touch with you.
Reunions and Gatherings
Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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Drive along the main roads in front of Army program offices on Redstone Arsenal and you’ll see non-working, static displays of Cobra, Huey and
Chinook helicopters, unmanned aircraft, Patriot missiles, the shoulder-fired Javelin anti-tank missile,
and many other systems. On Friday, officials in the Armed Scout
Helicopter office unveiled a static display of what has become one of soldiers’ most important aircraft, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.
“It is the most successful helicopter program in the history of the Army,” said retired LTG William H. Forster, who was the first Program Executive Officer for Aviation and a former OH-58 product
manager. The single-engine, two-seat Kiowa has outperformed every expectation on the battlefield, he said.
Design specifications were based on 96 hours of flight time over three months. Over the last decade in Iraq, aging Kiowa airframes have logged 100 hours a month – some more than 200 hours – and they’re beating the specs in Afghanistan, too.
“What this team does makes my job real hard,” said MG William “Tim” Crosby, current Program Executive Officer for Aviation, praising the men and women who keep the old Kiowas flying. They’ve
been so successful it’s difficult for him to convince some of the urgent need to develop the next generation of aircraft. Crosby urged them to continue to “make my life that tough,” because it’s vital to supporting
the soldiers deployed right now. The program office is developing a suite of modifications and improvements to existing Kiowa cockpits and systems that will turn them into “F” models and extend their lives to about 2025.
The Kiowa, built by Bell Helicopter, began service in Vietnam in 1969 as an unarmed scout helicopter, picking targets for other aircraft. It evolved over the decades, getting weapons to enhance its
attack capabilities, including an updated .50-caliber machine gun, the ability to handle up to four HELLFIRE missiles and more.
It was always intended to be a temporary solution, a “bridge” to the next generation of scout attack aircraft. Instead, its nimble performance and range of capability have made it, despite its age, the workhorse of Army Aviation, working closely with troops on the ground, providing information and
airborne weaponry. “Tough bird,” Forster said. “It’s the infantrymen’s helicopter.”
The Kiowas have also been called “bullet magnets” because of their many low-altitude missions supporting soldiers and engaging enemies. “This comes at a high price,” said James Schultz of Bell
Helicopter. “And the crews of the Kiowa Warrior have paid that price.” Friday afternoon’s ceremony included a solemn reminder of that: The names of 49 fallen Kiowa pilots were read, followed by a trumpeter sounding taps.
The “Kiowa on a stick” static model was put together from bits and pieces that were no longer flight-worthy. A plaque with the names of the pilots is incorporated in the display on Wood Road, near
the Armed Scout Helicopter offices on the arsenal. “Remember the aircraft as you drive by,” Forster said to the crowd, “but remember the pilots and
the guys on the ground it supports.” The Huntsville Times © 2011, All rights reserved, reprinted with permission
Photo courtesy Bob Gathany, The Huntsville Times
Kiowa Warrior Dedication Kenneth Kesner, The Huntsville Times
Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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Topics From The Chairman Jay Brown
As I mentioned in previous issues of The Swash Plate, 2011 is an election year for CHPA and we’re looking for a few good members who want to help CHPA succeed and continue to grow. There are a few vacancies on
the Board of Directors and your service is needed. Service on the Board of Directors is a great way to get involved in guiding CHPA forward and having
an input in the good work that we do. Participation is not hard. There is one teleconference each month, usually lasting about an hour. These
teleconferences are always open to the membership. If you’d like to attend you need only contact HQ not later than a week prior and request the phone in information for the next meeting. If you are a pilot member in good
standing with three years of membership you are eligible to serve on the Board of Directors. Have you served on the Board of Directors for at least one two-
year term? Then you qualify to serve as President. As a member of the Board of Directors you make the job your own. Get in touch with us at our
new mailing address: CHPA, PO Box 42, Divide, CO 80814-0042 or by phone at 800-832-5144 for details.
We’ve undertaken a new project supporting deployed aviation servicemen and women. Several
members of the Board of Directors have sponsored CHPA T-shirts for Troops and we’ve made our initial distribution to members of the 7/17th Cav in Afghanistan. We’ve also made arrangements for another
shipment to members of the 2/10th Avn and have begun the process of connecting with another deployed unit commanded by one of our members. This project has tremendous potential for moving CHPA
forward so we decided to make it a membership wide project. If you’d like to sponsor a few T-shirts for deployed service members log into our website at
www.chpa-us.org and click on the sponsorship link on the left side of the page. At the bottom of the
sponsorship form indicate the amount you wish to donate and let us know it’s for the Ts for Troops project. You can donate using a credit card or by sending a check to us at CHPA, PO Box 42, Divide, CO
80814-0042. We look forward to hearing from you soon and making the Ts for Troops project a great success.
Plans are firming quite nicely for the 2012 Annual Meeting at Fort Rucker, AL. The meeting dates run from Oct 20th – 23rd and the registrations are coming in quickly. We’ve already had more registrations for this year’s meeting than for any meeting prior. That said, if you’ve not already done so
get your registrations in and come join the party. The host hotel is the Enterprise Hampton Inn at 8 West Point Court, 334-347-5763. Remember,
your hotel registration is separate from your Annual Meeting Registration. To register for the Annual Meeting you can use the form provided in this newsletter or you can register online at www.chpa-us.org.
As we’ve mentioned before, the training venues have limited the number of guests we can have on the tours due to space constraints so we’ve made it first come, first served. Get your registrations in now so you can partake of this look into the training our future aviators go through.
I hope to see you all at Mother Rucker this October and I look forward to hearing from many of you supporting our T shirts for Troops project.
Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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ISAF Change of Command
Marine Corps GEN John R. Allen, Commander, International Security Assistance Force/US Forces Afghanistan, salutes during the ISAF Change of Command ceremony held in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 18, 2011.
GEN John R. Allen, incoming commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)/US Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A) and GEN David H. Petraeus, commander, ISAF/USFOR-A, attend a meeting, July 9, 2011. Photo by US Navy CPO Joshua Treadwell
US Marine Corps GEN John R. Allen
assumed command of the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) from U.S. Army GEN David H. Petraeus at a change of command
ceremony today, attended by senior Afghan and NATO officials, including German Army GEN
Wolf Langheld, Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum; ADM Mike Mullen, US Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff; and
Marine Corps GEN James N. Mattis, Commander, US Central Command.
GEN Allen served as Deputy Commander, US Central Command, from July 2008 to June 2011. From 2006 to 2008, he served as
Deputy Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), and Commanding General, 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, deploying to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom and serving as the Deputy
Commanding General of Multinational Force – West (MNF–W) and II MEF (Forward) in the Al Anbar Province.
Among other distinguished highlights of his
career, GEN Allen was the first Marine Corps officer to serve as Commandant of Midshipmen at
the US Naval Academy, served as a Marine Corps Fellow to the Center for Strategic and International
Studies, and was the first Marine Corps officer inducted as a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
GEN Allen was promoted to the rank of four-star general by ADM Mullen prior to the
change of command. Addressing the audience on his vision for
Afghanistan and the coalition, GEN Allen said, “Throughout, we will keep our eyes on the horizon – the future of Afghanistan – a nation of free people
at peace, governed under its constitution, pursuing economic enterprise and development, in a secure and stable environment free from the extremism and
terrorism that has plagued this wonderful country and its people for more than a generation. In the end – together we will prevail.”
GEN Petraeus took command of ISAF in July 2010. He will retire from the military later this summer and become director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Volume 6, Issue 7 CHPA • The Swash Plate www.chpa-us.org
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Call on Us!
Contact Quick Reference Chairman of the Board Buzz Covington [email protected] [email protected] President – Rhea Rippey Chris Fecher Call us! [email protected] [email protected] 800•832•5144 VP Administration – Vacant Al Major Fax us! [email protected] [email protected] 719•687•4167 VP Membership – Rusty Bourgoyne Rich Miller Write us! [email protected] [email protected] CHPA PO Box 42 Secretary – Robert Frost Randy Zahn Divide, CO 80814-0042 [email protected] [email protected] Remember! Treasurer – Loren McAnally Feel free to contact us any [email protected] time. HQ – Jay Brown [email protected]
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