Army Aviation Digest - Jan 1991

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Major General Rudolph Ostovich IIIChief, Army Aviation Branch

Sweeping Cultural Changes in Army AviationIn today's world of changing political alignments and

lessened emphasis on traditional doctrine designed tofight on the European battlefield, Army is forging awar fighting phi losophy emphasizing a variety of missionslikely to occur worldwide. Nowhere is this more profoundly evident than in aviation. Modern aviation systems provide commanders formidable tactical andoperational force multipliers. Multirole characteristicspresent today, and more so in future aircraft, providecapability for a variety of missions over a wide range ofcontingency scenarios.

This revolutionary application of aviation requiresresponsive maintenance and logistics support. To meetthis challenge, aviation maintenance is improving itspolicies and programs. Increased emphasis on RAM-D(reliability, availability, maintainability, and durability);improved management policies; new maintenance initiatives; and restructure of our maintenance organizationswill meet aviation's new support requirements.

Modern aircraft, with high-tech components and composite structures, need increased emphasis on RAM-Dduring development. In the past, we have experiencedproblems with systems with insufficient priority onRAM-D. New weapons systems are being developed withmore stringent reliability standards. LH is a case inpoint. We place an increased effort on RAM-D duringdevelopment, which translates to improved missioneffectiveness.

Another important consideration for increasing mission effectiveness is the amount of time allocated andeffort expended on systems maintenance. Historical datahave shown phase time for aircraft is significantlyreduced when the priority is day-to-day maintenancemanagement. Assigning a dedicated crew chief to eachaircraft, prephase planning, experienced phase teams,and command emphasis at all levels are examples ofmaintenance management policies that increase the effectiveness of maintenance programs.As a result of the July 1990 Aviation Systems ProgramReview (ASPR), we are embarking on initiatives that willstart a sweeping cultural change in the way we performour maintenance mission: An apprentice mechanic program; placing skilled senior NCOs on the flightline;increased time devoted to maintenance functions; andincrease in the ratio of mechanics to aircraft.

The apprentice mechanic program as a training strategy falls in line with the Army's current trend toward

u.s. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

distributive training. Soldiers receive formal, schoolhouseinstruction in fundamental maintenance practices andthen report to maintenance units for supervised, handson aircraft systems training, which extends throughouttheir first term of enlistment. On re-enlistment, theyreceive training (BNCOC) in advanced mechanical andleadership skills before returning to a field assignment.With the apprentice mechanic program, we are working to retain soldiers in pay grades E6 and E7 on theflightline where their maintenance skills are best applied.This system will meet the demands of more sophisticatedaircraft and armament systems.We are formulating another initiative addressing thetime maintainers spend performing productive maintenance. The ASPR showed we can improve the timemaintainers actually maintain as opposed to non-MOSrelated duties. The fact that aviation mechanics typicallyspend only 23 percent of each duty day performingproductive aircraft maintenance makes achieving DAreadiness standards extremely difficult.

An analysis of Army Aviation's personnel-to-equipment ratio revealed that, despite the cost and complexityof aviation systems, our battalions actually receive fewermaintainers per end item than our mech infantry andarmor battalion counterparts. To alleviate this situation,manpower levels will be increased in attack helicopterbattalions to one crewchief per aircraft.

Under the Air Land Battle-Future concept, we arerestructuring the Army into a lighter, more mobile andeffective fighting force. We are examining ways to buildaviation units and supporting structure into a force thatcan perform any mission worldwide. The future operational maintenance company (OMC) and operationalmaintenance battalion (OMB) will significantly improveaviation maintenance and logistics for tomorrow's fleet.Under the OMC/OMB concept, consolidated and concentrated manpower will increase aircraft availability bydecreasing turnaround time for scheduled inspections andrepair of battle damage.

Recent events proved the capability and impact ofArmy Aviation on the battlefield. We are constantlylooking for innovative ways to improve that capability.No matter what the mission or environment, ArmyAviation will be expected to perform. I'm confident thatour aviation force-today's and tomorrow's-will meetthese challenges and continue to demonstrate its relevantcontribution to combined arms warfare. --w= '

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IN SUP.PORT OFDESERT SHIELD

DESERT SHIELDand the Army Aviation National Maintenance Point

Lieutenant Colonel Roy OlerChief. Maintenance Operations Center

Directorate for Maintenance

JANUARY FEBRUARY 1991


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IN SUPPORT OFDESERT SHIELD

WE AT THE Army Aviation NationalMaintenance Point (NMP), U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command (A VSCOM), St. Louis,MO, have dealt with many crisis situations andmilitary deployments in the past. Never in thehistory of the country, however, has the U.S.Army deployed as many forces as fast asduring the outset of Operation Desert Shield.

Putting a support structure in place andmaking it work right for Army Aviation deployed forces continues to take the talents ofmany disciplines of which our maintenancepeople at the NMP play no small part. Thisissue of the A viation Digest is dedicated tothose having a part in getting an Army A viation maintenance program started in SaudiArabia, those who have had a part in keeping itgoing, and those responsible for making itcontinue to work.

The personnel at the NMP are dedicated tothe continued support of Desert Shield. Thissupport stems from A VSCOM's aviation maintenance responsibilities-maintenance engineering, maintenance operations, maintenancemanagement, parts provisioning, technical andmaintenance publications, and training. Thissupport is only one segment of the overallA VSCOM presence with Opera-tion Desert Shield.NMP support is managed

through an A VSCOM Forwardorganization as shown in figure1. This organization is the clearinghouse and expeditor for AV-SCOM interest and activities inand out of the area-a busyplace indeed!

Theater Aviation MaintenanceProgram-Saudi Arabia

With this in mind, we at theNMP want to tell you about our


maintenance operations element, better knownas Theater Aviation Maintenance Program -Saudi Arabia (TAMP-SA). What it is, what itdoes, and some of the activities taking place tosupport Army Aviation in Saudi Arabia follow.

Basic Mission of TAMP-SAThe basic mission of TAMP-SA, in support

of deployed units, is as follows: Provide maintenance and limited depot-level repairs of aircraft, their engines, and components. Install modification work orders (MWOs). Provide on-site technical assistance through theuse of engineers, logistics assistance representatives,and contract field service representatives. Evaluate environmental impacts associated withdesert operations and develop preventative maintenance to counter these impacts, thereby extendingthe life of aircraft and their components. Fix things forward to ease the pressure onextended maintenance and supply pipelines.

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Specific Activities of TAMP-SATAMP-SA provides armament support for

AH-64 Apache and AH-l Cobra helicopters. Itprovides engineering support on nonstandardrepairs.

TAMP-SA operates a turbine engine servicecenter designed to eliminate unnecessary engine removal by the following actions: Testing engines on the aircraft with portableengine analyzer test sets. Providing technical assistance to maintenanceunits for troubleshooting and aircraft engine repair.

Performing limited depot repairs without removing the engine from the aircraft. Developing preventive maintenance measures toprolong engine life during desert operations.

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TAMP-SA (Base)TAMP-SA (Base) (figures 2 and 3), located

in Abu-Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is capable of performing general and specialized tasks:

Limited depot repair of selected components. Off the aircraft repair of turbine engines andtesting the engines on an engine test stand. Heavy sheet metal repairs, corrosion control, andaircraft painting. Special repair activities to support target acquisition and designation sights/pilot night vision sensors; integrated helmet and display sights systems;mast-mounted sights; selected Apache components;and selected U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command-managed items. AVSCOM's forward-deployed aviation intensivemanagement items point.



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TAMP-SA (Forward)TAMP-SA (Forward) (figures 3 and 4), a

forward-deployed sub element of TAMP-SA, islocated in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It is capable of performing the following tasks: Offloading of aircraft arriving in Saudi Arabia. Augmenting aviation maintenance units, providing backup maintenance support, and installingMWOs. Applying an erosion protection tape to helicopterrotor blades (Rotor Blade Erosion Control Program) and exchanging these in shipsets with unprotected blades.

U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

InterfaceThe interface between the NMP and the

TAMP-SA is only one example of how wereact to maintenance requirements of DesertShield. Current efforts and activities at theNMP specifically in support of Desert Shieldand Army Aviation maintenance as a wholefollows in the next three articles.A cadre of both military and governmentcivilians man TAMP-SA. The actual workforce is predominately contract personnel.TAMP-SA has been designed with flexibilityand the capability to expand and contract tomeet the requirements of our forwarddeployed aviation forces. f

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Extended Time Between Overhaul (TBO)Hours for Combat Desert Operations, on 19October 1990. In many cases, it authorized a"combat" TBO for use in Desert Shield, thusextending parts life under the prevailing conditions. Changes and updates to maintenanceprocedures are of little use without the required parts, consumables, and tools. Ourprovisioning experts have been working closelywith publications personnel to evaluate environmentally induced problems and makingappropriate changes.

High aircraft-readiness rates required incombat have resulted in a review of theaircraft phase inspection requirements. Ourpurpose has been to reduce phase maintenanceinspection times in combat. We have reevaluated the phase maintenance inspection manualson the prime aircraft systems.

Many of the existing inspection requirementswere intended to add years to the life of theaircraft. When individual inspections are notrequired for readiness or safety, they arewaived until the next phase. We have modifiedthe phase inspection manuals for all first-lineaircraft to reflect combat inspection requirements.

Sand erosion of rotor blades has resulted inthe release of TB 1-1500-200-20-28, RotorBlade Erosion Protection for all Army Air-craft, covering both painting and taping ofrotor blades as shown in this extract from theTB (figure). We made changes to the provisioning of the UH-60 Black Hawk main rotorblade to permit the desert use of blades withinoperative deicing boots not required inSouthwest Asia.

Based on field comments, we are currentlypreparing manuals for desert operation of theT700 and other engines. We have reduced leadtime for the preparation of these manualsfrom months to days. We have expedited thepreparation of many other manuals already


being prepared. A VSCOM has released over160 new and changed publications since 2August 1990.

Behind the scenes, we have been workingwith the U.S. Army Printing and PublicationsCommand, Alexandria, VA, to expedite delivery of technical manuals. The many lessonslearned in dealing with different cultures andin transportation to and around this part ofthe world are included in these manuals.

Desert Shield already has . brought positiveresults. We have reviewed and adjusted ouroperational and maintenance concepts andagain feel certain that we are able to goanytime, anyplace to support the mission ofArmy Aviation throughout the globe. Now weeven wonder what lessons could be learnedfrom a large deployment under arcticconditions. ~

PRESS TAPE FROMLE ADING EDGE TOTRAILING EDGE

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Providing Engineering Supportto Operation Desert Shield

Mr. William S. McDonaldChief, Maintenance Engineering Division

Directorate for MaintenanceU.S. Army Aviation Systems Command

St. Louis, MO

D IRECTED BY Major General (MG) Donald R. Williamson, Commander, U.S.Army Aviation Systems Command(AVSCOM), and Colonel Gary D. Johnson, Director of Maintenance, business as usual ceased at4800 Goodfellow Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, on 2August 1990. Since that date, the MaintenanceEngineering Division alone has deployed five per-

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sonnel in theater. As forces build, support personnel requirements will expand.Onsite Engineering

The need for onsite maintenance engineeringexpertise is now being met with three maintenanceliaison engineers. The running joke is that they areon a half-day schedule of 12 hours daily. This is

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close, but, in reality, their schedule is more in the14- to 15-hour range. Major concerns have been theenvironmental effects on blades of the main/tailrotors and engine discs. Solving problems foracceptable criteria for both blade types has beenextremely challenging. Another area of support hasincluded the inspection of damage incurred duringshipment of aviation assets to the theater.

With the Theater Aviation Maintenance Program-Saudi Arabia (TAMP-SA), most damagefrom deployment has been corrected successfully intheater. The presence of liaison personnel hasallowed for rapid preparation of estimated cost ofdamages (BCOD). Based on these ECODs, repair / overhaul decisions can be made in a timelymanner. By shrinking administrative time, ArmyAviation readiness state for Operation DesertShield has been greatly enhanced.Maintenance Shelters

Providing onsite engineering support is important. The need for adequate shelter in which toperform maintenance is equally important. Deployed Army Aviation units were initially at a greatdisadvantage when performing maintenance in

A view of the erectionsequence for the newmaintenance shelter:

A: The 4-man crew arrive onsite to erect a clam-shelter,which will be 7,000 square feet(700 square meters).B: After anchoring bases andassembling arches, the crewraise the arches, shear thecables, and install thehorizontal supports for theroof.C: The crew then installweathershell panel and linersfrom ground level.0: After 2 days, the crewcomplete the structure.


some of the harshest environments known. AVSCOM responded to the units' needs by furnishingmaintenance shelters, in the initial stages of deployment. The shelters have these impressive features:

Dimensions of 78 feet by 180 feet with a clearspan and access from either end. A shelter center height, in excess of 30 feet,

t ~ a t can house 2 fully assembled CH-47 Chinookhelicopters.

A design that allows emplacement without theneed for any type of construction boom with 95percent of assembly occurring with personnel atground level.

By the end of December 1990, no fewer than 44of these shelters will have been emplaced. Personnel from the A VSCOM Maintenance EngineeringDivision are guiding the erection of the newshelters.

The efforts of the liaison maintenance engineersand personnel supervising the emplacement ofmaintenance shelters are the most prominent evidence of A VSCOM Maintenance Engineering Division's dedication to Operation Desert Shield. Thenot-so-apparent support efforts are those necessaryto keep the logistics base alive and well. These

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efforts concern sustaining and controlling the technical base required to -

Let and maintain contracts. Verify technical documentation for installa

tion/maintenance of equipment modifications andmission kits.

Identify improvements to field maintenanceequipment and procedures.

To keep the technical base current, contractualaction necessary to process modifications has beencut from 30 days to 3 days. By no means can anyone entity within A VSCOM take full credit for thisaccomplishment. Few changes do not impact everything from item detail drawings to part numbers;thus, every functional element within A VSCOMhas taken part in, and recognized the urgency of,actions stamped Operation Desert Shield.Faster and Better

To assist the AVSCOM Maintenance Provisioning and Technical Publications Division, engineering support has been provided for concurrentdesign and verification of special mission kits.Review processes that normally have taken monthsare now being performed as prototype kits aredesigned. Rotor blade erosion kits are only onesuch example. As in the contract modificationprocess, this is also a team effort within theDirectorate for Maintenance and AVSCOM.

There are many examples of efforts to improvefield maintenance and procedures; however, thosethat will benefit the deployed units most immediately are a combat phase maintenance checklist andan engine analyzer for Use on aircraft.

At the start of Desert Shield, the A VSCOMcommander recognized the need to provide thefield commander with the ability to shorten scheduled major inspections to maximize combat availability. Based on his direction, the MaintenanceEngineering Division coordinated efforts to produce modified phase maintenance inspection checklists for systems involved in Operation DesertShield. These checklists comprise inspections ofsafety-of-flight items and war fighting systems.These checklists are designed for prudent use bythe field commander. They are used during statesof high-readiness requirements to enhance mission

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capability while ensuring system safety.Introducing a large aviation contingent into the

environmentally hostile operations area of DesertShield has put an added challenge on the supportagenda. This challenge is further increased by thestretched logistics lines of communications. A4-year evaluation of a flightline engine diagnostictool has shown both cost effectiveness and maintenance hour savings when used in troubleshootingT53 series engines.

Efforts are now underway to expand the capabilities of the contact engine analyzer to include T55,T700, and T63 engines. I f all is successful, initialfield use in Desert Shield will occur in the firstquarter of 1991. Corpus Christi Army Depot, TX,personnel are now using the T53-capable analyzers.

Plans are to incorporate a contact engine testerwith the new Flexible Engine Diagnostics System(FEDS). This will allow for data exchange andindividual engine performance trending. The FEDSwill be the next generation of engine test stands forphoto by Gil High, SOLDIERS Magazine



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use at aviation unit maintenance and depot levels.By coodinating the two programs, performance andengine health data will be transferrable betweenlevels of maintenance through automated media.

Theater Aviation MaintenanceProgram-Saudi Arabia (TAMP-SA)Forward depot support for Army Aviation in

Operation Desert Shield is in place and working.The Directorate of Maintenance is fully responsiblefor this A VSCOM forward element. This organization combines contractor personnel and A VSCOMmaintenance personnel, both civilian and military.The Maintenance Engineering Division coordinatedefforts by commodity commands other than AV-SCOM to provide logistic support for aviationrelated systems and subsystems.The team approach has yielded a significantreduction in repair cycle time . Components arebeing repaired and returned to serviceable condition without leaving the theater. This approach,

fostered initially in Europe, is being used to minimize the logistics pipeline and maximize ArmyAviation combat readiness at a time and placewhere it is needed!

These efforts are a sample of the many challenges A VSCOM has met successfully since MGWilliamson declared "no business as usual" forDesert Shield support. No one organization shouldbe credited with any given success. The logisticalsuccess to date is a direct result of the cooperativeteam effort within AVSCOM, Directorate of Maintenance, and other commodity commands. Futuresupport efforts toward Operation Desert Shield willsucceed through the same team effort.

The Directorate of Maintenance, U.S. ArmyAviation Systems Command (A VSCOM), is heavilycommitted to support of Army Aviation unitsdeployed for Operation Desert Shield. A growingnumber of maintenance engineering hours are beingexpended on this operation. =-= .

LEFT: Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Divisionload HELLFIRE missiles on an AH-64 Apacheat a port In Saudi Arabia.BELOW: An OH-58D alongside of AH-64Apaches on the fllghtllne In Saudi Arabia.BOTTOM: Army and Air Force work together todown-load this vehicle from a C-5 Galaxy.

.c.21J:a>.c- . - . - ~ Q.

U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST 11


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Beadiness and Conservation, Partners in the Persian Gulf

Mr. William H. ArnettDirectorate for Maintenance

U.S. Army Aviation Systems CommandSt. Louis, MO

SERVICE FROM the U.S. Army AviationSystems Command (A VSCOM), St. Louis,MO, 2410 Hotline is expanding rapidly toDesert Shield units in the Persian Gulf. ThisHotline is invaluable when your aircraft isgrounded for lack of data on an installedcomponent. Also, when you receive replacement components without necessary recordstelling you how much operating time is on theitem, the Hotline can help.

Improved telephone communications to theNational Maintenance Point (NMP) in St.Louis have allowed some units to call theHotline direct for reconstruction of componenthistorical data. When current and accurate2410 information is available in the data base,it is then possible, in many instances, toprevent early or premature replacement oroverhaul of a critical and expensive component. When this happens, resources are conserved with the potential for improved aircraftreadiness, not to mention the benefits in safetyand cost avoidance.

We handle all requests for 2410 informationfrom Desert Shield as immediate first priority.Normally, we handle all requests for assistanceon an expedited basis; however, Desert Shieldcomes first. Personnel manning the 2410 Hotline here at A VSCOM in St. Louis are on a24-hour standby to take care of Desert Shieldrequirements. We also have a 24-hour answer-

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ing service and we answer all calls the next day.When you call, the following informationhelps us to speed up our research on the itemand provide you a quick answer; therefore,please have this information available on theitem: National stock number, part number, andserial number. I f you have just received the itemand it appears new, when possible, let us knowthe Contractor and Government Entity (CAGE)number or manufacturer's code (Le., K97499),contract number, and if you received the item inthe contractor's package.

With users' support during the last fiscal year(1990), cost avoidance derived from the 2410Hotline alone amounted to $60.4 million. Together, we can continue to conserve these dollarsand expensive resources to further our missionin the Persian Gulf. You may contact the 2410Hotline by telephone or datafax, using thesenumbers: DSN 693-1879 or Commercial (314)263-1879. The datafax number is DSN 693-2075or Commercial (314) 263-2075.

The preceding information is brief and fallsshort of telling you what's going on in DesertShield aviation maintenance. I t does, however,indicate some of the ingredients needed tonurture this dynamic undertaking and how theNMP is contributing to the effort. The processwill continue as long as necessary to fulfill ourresponsibilities in support of aviation maintenance in the Persian Gulf. ~ , ,



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M-130 Flare/Chaff DispenserQuestions may be directed to the point of contact, CW4 Robert G. Smithson, AUTOVON 558-4110, Ft. Rucker, AL.

A RECENT FIELD EXERCISE disclosed that soldiers did not knowhow to properly test, load, arm,and program the M-130 Chaff/Flare Dispenser. The M-130 Technical Manual(TM) 9-1095-206-13&P designated responsibility to the operator or crew to perform preflight or rearming tests and load the system.The TM did not specify a maintainer foraviation unit maintenance (A VUM) or aviationintermediate maintenance (A VIM).

In November 1988, a new technical manual,TM 9-1095-206-23&P, Aviation Unit Maintenance and A viation Intermediate MaintenanceManual for Dispenser, General Purpose Aircraft: M-130, superseded the former TM. Itdesignates the Military Occupational Specialty(MOS) 68J Aircraft Armament/Missile Repairer as the AVUM/A VIM maintainer; MOS68N (35K) Avionics Mechanic as the A VUMmaintainer in units not authorized 68J; andMOS 58R (35R) Avionics Radar Repairer forA VIM maintenance.

The new TM incorporates the preflight orrearming test and loading procedures into theaviation unit maintenance responsibilities. Theoperator tasks are outlined in the correctairframe -10 TMs.

The November 1988 manual was not sentout immediately. However, it is currently being fielded on automatic distribution, but alsomay be ordered through normal publicationchannels. The MOS requirements outlined in


this manual are being revised. All unitsequipped with the M-130 should ensure theyhave this new TM.

The Directorate of Training and Doctrine(DOTD), Ft. Rucker, AL, fielded a handbook on how to test, load, arm, and programthe M-130 Dispenser System. The handbookhas been distributed to all units with theM-130 system. Users may get a copy fromAircraft Survivability Training Management,DOTD, United States Army Aviation Center(USAA VNC), Ft. Rucker, AL, 36362.

The U. S. Army Aviation Center has beenworking to field a chaff training round. Thistraining round will greatly enhance sustainment training in units equipped with the M-130 system. Users can use a chaff traininground with no adverse environmental restrictions at any home station. The 2,000 roundsalready produced will be fielded to deployableunits for testing and training.

The fielding of Aircraft Survivability Equipment Trainers (ASET) II allows crews to useASE as they would in an actual combatmission. The ASET II will enable the operatoror crew to operate and program the M-130System according to currect doctrine. ASET IIsimulation provides the crews with an immediate indication of correct or incorrect employment of ASE.

ASET II was fielded in January 1991. Aninterim package for Saudi Arabia was fieldedin December 1990. --,=It

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Lieutenant Colonel W. Larry DandridgeChief, Aircraft Logistics Support

U.S. Army Aviation CenterFort Rucker, AL

Figures by James Snellgrove

u.s. Army Aviation CenterAircraft Maintenance Contract

T HIS ARTICLE discusses the FortR u ~ k e r , AL, aircraftmaIntenance con-tract. This Cost Plus MultipleIncentive Fee (CPMIF) contract is operating efficientlyand effectively. It has consistently met the U.S. Army Aviation Center (USAAVNC)

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training requirements, costcontrol needs, and qualitystandards for 35 years. (Theone exception was for the AH-64 Apache between Januaryand October 1987.) Parts substitution (lateral exchange) ishighly controlled and wiselymanaged, and deferred maintenance is minimal. (Lateral

exchanges average less thanfour per 750- aircraft launchday.)The USAA VNC fleet averages less than two deferredmaintenance writeups per aircraft. (The contractor is penalized if deferred maintenance ismore than 3 days old.) Mostimpressive is the fact that Fort



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Rucker flies about one-fourthof the total Army flighthours-with only 6 to 7 percent of the Army fleet-whileconsuming approximately 10percent of the Army's aviationrepair parts. Over the pastyears, these facts have beenverified by numerous externalagencies and most recently reconfirmed by the U.S. ArmyAudit Agency (USAAA) inDecember 1988 and January1989.

Contract History, Mission,and DescriptionDynCorp has been the FortRucker aircraft maintenancecontractor since October 1988.Sikorsky Support Services, Incorporated; Northrop; Paige;Hayes; Aeronca; and Spartanwere previous contractors. TheFort Rucker aircraft maintenance contractor supports thelargest flying hour program inthe U.S. Army. Fiscal year(FY) 1990 flying hours were393,270. Besides the maintenance manhours expended tosupport these flying hours,319,715 maintenance manhours were expended to support modification work orders(MWOs) and satellite customers including-

U.S. Army AeromedicalResearch Laboratory U.S. Army AeromedicalCenter 2/229th AviationRegiment


Aviation Branch SafetyOffice U.S. Air Force U.S. Customs U.S. Army Aviation

Museum U.S. Naval CoastalSystems Center Fort Benning, GA Transient aircraft National Oceanic andAtmospheric Agency Directorate of EnlistedTraining, USAAVNC U.S. Army AviationTechnical Test Center(USAATTC). (Of the 319,715maintenance manhours,306,485 supportedUSAATTC)The aircraft maintenancecontractor provides aviationunit maintenance, aviation intermediate maintenance, andlimited depot maintenancesupport to Fort Rucker. TheAircraft Logistics ManagementDivision (ALMD) at Fort

Rucker measures aircraftavailability performance fourtimes daily at each launch(two during the day and twoat night). Quality is assuredthrough the contractor's quality control system, the government's surveillance inspectionprogram (ALMD, DefenseContract Audit Agency, andthe contracting officer), andpilot inspections.The contract requires thecontractor to provide the number of mission-capable aircraftrequired to train at each

launch or a percentage (normally higher than the trainingrequirement), whichever isless. However, no real ceilingexists on availability becausethe contractor has a naturalincentive to provide as manyaircraft as the governmentneeds despite the percentage.More aircraft flying hoursmean reduced maintenancemanhour cost and also moreopportunities for contractorprofit/fee.Currently, the contract supports over 700 aircraft (564U.S. Army Aviation School,14 USAAVNC, and over 100satellite customers). I t alsosupports many special projectslike the Apache Action Teamand the Apache Area WeaponSystems Review Board. Contract maintenance providesFort Rucker with highly qualified and stable aircraft maintenance support.The average age of FortRucker's maintenance employees is around 47 years. Theaverage experience level is approximately 17 years. Most ofthe contractor employees arejourneymen. Most mechanicshave an airframe and powerplant license or other equivalent certification. All ALMDgovernment inspectors arejourneyman-level employees.The government provides allequipment (over $24 million inindustrial property) except forthe individual mechanic'shandtools.

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Aircraft Maintenance Contract

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Performance50%

FIGURE 1: Balanced, objective Incent ives.Cost fee formula provides for "objective" increasesin fee above target fee when total allowable costsare less than target cost, and "objective"decreases in fee below target fee when total allow-able costs exceed target costs.

IncentiveFee (MUl1ons)$2 .0,.----------------- - - - ,

S 1.6$ 1.5

S 1.0Target / "

$0.5 I- COlt F I s 0.0$0.0 L--_-- ' --_--- ' --_- ' -_-- ' -_--- '__ '---_--'-"'-_--'

74 75 76 77 78 79Cost (Mlll1on $)

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FIGURE 2: Cost incentive structure, FY 1990.Minimum CostTarget CostMaximum Cost

$74,853,280$77,168,328$81,181,080The Fort Rucker aircraft maintenance contractplaces equal importance on performance (aircraftavailability, quality, supply management, etc.) andcost control.

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Multiple IncentivesThe aircraft maintenancecontract emphasizes aircraftsafety, availability, supplysupport, quality, and cost con-trol as bases for incentive fee.The government considers thatthe total incentive fee (profit)pool should be divided be-tween cost and performance intwo relatively equal parts.The Fort Rucker mainte-nance contract includes a costincentive fee and a perfor-mance incentive fee formula(figures 1 and 2). Cost incen-tive fee is based on provisionfor a fee adjusted by contractformula in accordance withthe relationship that the totalallowable cost bears on thetarget cost. The formula pro-vides, within limits, for in-creases in fee above target feewhen total allowable costs areless than target cost; it pro-vides a decrease in fee belowtarget fee when total allowablecosts exceed target costs.Performance Incentive. Per-formance incentive fee isbased on a balancing of avail-ability of aircraft, quality, andsupply support management.Performance that is the mini-mum the government will ac-cept is mandatory. Per-formance that surpasses thestated targets will be rewardedby additional fee (profit). Theperformance incentive feature(providing for increases or de-creases as appropriate) is ap-plied to performance targets



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ContractorFIGURE 4: Quality Impacts all fees.

FIGURE 3: Share ratio: Overruns and underruns.The contract makes maximum use of the marketeconomy's profit motive by rewarding the contractorwith 25 cents of every dollar saved below target.

Quality (Accident Prevention) impacts all fees. Lackof quality can cost the contractor as much as 100percent of all performance and cost fees. If thecontractor fails one of the 26 major quality inspections. the contractor is penalized any availabilityperformance fee he earns above 100 percent forthat 2-week period. If aircraft availability falls below90 percent, the contractor not only loses performance fee but also cost fee. If the contractor failsthree consecutive quality inspections, the contractorloses 1/26 of his cost fee. Also, if the aircraft fails apilot or ALMD launch inspection, the contractorloses availability fee 'for that aircraft for that launch.

rather than performance re-quirements (figure 3).Aircraft Availability (Mainte-nance) Incentive. For themaintenance performance feean acceptable quality of main-tenance (figure 4) is requiredbefore any positive perfor-mance incentive fee can beearned on availability. Foravailability of aircraft, thegovernment has established100 percent as the desirednumber (target) for trainingrequirements. The contractorreceives positive (+ ) incentivefee (profit) from 100 percentto 110 percent and negative (-)incentive fee for 90 percent to100 percent (figure 5).


Fee (Millions)$ 2 . 0 . - - - - - - = - - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - _ _ ,

S 1.562.7$1.5

S$1.0

$0.5 S 0.0 I - Performance Fee I$0.0 IL-----L_-.L. ._---L-_. . . . l .- -_L------L_-.L. ._-- '--_-- ' ----- '

90% 92% 94% 96% 98% 100% 102% 104% 106% 108% 110%Avallab1l1 ty

FIGURE 5: Availability incentive structure, FY 1990.Target availability is 100 percent. Availability from 90percent to 100 percent is twice as important as availability from 100 percent to 110 percent. Aircraft avail-ability (performance) is incentivized to ensure 100percent of all training requirements are met.

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FIGURE 6: Total Incentive structure, FY 1990.The Cost Plus Multiple Incentive Fee (CPMIF) contract is an objective formula for determining profit.This figure outlines the FY 1990 incentive structureand shows a cost incentive fee pool of about 1.3percent and a performance incentive fee pool ofabout 1.5 percent of total contract cost. There wasa ceiling of 4.3 percent on the fee in the FY 1990contract.

TARGET MAXIMUMAvailability Incentive Fee $ 1,041,n3 $1,562,658Supply Incentive Fee + 115,752 + 173,629Performance Incentive Fee 1,157,525 1,736,287

Cost Incentive Fee + 1,003,188 1,581,950Estimated Incentive Fee 2,160,713Estimated Target Fee +n,168,328

Total Estimated Contract Cost $ 79,329,041

90 %availabilityCost

Performance 10 %supplyFIGURE 7: Supply Incentive structure:Cost and performance.Ten percent of the performance fee pool isreserved for rewarding or penalizing supplyperformance.

COST VERSUSPERFORMANCE

PERFORMANCE

FIGURE 8: Supply Incentive structure, FY 1990.Minimum Acceptable Supply: 73.5 percent.Target Supply: 92.0 percent.Maximum Supply: 100.0 percent.Under the supply incentive structure, each area is"objectively" measured quarterly. Scores areweighed in order of relative importance. Scores oneach area are summed to arrive at supply incentivescore. Target performance score is 92. No fee isawarded for scores below 73.5. The supply incentive is a relatively new feature of the contract.

18

Performance Fee (Thoulandl)$200.0.----------------------,

S 173.6$160.0

$ 115.8$100.0 .,Target$60.0

S 0.0 I - Supply F. . I$O.OL.--.L-----'-------'-- --- - - '

70"'" 80"'" 90"'" 100"'"Supply Score



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The maximum number ofaircraft the contractor maydesignate as available for anyperiod by aircraft type andlocation is 110 percent required for that type aircraftand location. Within the availability fee (profit), 90 percentto 100 percent has been determined to be twice as important as availability of 100percent to 110 percent. Thatis, the contractor loses doublethe amount at 99 percent thathe would earn at 101 percent.Below 90 percent, the contractor is not only at "0" performance fee, he also is notentitled to any cost incentivefee earned for that 2-week period (training cycle). The fee(profit) motivation ensures asufficient number of flyablequality aircraft for training(figure 6).

Ten percent of the performance fee pool is reserved forrewarding or penalizing supplyperformance (figure 7). Supplyperformance is measured bythe Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement 3System surveys in the five areas: Excess, inventory adjustments, assets returns, due-insfrom maintenance, and assetsinstallation (Account 87).

Each area is measured quarterly and scores are weighed inorder of relative importance.Scores on each area aresummed to arrive at the supply incentive score. No fee(profit) is given for a supply


incentive score below 73.5(figure 8).Quality Impacts All Fees

Accident prevention (quality) is the number one priorityat USAAVNC. The government (ALMD) uses a qualitysurveillance inspection program to determine the qualityof contractor maintenance.This system is based on the"random sample" selectiontechnique outlined in MilitaryStandard (MIL-STD)-1050(currently on a micro-computer program in ALMD).One general inspection of thetotal USAAVNC fleet is conducted each 2 weeks from thestart of the fiscal year for atotal of 26 inspections.

In accordance with MILSTD-I050, the governmentrandomly determines (by theALMD computer program)the following:

The day on which the inspection will be conducted. The quantity (lot size) of

aircraft at each airfield to beinspected is 80 based on MILSTD-I050 and the current fleetsize.

The specific tail numbersof the aircraft to be inspectedat each airfield.

In determining the acceptability criteria for any aircraftduring these 26 no-notice andrandom quality inspections, acritical fault (Red X condition)will always cause the aircraftto be unacceptable because it

places the aircraft in an inoperable status. Neither red diagonals (/) (nongroundingfaults) nor red dashes (-)(overdue inspections, checks,test flights, replacements, andmodifications), in any quantity, place an aircraft in aninoperable status. However,the government has deter-mined a maximum shortcoming limit; the aircraft isconsidered unacceptable forquality purposes if it exceedsthis limit. For example, themaximum number of allowable shortcomings for qualityinspection purposes on a UH-lHuey or OH-58A or C Kiowais five. (For quality inspectionpurposes, the largest period oftime a dash or diagonal canstay on an aircraft atUSAAVNC is 3 days. This istrue unless the reason the faulthas not been corrected is thegovernment's. )

To pass each quality inspection, the contractor must haveat least 73 aircraft pass theinspection. In other words, nomore than 7 (9 percent) of the80 aircraft inspected can failto obtain an overall satisfactory result. By the way, shouldthe contractor fail two qualityinspections in a row, he is putinto a tightened inspection criteria (meaning failing now becomes six aircraft instead ofeight); he must pass five consecutive quality inspections tocome out of tightened inspection criteria status.

19


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20

TarletCost an dPert Fee.Slated InContractScbedule

CostFee

PertFee

FIGURE 9: Fee structure.

ResultsIn CostOver/

ActualFll,btHoursx Tarlet

Rates =Adjusted

TarletCost;Comparedto Actual

Cost =Cost Over/Underrun Ie QASI Pass Ie

100-110" Avail:Earn Pert Fee

Based on ActualAvaU PercentIe QASI Fall Ie

100-110" Avail:Earn Only

Tarlet Pert FeetOO-100" Avail.

Pass or Fall:Earn Pert Fee

Based on ActualAvail PercentIe Below 90 "Avail. Pass orFall: No PertFee Earned

Fee (Million $)4 ~ - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - '

c19 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87Cost (Million $)FIGURE 10: FY 1990 range of Incentive effectiveness.

PertFees

Actual CostFees Are

Reduced by1/26 to r EacbCycUc PeriodWben Avail IsBelow 90 " orIt 3 or WoreConsecutiveFailed QASI

For Each$1 ot

Cost Over-ru n BelowZero CostEarned Fee:Eacb Actual2-Wk Pert FeesCycUc Earned ar ePeriod Reduced(Supply $1 to r $1Fees

EarnedEachQtr)

ActualCost or

Pert FeesEarnedCannotExceedor GoBelow th e

AmountsStatedIn th e

ContractSchedule

Figure 9 outlines how theFort Rucker aircraft mainte-nance contract takes advan-tage of the invisible hand ofour market system to ensurehigh quality, satisfactory sup-ply management,aircraft avail-ability, and cost control. TheCPMIF features of this con-tract check and balance thegovernment's and contractor'ssometimes competing goals toensure all of Fort Rucker'spriorities are satified. Thesegoals are quality, availability,supply, maintenance, accidentprevention, environmentalprotection, security, and cost.The Fort Rucker contractprovides a "range of incentive



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effectiveness" (figure 10). Inprinciple, if the contractorperforms anywhere in theshaded area in figure 10 (therange of incentive effectiveness), the contractor will haveprovided satisfactory performance. Point A represents anarea of highest governmentsatisfaction. (The contractor ismeeting 110 percent of aircrafttraining requirements, making100 on all supply inspections,and doing high-quality workat the lowest cost imagined.)Point B represents the areawhere most contractors haveoperated in the past. Point Crepresents the least satisfactoryperformance that incentiveswill be paid. In principle, anyoperation above Point C(above $84.9 million) would beunacceptable to the government.Programmed RealtimeInformation System forManagementThe contractor manages theFort Rucker aircraft maintenance and supply systemthrough the government-owned Programmed RealtimeInformation System for Management (PRISM). Previouscontractors developed this system to provide fast, accurate,and automated supply, accounting, maintenance, personnel, and informationmanagement of Fort Rucker'smaintenance mission. The system is described as "the


Army's only realtime fully automated retail supply management system." I t supports anauthorized stockage level(ASL) of approximately15,000 lines. (This includesabout 5,000 A VSCOM itemsand around 10,000 other commodity command items.)

To augment the ASL, thecontractor has established abench stock for each of thefour maintenance bases(Cairns, Lowe, Hanchey, andShell) and the Aircraft Maintenance Support Shops. A wel-comed addition to FortRucker's supply support is the2,496 lines from the U.S.Army Materiel Command'sforward distribution point,which opened 4 January 1988.The value of this stock isaround $4.2 million.The contractor is providedgovernment-furnished repairparts and property to performhis mission (figure 11). During

FY 1988 and FY 1989, Ft.Rucker received and issued repair parts as shown in figure12, which also depicts the average serviceable inventoryand turnover rates for the 2fiscal years. Figure 13 showsthe total number of requisitions for repair for the same 2years. Total contracts costs forFY 1987 through FY 1990 areshown in figure 14.Supply Contract BenefitsThe following is a partiallist of the significant supplybenefits USAA VNC and satellite customers reap from theFort Rucker aircraft maintenance contract:

Overall aircraft availability runs around 105 percent ofrequirements. Controlled exchange (radios not included) averages

less than 104 a month. (Thisnumber has doubled becauseof the Middle East crisis in

FIGURE 11: Government-furnished repair parts(Including all orders) and property data as of 21September 1990.LINE ITEMS VALUE$22,289,676.09VSCOM *8,766

Other AMC commoditycommands, DefenseLogistics Agency,General ServicesAdministration * 28,594Industrial property + 4,540Total 41,900*(Includes all orders) (Fringe)

6,787,638.05+ 24,840,312.19

$53,917,626.33

21


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Aircraft Maintenance Contract AVSCOMProcurementArmyfunded AVSCOMstockfunded

22

c\ - ~ r , } ~ )FY 1988 Fort Rucker received repair parts ~ $ 386.5 r 46.9

Includes depot receipts, tum-ins, price changes,and fund code increases.

FY 1989 Fort Rucker received r e ~ l r partsIncludes depot receipts, tum-ins, price changes,and fund code increases.

~ - - - - -llll

$ 332.2

r- .

FY 1988 Fort Rucker Issued repair parts $ 391.5Includps depot shipments, Defense Utilization andMarketing Office price changes, fund code decreases.

FY 1989 Fort Rucker Issued repair parts $ 324.4Includes depot shipments, Defense Utilization andMarketing Office price changes, fund code decreases.

$35.6

7 J -, )l

$46.2

$34.9

C\ r - - 'J , ),- , . - r - - r -FY 1988 average serviceable Inventory $11.7 $4.6FY 1989 average serviceable Inventory $17.4 $5.3FY 1888 turnover rate 18.0 .0FY 1989 turnover rate 18.8 6 ()'" " ,JC \. 7 f .., ) )

FIGURE 12: Repair parts and Inventory (In millions of dollars) .. . .

FY 1988 FY 1989 1 FY 1987 $ 97,363,988AVSCOM 27,528 32,208 FY 1988 $ 91,626,486other commodity commands 49,893 33,274 FY 1989 $ 88,984,863

FY 1990 $ 90,302,601.. . . .. .

. .FIGURE 13: Total requisitions submitted for repair. FIGURE 14: Total contract costs.



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September and October 1990.) Demand satisfaction (ASLdepth) is about 78 percent.(The goal is 75 percent.) Demand accommodation

(ASL width) is about 94 percent. (The goal is 80 percent.) Stock availability (fillrate) runs around 76 percent.(The goal is 70 percent.) Zero balance averagesabout 6.4 percent. (The goal isless than 8 percent.) Inventory accuracy runsover 99 percent. (The goal is95 percent.) Receipt processing timetakes from 2 hours to 2 days.(The goal is less than 3 days.)

Request processing timeruns about 2 hours. (The goalis less than 2 days.)Other Contract BenefitsAccounting, personnel management, maintenance management, and supply management is highly automated andaccurate. (Most experts agreethat USAA VNC maintenancemanhours per flight hour ratesare the most accurate portrayal of maintenance effort inthe Army.) Accident prevention, hazardous material handling, and environmentalprotection programs are veryadvanced and effective. (Personal injury and propertydamage rates are the lowestever.) Fort Rucker submitsfrom 3,000 to 5,000 highquality QDRs (quality deficiency reports) annually.


A Model for Other ContractsThe Department of DefenseInspector General reviewed theUSAAVNC aircraft maintenance contract in late 1989and stated in a memorandumto the commander of anothertraining organization:

"The use of incentives onmaintenance contracts is reasonable; however, the incentives should be based onfactors that indicate the quality of maintenance, aircraftperformance, and cost. FortRucker uses a cost type contract with provisions tied tospecific quality of maintenancefactors, aircraft performancefactors, and cost provisions.We believe the Fort Ruckercontract is an effective contract and could be used as amodel for structuring contractprovisions by (others)."Summary and Future

For over 16 years FortRucker's aircraft maintenancecontract has proven that theCMIF concept provides theflexibility, stability, performance, cost control, quality,and accident prevention required by USAAVNC and satellite customers. Consideringthe growth of Fort Rucker'saircraft maintenance and supply mission, the cost of themaintenance contract has beenkept to a minimum ($90.3 million in FY 1990).Because of the uncertaintiesinvolved, the scope of the con-

tract cannot be determined tothe degree of reasonablenessrequired for a fixed-price contract. These uncertainties include worldwide developments, curriculum changes,weather, changes in quantitiesand types of aircraft, andparts availability.This contract is not perfect,but it is operating effectively.It may be useful to otheragencies as a model for servicecontracts (especially the incentives, checks and balances,and quality standards). Thecontract was competed in 1988to help control costs and resulted in FY 1989 estimatedsavings of $8 million. Fiscalyear 1990 was an even betteryear for aircraft maintenanceat Fort Rucker.In January 1989, USAAArecommended that FortRucker pursue a cost transferstudy to determine if aircraftmaintenance can be done lessexpensively in-house. Eventhough the transfer study hasbeen put on hold because ofthe encouraging cost performances in FY 1988, FY 1989,and FY 1990, it is logical toassume that the governmentwill compete for the contractat some time in the future. Ifyou have any questions aboutthe contract, you can call theAircraft Logistics ManagementDivision at AUTOVON 558-5700/3849, Commercial (205)255-5700/3849, or FAX (205)255-3717. ~

23


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PEARL!SPersonal Equipment And Rescue/survival LowdoNnSand, Sun, and SurvivalArmy National Guard (ARNG) soldier aircrewswill again have the opportunity to "sweat-it-out"during hot climate aviation survival training. TheArizona ARNG Western Aviation Training Siteand adjacent training area are located in theSonoran Desert. This desert survival aircrew training is considered the best of its kind in the UnitedStates.The purpose of the course is to provide hotclimate combat survival training for aircrew andnonaircrew personnel. These personnel must participate in regular and frequent flights in a desertenvironment.Combat aircrew survival training provides training for use of on-board aviation life supportequipment (ALSE). This training also providespractical techniques for on-the-ground survival in adesert environment and how to stay alive untilrescued.Users may obtain registration information inField Manual 1-508, Maintaining A viation LifeSupport Equipment: Maintenance Program, page8-8. Users may also phone the Western RegionAviation Survival School, Commercial 503 636-6254. This school has FY 1991 training scheduledata and student information booklets.Western Region ALSE/Survivai SchoolThese remaining fiscal year (FY) 1991 classes arescheduled at the Western Region ALSE/SurvivalSchool:Hot climate survival classes, conducted at theWestern Aviation Training Facility, Marana, AZ,are as follows: 21-26 Apr, 28 Apr-3 May, 16-21Jun, 23-28 Jun, 7-12 Jul, 4-9 Aug, and 11-16 Aug.Other classes, conducted near Portland, OR, areas follows: 2-5 Jun, Overwater Survival; 2-9 Aug,ALSE Orientation Survival Course; 8-13 Sep, BasicLand Survival; and 15-27 Sep, Survival InstructorCourse (Land).

24

ALSE orientation courses are not skill qualification identifier-producing courses. Instead, these2-day, hands-on orientation classes are intended toprepare the student for the regular 5-week course atFt. Eustis, VA. ALSE officers become survivalstudents on the Mondays of their scheduled weeks.

ALSE ShopsPEARL'S HAD THE PLEASURE of visitingone of the newest, and so far the best, ALSE shopswe've seen in the Active Army. This new custombuilt facility opened in August 1990. It belongs tothe 3d Battalion, l60th Aviation Regiment, HunterArmy Airfield, GA.Seven soldiers of the 3d Battalion invested morethan 800 hours each of their off-duty or leave timeto build this ALSE shop from scratch. The projectwas headed by Sergeant First Class (SFC) Harold

Freeman, ALSE noncommissioned officer in charge(NCOIC); Specialist (SPC) Brian Jackson, flotationshop supervisor, architect, and draftsman; StaffSergeant Joe Cabera who will replace SFC Freemanas NCOIC; SPC Rick Kohler; Private First Class(PFC) David Beckly; PFC Douglas Alder; and PFCDouglas Bagby. These individuals have done aremarkable job of planning and constructing thisfacility. It comprises a storage and issue room foraircrew ALSE; an inspection, maintenance, andfitting room with an administration area; a nightvision device test room; plus office space for theALSE officer. Also, a large flotation shop islocated in another building to maintain the 64 liferafts needed by the battalion for their mission andtraining requirements.The maintenance and fitting room has a combination inspection and workstation for each item ofALSE; Le., survival vests, flight helmets, lifepreservers, first aid kits, and helicopter emergencyescape devices (HEEDs). This unit takes overwaterflights and survival training seriously. All elements



27/68

3d Battalion ALSE maintenance and fitting room showing thevest work station at left along the wall; a central oval work table with tech manuals and forms shelves; and the helmet workstation In the corner.

The night vision devices test roomwith the Aviator Night Vision ImagIng System tester.

The oval work table showing thebuilt-In shelves for Inspection andmaintenance forms.

An ALSE technician works on a flighthelmet In the helmet work station.

The medical work area Is for firstaid kits and helicopter emergencyescape devices.

of the l60th Aviation Regiment are required tocomplete U.S. Navy helicopter overwater survivaltraining plus the Survival, Escape, Evasion, andResistance Course at Ft. Bragg, NC.Other Army Aviation units are serious aboutALSE and survival training. How serious is yourunit? Do you have the correct ALSE on hand to

meet and support your mission? How about send-ing PEARL'S a run down on how your shop isorganized. I f possible, include some black andwhite photos of your ALSE shop. Remember, it'snot the size of your shop that matters, but howyou have organized and equipped it to supportyour mission requirements. - - - - = ~

If you have a question about personal equipment or rescue/sulYival gear, write PEARL'S AMC Product Management Office, ATTN:AMCPM-ALSE, 4300 Goodfellow Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63120-1798 or call AUTOVON 693-3573 or Commercial 314-263-3573.

u.s. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST 25


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AVIATION MEDICINE REPORTOffice of the Aviation Medicine Consultant

FACE OFDEATHFirst Lieutenant G. Habermehl5-158 Aviation Regiment, U.S. ArmyFrankfurt, West Germany

Military personnel Qre trained to fight and, i f necessary, die for theircountry. Yet, most people probably never have thought about facing a life-threatening situation. Dying is not openly discussed in our society. Peoplearen't reared to deal with it. Nevertheless, we never know when we may

confront the face of death.

WHAT STARTED as a routine mission signed to fly cover ship for a convoyturned into something warrant officers returning from a field training exerciseMike Brookins and Rich Phillips will never near Giessen. An urgent message cameforget. They, as Army aviators stationed over the radio as the aircraft arrived onin Frankfurt, West Germany, were as- station. An armored personnel carrier had

26 JANUARY FEBRUARY 1991


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rolled over and crushed its commander.The soldier was badly injured and requiredimmediate evacuation.

Army helicopters that are not equippedfor medical evacuation (MEDEV AC) maynot be used for emergency evacuationunless the situation is life threatening.Knowing this, they accepted the missionand flew to the accident site. The injuredsoldier died as he was being loaded intothe aircraft. He was evacuated to 97thGeneral Hospital, Frankfurt, where he waspronounced dead.

This tragedy came as a shock to bothmen because neither had ever seen the"face of death." After the mission, theyfelt extremely somber. Both WO Brookinsand WO Phillips said they weren't prepared for what took place and it wasdepressing to see someone die.

How do people learn to face death?Captain (CPT) Bill Grimes, a MEDEV ACpilot stationed at Nellingen Army Heliport, Stuttgart, believes that training can'treally prepare you for such a situation.MEDEV AC pilots may be required to facedeath on a daily basis. CPT Grimes emphasized that a MEDEV AC pilot has a

specific job to do. He may be aware ofwhat is happening in the back of thehelicopter, but must detach himself from itand concentrate on flying. Only after hisjob is finished does the pilot follow theprogress of the passengers.

MEDEVAC pilots take great pride inknowing they make a difference. Aircraftmanufacturers award these pilots with arescue pin signifying success in a life ordeath situation.

Chief Warrant Officer Karl Kupfer, alsostationed in Frankfurt, was a MEDEVACpilot in Vietnam. Asked how seeing deathduring war affected him, he replied:

"Seeing death bothers you at first, butwhen you see it on a daily basis, it is like acircuit breaker goes off in your head. Thebodies cease to be human and becomepackages. I know it sounds cold, but thatis the only way to cope with it in war. Iwent to a 2-week training course at Ft.Sam Houston, TX, before deploying toVietnam. They talked about death, but Idon't think anything can really prepareyou for coming face to face with it. Younever get used to seeing death. The bestyou can do is learn to live with it."

The AMafIon MedIcIne Reporlls a bimonthly repotf from the Aviation Medicine Consultant of TSG. Please fOtWard subJect matter 01 cunenIaeromedIcaIlmpol1ance for edItorlaI consIcIetatIon to U.S. AnnyAeromedical Center, ATTN: HSXY-ADJ, Fort Rucker, AL 36362-5333.

u.s. Army Class A Aviation Flight MishapsArmy Total CostNumber Flying Hours Rate Fatalities (In millions)

FY 90 (through 31 January) 11 479,139 2.30 11 $53.1FY 91 (through 31 January) 17 441,018* 3.85 12 $49.6

estimated

U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST 27


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28

We fought (and died) the way we trained

The Iraqi Army is still in Kuwait. Themultinational Desert Shield forces arestill in place in northeastern Saudi Arabia along its border with Kuwait. The war ofwords keeps dragging. Neither side has fired.However, reports say embargo is finallyhaving an effect; Saddam Hussein believesdecisive action is necessary; and the Iraqis areconfiguring their Scud B missiles with chemicalwarheads. The Iraqis are known to have numerous ZSU-23-4s (self propelled antiaircraft



31/68

CW2 Victor E. CarlinNew Mexico Army National Guard

Albuquerque, NMThe opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do notnecessarily reflect the views of any Department of Defense Agency.

) ./'2

'8

vehicles) and other antiaircraft guns and missiles along the border.The UH-l Huey medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) crew from the 717th Medical Detachment rests in the "first-up" crew area in theirtent next to the 93d Evacuation Hospital. Afew night missions occurred since the arrivalof the 717th in country.Most daytime missions have been to pick upheat casualties. From the briefing that morning, the crew knows Desert Shield forces


KUWAITCITY

conduct routine night patrolling activities.These events take place from pumping stationto pumping station along the oil pipeline juston the Saudi Arabian side of the border withKuwait.The time is about 0045 hours; there is nomoon; and it is very dark. The only visiblelights come from Kuwait City 65 nautical milesto the northeast. Suddenly, a violent explosionshakes the ground and all tents in the area ofthe first-up crew and the evacuation hospital.

29


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OPERATIONS INTHE DESERT

Shortly after the explosion, personnel in thearea notice the smell of new-mown hay.Troops hear the sounds of large explosionsto the north and northeast simultaneously.Within minutes, they hear reports of a missileattack on the front lines and numerous chemical casualties.Miraculously, the 93d Evacuation Hospitaland three of the six Huey medical evacuationhelicopters remain operational. All survivingpersonnel in the rear area immediately go tomission-oriented protective posture (MOPP-4).Nevertheless, chemical casualties in the rearabound and a good deal of confusionabounds. Meanwhile, radio requests from thefront lines for medical evacuation supportbecome urgent.Radio Transmissions

"Dustoff, Dustoff, Dustoff. We have numerous serious chemical casualties ... (unreadable) .. .(static)."Calling Dustoff. This is Dustoff Operations. Say your unit call sign, the location andnumber of patients, and the nature of theirinjuries. Over.

"Dustoff Operations, this is Charlie Med.Patient location is at the police post betweenHill 689 and Hill 614. At least 50 patients withchemical burns on arms, hands, necks, andfaces. Patients without gas masks no longerexhibit vital signs."Charlie Med, Dustoff Operations. Say enemy situation. Over."Apparent enemy missile attack, negativeground contact; however, we can hear thesounds of moving heavy equipment or tanksacross the border. If you don't get here soon,a lot of these chemical casualties will die."The MEDEVAC crew for Dustoff 431, thefirst-up ship, has been in MOPP-4 for the past

30

5 minutes. Dustoff Operations tells them tolaunch immediately, that the second-up crewand all other available crews will launch assoon as possible.The first-up crew, Dustoff 431, has neverflown in MOPP-4 at night, and it has neverflown in MOPP-4 using night vision devices(NVD). However, it does have a radar altimeter. Therefore, given the enemy antiaircraftartillery threat, it elects to fly unaided (withoutNVD) at 200 feet above ground level (AGL),but lights out.The patient pickup site is about 30 nauticalmiles away. Dustoff 431 takes off at 0100hours, heading northeast. I t should takeDustoff 431 about 20 minutes to arrive at thepatient pickup site.The second-up crew, Dustoff 819, arrives inoperations and receives its briefing. The aircraft does not have a radar altimeter. However, 5 years ago, the pilot in command (PC)flew in MOPP-4 using NVD. The second-upMEDEV AC crew immediately plots the location of the patient pickup site on their map.The pickup site is located in a relatively flatsandy area along a road about 2 miles fromthe Kuwaiti border.

The crew quickly formulates its plan: usingNVD in MOPP-4, the MEDEVAC helicopterwill fly northeast. I t has contour (terrainflight) altitude of 50 feet or less until itcontacts an unimproved north-south road.This road leads to an intersection about 8miles west of the patient pickup site. Thengoes east to the patient pickup site itself.The crew plans to descend to nap-of-theearth (NOE) altitude, 25 feet or less, when itcontacts the unimproved north-south road.About 10 minutes after the takeoff of Dustoff431, Dustoff 819 puts on its NVD (using thenew GX-5 flip-up mounts) and takes off to thenortheast at an estimated altitude of 50 feetAGL.The third-up MEDEVAC aircraft, Dustoff220, is ready for takeoff about 20 minutesafter departure of the first-up aircraft. Thecrew of the third-up aircraft has never flown



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in MOPP-4 at night, and it had never usedNVD with MOPP-4. Its aircraft does not havea working radar altimeter, and all remainingNVD have not been tested within the past 90days.The crew of Dustoff 220 plots the locationof the patient pickup sight on their map andformulates their plan: the MEDEV AC helicopter will take off and climb to 1,500 feet meansea level (about 500 AGL at takeoff); headnortheast; contact Charlie Med; and proceedvia frequency modulated homing. Dustoff 220takes off about 10 minutes after Dustoff 819and 20 minutes after Dustoff 431.About 10 minutes after takeoff, Dustoff 819observes a blinding explosion in the distancethat shuts down the crew's NVD for aninstant. However, darkness returns, and theNVD quickly readjust to the low-light levels.


The crew proceeds, looking for its checkpoint,the north-south unimproved road.About 15 minutes after takeoff, the crew ofDustoff 819 still has not sighted the northsouth, unimproved road. The aircraft descendsto NOE altitude and continues northeast (evermore nervous with each passing minute). Finally, Dustoff 819 sights an unimprovednorth-south road and turns north. Just asDustoff 819 turns north, the crew hears thefollowing radio transmissions:"Charlie Med, Charlie Med, this is Dustoff220. Describe the lighting configuration at thepatient pickup sight. Over.

"Dustoff 220, this is Charlie Med. Pickupsite is marked with three hand-held flashlights.Over."Charlie Med, this is Dustoff 220. Give us along count. Over."Dustoff 220, this is Charlie Med. Longcount follows: One, two, three, four, five, six,seven ... (static) .. .. Over."Charlie Med, this is Dustoff 220. Give usanother long count. There is lot of interference, and we do not as yet have a good fix onyour ... (static) ... (static)...."Dustoff 220, this is Charlie Med. Say

again. Over." ... (static)....Finding Charlie MedAs the crew of Dustoff 819 listens to theforegoing radio exchanges, it observes a likelyexplosion in the air about halfway between AIMusannah Se and the patient pickup site.Suddenly, the crew of Dustoff 819 arrives at aroad intersection and turns right.However, for some reason, the compassindicates the aircraft still goes north instead ofeast. Suddenly, the crew flies by a probableHawk missile battery pointing southwest. Theaircraft slows down and descends to about 10to 15 feet AGL and continues along at 20 to30 knots.Suddenly, the crew observes two trackedvehicles, each with four broom-handle-like objects pointing out of a turret to the southwest.Apparently, the crew has made a serious

31


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navigational error and is inside Kuwait, or elseIraqi forces have crossed the border into SaudiArabia.Immediately, Dustoff 819 makes a 9O-degreeleft tum and flies even lower, but faster. Fourstreams of green tracers go by overhead.Dustoff 819 immediately makes another 90-degree left turn and heads southwest, hopingto find friendly forces and the east-west roadit had missed.After what seems an eternity-but onlyabout 2 minutes on the clock-Dustoff 819sights what seems to be a building standing byitself in the desert with three faint lights in arough, triangular formation.The crew quickly discusses whether or not togo close to the building and lights. Just as thecrew decided to circumnavigate the buildingand the lights, the radio on Dustoff 819 comesto life:

"Dustoff aircraft, this is Charlie Med. Youare cleared to land."Not wanting to take a chance on breakingradio silence, Dustoff 819 does not say anything; however, the crew decides to take achance and land in the middle of the three dimlights. Upon landing, several figures inMOPP-4 quickly approach the aircraft. Thereare bodies everywhere, some on litters, somenot, most with gas masks, and all in variousstages of MOPP.The flight medic speaks to one of the figuresin MOPP-4 standing next to the aircraft. Hequickly reports to the PC that they have foundCharlie Med. There are 35 to 40 chemicalcasualties, the extent of injuries unknown, butall serious.Then someone identifying herself as thecommander of Charlie Med comes up to thepilot and asks when the other MEDEVAChelicopters will arrive. The pilot states Dustoff

32

431 should have been there already andDustoff 220 is on the way.He is told no other aircraft have arrived. Noenemy ground activity has occurred since themissile attack, but they have observed twoexplosions southwest of Charlie Med. Meanwhile, given the large number of casualties andthe failure of Dustoff 431 to arrive, the crewelects to try to take five litter and two ambulatory patients.The crewchief removes the crew chief andflight medic seats. Three patients are placed inlitters in their normal litter position; twopatients are placed on the floor behind thepilots; and one semi-ambulatory patient isplaced on each side of the transmission.The crew chief gets in the aircraft and sits inone of the seats next to the transmission. Theflight medic straps herself to the floor inbetween the two patients behind the pilots.However, the aircraft does not have enoughpower to lift up to even a 3-foot hover. ThePC suggests taking off one or both of theambulatory patients from the aircraft. However, the medic says they are becoming critical.The crewchief volunteers to get off the aircraft, remain behind at Charlie Med, and helpwith triage.Still using NVD, Dustoff 819, with sevenpatients on board, lifts off the patient pickupsite and heads back toward the 93d EvacuationHospital at AI Musannah Se. Upon arrival atthe hospital, a runner from Dustoff Operations says Dustoff 431 and Dustoff 220 areunaccounted; asks Dustoff 819 for any information on the missing aircraft; and instructsDustoff 819 to return to Charlie Med tocontinue the mission. Still using NVD and stillin MOPP-4, Dustoff 819 returns to CharlieMed's location five more times that night.All in all, a total of 39 chemical casualtiesare transferred from Charlie Med to the 93dEvacuation Hospital. By morning, Dustoff 431and Dustoff 220 are still unaccounted.What happened to Dustoff 431 and Dustoff220? The answer lies somewhere between June1986 and June 1991.



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T he unit was scheduled to complete 6continuous hours of training inMOPP-4 during annual training. On17 June 1986, the urnt workday began at 1700 hours with all personnel appearingin formation in MOPP-2. At that time, thepurpose of MOPP training was briefly ex-plained and all personnel were instructed tocarry out the regularly scheduled training from1800 to 2400 hours, but in MOPP-4.Scheduled training included NVD continuation flight training, aircraft maintenance andmaintenance training, section battalion training, management systems training, and the


administrative movementof personnel by ground vehicle.Two NVD continuationtraining flights were scheduled. One was with theunit instructor pilot (IP),Chief Warrant Officer(CWO) Wayne Sowell, andthe acting unit operationsofficer, Lieutenant (L T)Lonnie Colson. The otherflight was with the FourthDivision StandardizationIP, CW4 John Morgan;the unit commander, Captain (CPT) Victor Carlin;and the unit trainer, CW3David Trujillo, togetherwith a crewchief, SergeantJohn McCarthy, and aflight medic, SpecialistMike Herrera.As safety pilots and instructors, the IPswere to use NVD, but not wear chemical protective clothing and gas masks. All personnelwere told safety was the primary consider

ation. Personnel were instructed to immediately stop any training or administrativeactivity if unsafe in MOPP-4. Personnel wereauthorized to unmask and take off their chemical protective gloves if necessary to safelycontinue training or administrative tasks.All of a sudden, the radio in Operationscame to life:"Dustoff, Dustoff, Dustoff, we have atruck rollover accident and chemical casualties... (static)."Calling Dustoff, this is Dustoff Operations. Say your unit call sign, the location andnumber of the patients, and the nature of theirinjuries. Over."Dustoff Operations, this is Bravo Med,patient location is about 5 miles south of themain road intersection on top of "AgonyRidge" ... two patients with gunshot wounds inthe lower torso and chemical contamination,

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the extent of their injuries is unknown, butserious. Persistent chemical agents are still inthe area."Flight planning and preflight in MOPP-4were slower than without MOPP-4; however,they were completed without any particulardifficulties. CW3 Sowell and LT Colson tookoff first. L T Colson hovered the Huey andflew one time around the traffic pattern atButts Army Airfield in MOPP-4 with NVD.However at that point, he landed, took off theM24 gas mask and rubber gloves, and continued the NVD training flight in MOPP-2.At about 2100 hours, the second UH-l tookoff with CW 4 Morgan; CW3 Trujillo in thepilot seat in MOPP-4 with NVD; CPT Carlin;and the crewchief and medic in MOPP-4 withNVD in the rear. CW3 Trujillo hovered theaircraft for a few minutes, performed 5- and50-foot hover checks, flew once around thetraffic pattern, and proceeded toward AgonyRidge and the down-range NOE-NVD trainingareas.For 1 hour, CW3 Trujillo flew and navigated the aircraft NOE in MOPP-4 with NVD.They flew most of the flight less than 25 feetAGL, as close to the earth's surface as vegetation and obstacles permitted.At the end of 1 hour, CW3 Trujillo landedin a confined area down-range and switchedpositions with CPT Carlin. Thereafter, CPTCarlin hovered the UH-l for a few minutesand then flew and navigated the aircraft NOEin MOPP-4 with NVD for about 1 more hour.Except for the return for landing at ButtsArmy Airfield, they also flew most of thisflight less than 25 feet AGL as close to theground as vegetation and obstacles permitted.The aircraft landed at about 2300 hours. At2400 hours, unit personnel took off theirchemical protective clothing and gas masks.

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Before the flight, CW3 Trujillo had doubtsabout the wisdom of flying NVD in MOPP-4.In the daytime, the face plate of the M24mask distorts one's peripheral vision. Wearinga gas mask and chemical protective clothing isnot comfortable, day or night.However, after hovering the aircraft for afew minutes and flying once around the trafficpattern, CW3 Trujillo quickly decided the M24gas mask and chemical protective clothing didnot degrade any ability to fly safely withNVD. By the end of the flight, CW3 Trujillowas convinced that aviators can sa/ely fly theUH-J at night in the NOE environment usingNVD while MOPP-4. .L T Colson took off the gas mask andrubber gloves shortly after the NVD training

flight began, because he felt "uncomfortable."CW3 Sowell and L T Colson had flown ahigh-altitude training flight that same morning. Perhaps fatigue contributed to L T Colson's feeling uncomfortable.NVD and MOPP-4 FlightsAfter observing CW3 Trujillo, CPT Carlinwas convinced aviators can sa/ely fly NVDwhile in MOPP-4. Flying with NVD while inMOPP-4 himself, CPT Carlin noted his visionoutside the cockpit through NVD was notdegraded by the gas mask. However, reading a1 50,000 map was more difficult through thegas mask and under the NVD.The daytime problem of peripheral visiondistortion outside the aircraft: with the M24gas mask face plate did not seem a problem.On moonless nights without artificial illumination, one cannot use peripheral vision withNVD except to view the aircraft instrumentsand the map. Placement of the NVD immediately in front of the M24 face plate resulted inno noticeable difference in an outside viewthrough the goggles than a view without usingthe M24.CW3 Trujillo and CPtT Carlin wear eyeglasses when they fly. Both have prescriptioneyeglass inserts in their M24 gas masks, andboth wear their eyeglasses when they fly NVD.



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However, this did not appear to cause anyproblems.The plastic gas mask hoods were not used inthe June 1986 flight because of the need toplace the NVD straps to the top ~ n d sides ofthe flight helmet. Even with the OX-5 "flipup" NVD, one cannot use the plastic gas maskhoods without modification. For instance, theycould possibly cut holes or slits in the hoods toaccommodate the two methods of attachingNVD to the flight helmet.

At the end of the NVD MOPP-4 flighttraining period in June 1986, CPT Carlinconcluded that with proper training, the crewcan safely perform NVD flights in MOPP-4.Additionally, he concluded NVD flight inMOPP-4 must be essential under two conditions: if NVD are essential to flight in ahigh-threat environment and if MOPP-4 is,essential to survival in a high-threat environ-ment. I t follows that if we are going to beexpected to fly and fight in war using NVDand MOPP-4 at the same time, we need totrain that way in peacetime.Meanwhile, however, upon the unit's returnfrom Ft. Carson to its base at Santa Fe, NM,the state Army Aviation officer instructed theunit to discontinue further flights using bothNVD and MOPP-4 at the same time.In February 1988, CPT Carlin submitted anarticle to the A viation Digest detailing theunit's NVD MOPP-4 tr'}ining at Ft. Carson inJune 1986. Because the Aviation Digest didnot respond, CPT Carlin inquired about thestatus of the article in November 1988. CPTCarlin received a letter from the AviationDigest with comments from Army entities: This article should not be printed. Thereare test results from developmental testing ofthe XM40 and XM43 programs that show theM24 is not compatible with NVD. This incompatibility is primarily due to loss of field ofview. The conclusion should place more emphasis on the necessity for aircrew continuationtraining to ensure safe conduct of NVD flightin MOPP-4. Recommendation: Staff the arti-


cle at the Aviation Training Brigade andDirectorate of Combat Developments, U.S.Army Aviation Center, Ft . Rucker, AL, forfurther comments. The M24 mask has distortion problemsand I do not believe they will go away atnight. .. . Until the Army has fielded MOPPclothing and equipment designed for aviationusage, and it is determined to be compatiblewith NVD, no requirement training programsin this environment should exist.

CPT Carlin's 1988 article was never published by the Aviation Digest. Since June 1986,neither the 717th Medical Detachment nor anyother unit in the New Mexico ARNG hasperformed NVD flights in MOPP-4.Perhaps those who believe no one can perform NVD flights in MOPP-4 can answer thisquestion for aircrews in Saudi Arabia: Howdoes one choose either NVD or MOPP-4 whensurvival depends on the simultaneous use ofboth?When we fight, we fight the way we trained.Therefore, subject to safety considerations, weneed to train the way we plan to fight. Inother words, we need to train using MOPP-4with NVD in peacetime under certain condi

tions: if flight in MOPP-4 is essential in ahigh-threat environment; if flight with NVD isessential in a high-threat environment; and ifwe are going to be expected to fly in ahigh-threat environment.

It is not enough to say the subject should bestaffed for further comment. With soldiers onthe ground in Saudi Arabia in a high-threatchemical environment, we need to promptlybegin training in simultaneous use of NVDand MOPP-4.PostscriptDustoff 431 flew into the top of hill 981about halfway to its patient pickup site.Dustoff 220 was shot down by an Iraqimissile. The crew of Dustoff 819 survived thewar, but the aircraft had to be scrappedbecause of severe corrosion caused by chemicaldecontamination spray. ~

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VIEWS FROM READERSEditor:The Ohio State University will hostthe Sixth International Symposiumon Aviation Psychology 28 Aprilthrough 2 May 1991. The Ohio StateUniversity Department of AviationPsychology Laboratory and the Inter-national Journal oj A viation Psychol-ogy staff is sponsoring the Symposium. The meeting will be held in theHyatt Regency, Ohio ConventionCenter, Columbus, OH. This year'stheme, "Information Transfer for aSafer Aviation System," reflects theemerging issue of importance in ourfield. The objective of the Symposium is to examine and improve therole, responsiblity, and performanceof human operators in the aviationsystem. Specific topics will includebut not be limited to the following:

Cockpit Technology. Pilot Reliability. Pilot Workload. Pilot Judgement. Pilot Selection. Pilot Training. Pilot Certification. Cockpit Resource Management. Air Traffic Control HumanFactors. Simulation. Visual Perception. Accident Investigation. Physiological Factors.

Editor:

Richard S. Jensen, Ph.D.Director, Symposium onAviation PsychologyCommercial 614-292-5460Fax 614-292-5020

Although I have been out of aviation since shortly after my returnfrom Vietnam, it has always bothered

me that both your publication andSoldier magazine have treated theCH-54 Skycranes, the units that hadthem and used them in Vietnam, andthe men and women who served inthese units, with benign neglect.Again in your May/June 1990 issuethe article, titled "Grand Opening,Army Aviation Museum," they areagain missing. I know you do not dothis on purpose.I certainly hope the aviation museum has one to show off. I knowyou have one of the Guns-A-Go-GoCH-47s that I had a part in deliveringto Hotel-7 (Saigon) for shipment tothe museum.The 478th Aviation Company(Heavy Lift) Skycranes, known bytheir call sign as Cyclones performedin a superior manner throughout thewar. In particular, the 3d Platoon,first located at Long Binh and thenat Vung Tau, was called on to perform difficult and dangerous missions and yet, sadly enough, little if

anything has ever been written abouttheir feats.Lastly, formal recognition by wayof unit citations, except for the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry given tothe whole Ist Aviation Brigade, arealso noticeably missing. We deservebetter than that. It is long overdue.Give us our due!

Editor:

CSM Victor A. Gomez359th Theater Signal BrigadeLiverpool, NY

I am the full-time aviation lifesupport equipment (ALSE) technicianfor the Army Aviation Support Facility in Connecticut. I belong to theArmy National Guard (ARNG). I am

concerned with the PEARVS article,"Back to Basics," published in theJuly/August 1990 issue of the Avia-tion Digest.I agree with some of the concernsthat were written in the article. I amsure that a small percent of ALSEtechnicians are not performing in- \spections and maintenance by thebook, but also I know that there area lot of us who do go by the book.I think that there are some pointsyou should know. How can a unitcommander take ALSE seriouslywhen there are no slots or militaryoccupational speciality (MOS) in hisunit for ALSE? The additional skillidentifier just does not meet the requirement. So during weekend drills,I have to perform my duty MOS andthe ALSE program takes a back seat.This doesn't just happen in the unitwhere I am assigned, it happens justabout everywhere within the ARNG.Another point is that a good number of school-trained ALSE technicians hide the fact that they aretrained because of a lack of careeradvancement. The last fact is thatArmy Regulation 95-3, General Pro-visions, Training, Standardizationand Resource Management, statesthat a desirable ratio is 1 full-timeALSE technician to 50 persons onflight status. This just does not happen. I have a 1: 176 ratio for instance.I can proudly say that the crewmembers I support have one of thebest ALSE programs available toanyone in Army Aviation today. I goby the book and take great pride inthe job I am doing as I am sure otherALSE technicians are doing.SPC David T. DwelleyALSE TechicianConnecticut ARNG

Readers can obtain copies of material printed In any Issue by writing to: Editor,U.S. Anny Aviation Digest, P.O. Box 699, Fort Rucker, AL 36362-5042.

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AVIATION PERSONNELNOTES

Army Aviation Personnel Plan (Alp1)The Army Aviation Personnel Plan, better

known as A2p 2, has been updated. It is now beingdistributed worldwide. This professional development guide is a handy reference tool. It providesinformation on branch accession requirements, career development, schooling, and functional areause.

The new 1990/1991 A2p2 contains all of thelatest professional development changes for Aviation Branch soldiers. It covers the entire rankspectrum. Also in this edition is the new foundation for a professional development plan for Department of the Army civilians who support theAviation Branch.

All of you are encouraged to read A2p2. Keep acopy nearby to which you can refer when professional development questions come up. You areencouraged to submit recommended changes oradditions to A2p2 to the Aviation Personnel Proponency. The address is in A2p2 Changes to Army Regulation (AR) 611-201

On 25 October 1990, a packet of major changesto AR 611-201, Military Occupational Handbook,affecting primary military occupational specialty


(MOS) 93C, air traffic control operator; and 93D,air traffic control systems, subsystems and equipment repairer, was forwarded to the U.S. ArmyPersonnel Integration Command, Alexandria, VA,for evaluation and' worldwide staffing.

Some of the changes that will affect air trafficcontrol are as follows: The title of the MOS willchange from air traffic control to air traffic services. The standards of grade explanatory noteswill change to add pathfinder additional skill identifier (ASI) to the tactical teams and tactical airoperation ASI of the S2/S3 section at battalions,A2p2 section at headquarters and headquarterscompany, corps support company, communicatio

Documents

Army Aviation Digest - Jan 1991