Army Aviation Digest - Aug 1977

8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Aug 1977

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USAARLSCI SUPPORT CENTERPOBOX 62 577

FORT RUCKER AL 36362osUNITED STATES ARMY AUGUST 97GEST

n SO Speaks Out page 2


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UNITED RMY VI TION.., 1GESJMG James C Smith

COMMANDERUS. ARMY AVIATION CENTERA major activity of theUS. Army Training and Doctrine Command

COL Keith J. RynottCOMMANDER.S. ARMY AGENCY FOR AVIATION SAFETYA major activity of theInspector General and Auditor General

of the US. Army

Richard K TierneyEDITOR

U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

BOUT THE COVERCover design y US V

AUGUST 1977 VOLUME 23 NUM

Views From Read e rs ....... ........................................ .. .. ..............An ASO Spea ks Out ...........................................................Medeva c On The Europea n Battlefie ld , MA J William C. WoOh Sa y Ca n You See, CW2 William R. Steele .......................How Importa nt Are Your Ey es? , SGT Walter D. Brown ......Avia t ion Tr a in ing - Toughe ning Up The Softest Spot,LTC Matthew R. Kambrod .. ...............................................OPMS Corner: Flight Pay Entitlements And Flight StatusEl igibility , LTC B. H. Freeman; Army Av iators Complete

Tra ining At Naval Test Pilot School ,MAJ Thomas M. Walker .......... .. ........................................The Height Of Decision SFC 'Will iam L. Loudermilk andWill iam C. Corn Jr. . .... ......................................... .. ..........EPMS Corne r: Person ne l Utilization, SFC W. E. Trotman ...Your LZ/ PZ Can Be A Mountains ide , River Or A Swamp,

CW3 Ch a rles D. Schenck ....................................................Army Avia t ion Cente r At A Glance,Rain-Tes ting The AH -1 .....................................................Practice - Don ' t Study SQT ............................................Expect Th e Unexpected, CW Dean M. Resch ....................Storie s With Moral s, LTC Harold Anderson .... ....................Knowledge Vs Desire, Dr . Victor E. Schultze Jr ...... ........ .. ..Who ' s In Command ? ..................................... ....................T ur bine Engine Facts .................................................. ......Birds, Warren L. Floc k and John L. Green ..............................If .............................. ...........................................................Pea rl .......................... .. ................... ....................................ATC Action Line .................... ....................... ....................Con t roller Of The Ye a r ................... .. ................Inside BacWes t Point Cadets a t Ft . Rucker .................................Bac

The mission ofth e US ARMYA VIAT ION DIGEST is to provide information ofan operational. functinature concerning safety and aircra ft accident prevention. training. maintenance. operations. reseand development. aviation medicine and other related data .TheDIGE T is an official Depart ment of the Army periodical published monthly under the supervisithe Commanding General, U.S. Army Aviation Center. Views expressed herein are not necessarily thothe Department of the Army nor the U.S. Army Aviation Center. Photos are U.S. Army unless otherspecified. Material may be reprinted provided credit is given to the DIGEST and to the author. unotherwise indicated.Articles. protos. and items of interest on Army aviation are invited . Direct communication is authoto : Editor. US ARMY AVIATION DIGEST Fort Rucker. AL36362.This publication has been approved by The Adjutant General. Headquarters. Depar tmen t of the ArmDecember 1975. in accordance with AR 310-1.Active Army units receive distribution under the pinpoint distribution system as outlined in ARComplete DA Form 12-5 and send directly to CDR. AG Publications Center. 2800 Eastern BouleBaltimore . MD 21220. For any change in distribution requirem ents. initiate a revised DA Form 12-5National Guard and Army Reserve units under pinpoint distribution also should submit DA FormOther National Guard units should submit reques ts through their state adjutant general.Those not eligible for official distribution or wro desire personal copies of the DIGEST can ordmagazi ne from the Superintendent of Documents. U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington. DCAnnual subscription rates are ]5.70 domestic and 19.65 overseas.


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JEWSODERS

Sir:The 478th Aviation Company (HH),Ft. Benning, GA , the oldest SkycraneCompany in the Army, is attempting toestablish a Skycrane Registry . It isplanned to make a register in numerical sequence by date qualified of allArmy aviators , active , retired , National Guard and Reserve who arerated in the CH-54. If sufficient interes tis shown it might be possible to get anassociation tarted .The CH -54 Skycrane helicopter hasbeen with the U. S. Army since the firstaircraft were brought to Ft. Benning,GA , and tested by the 478th AviationCompany (HH ) in 1963 . By the end of1971 the Army had procured 88 CH -54sand the present inventory is about 75percent ofthatfigure . As there were 0few of these aircraft produced, thenumber of people qualified in theCH -54 is relatively sma ll compared tothe total Army aviator population.Any Qualified per ons interested inhaving their name placed on the registry are requested to send the following information: name , month andyear rated in CH-54 and current address if desired) to Skycrane Registry , P . O. Box 1448 , Ft Benning, GA31905 . Names which fall within thesame month will be listed in alphabetical numerical sequence . Personneldesiring a copy of the initial registry(planned publication date 10 Oct 77)should enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope in their information letter .

Sir :

CW 4 Bill C. WaltonPAO, 34th Medical BnFt. B nning, GAContinuing review of our medevacutilization has gone on since ubmission of my article , Medevac On TheEuropean Battlefield (see page 4),and would like to add one paragraphto the article , reflecting our latest in formation and ad vice ... .The para graph is as follows:Following submission of my arti-

lor publication, continuingcrItique by a number of commanders and Staff members of the 1stArmored Division provided inputinto our medevac consideration.Based on this input, it is suggestedthat the brigade trains area withthe medical clearing company beused as the forward limit of airhelicopter employment. However,the brigade commander, using hisbrigade surgeon or most seniormedical officer present as advisor,could authorize air evacuation of illor injured from an area forward ofthe medical clearing company,bearing in mind all pertinent factors related to enemy and friendlytactical situation, weather , otherbattlefield considerations, and theillness or injury itself. I t is thoughtthat this arrangement would provide sufficient flexibility and stillprovide an adequate guideline formedevac employment on themid-to high intensity Europeanbattlefield....will supplement the material presented in the body of the article .

Sir:

Major William C. Wood M.D.First Armored DivisionAPO New York 09326On Sunday afternoon , 1 May 1977, asmall helicopter crash d at BlatterField , Orrville , Ohio , before a largeaudience. The aircraft was privatelyowned, but as helicopters are still ararity in the civilian aircraft sphere ,the incident is of particular interest tothe military aviator, especially National Guard and Reserves who usecivilian facilities frequently .The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation of the crashprobably is not complete, and no doubtwill be published and disseminated toall interested agencies. The reasonsfor the crash were, however , apparentto even the most casual observer. Thehelicopter approached the airfield atright angles to the runway, flying over

the trees to a point near the hangars.After clearing the trees , the aircraftdescended to fly between the hangars(and over parked aircraft) withintentions of landing at the fuel pumps .The pilot failed to notice the powerlines strung on poles between thehangars , struck them with the mainrotor, and crashed . On impact theaircraft fell on its side . The rotor brokeoff and flew into a hangar where itnarrowly .missed a number of peopleand aircraft. The pilot survived.Blatter Fi Id has a published airportdiagram . However , the wires that thehelicopter struck do not show b causethey are not in the standard landingpattern. The attempt of the helicopterto short-cut the old down wind , base ,final approach at an uncontrolledfield , caused the loss of the aircraftand the hospitilization of the pilot. Themaneuverability of the helicoptershould not be used to violate established p r o e u r e ~

Sir:

CPT Charles F. SantoseOhio Army National GuardStow, OH 44224want to respond to a letter wassurprised to see in the Views FromReaders Column in the May DIGESTcertainly hope the editorial staffdoes not knuckle-under to that kind ofsexist tripe. thought the DIGEST wasfor Army aviation , not for disgruntled

amazon types.Most of u want to see more of Pearland other beautiful females - not less- especially when their photos helpadvertise or illustrate importantpoints. Thomas M. ValentineFt. Bragg, NC 28307Malar General Jamel C. Smith. com-mander of the U.S. Army Aviation Centerreceived hll la llon Pllot l wlngl from theArtillery School In November 1946 not1947 al appeared on the outl lde backcover of the July 1977 Il lue.


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t t ~ ~AAAV

2 US ARMY AVIATION IGEST


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Aircraft don't crash in the safety office. You haveto get out and get with the people.

flSI T IS ALWA YS a pleasure to meet a professionalASO filled with enthusiasm and initiative . We hadthat pleasure when CW2 Harold D H in tze visitedUSAAAVS to be a guest speaker at a recent ASOcourse .CW2 Hint ze received he meritorious servicemedal for outstanding achievement while serving asthe U1 iation safety officer 3d Armored Cavalry Re-giment Fort Bliss Texns . His outstanding accidentprevent ion program prompted the invi tat ion toUSA All V S. Here a re some of the things he told theclassOn of the fir t changes 1m ade when I wentl 0 thE3d Cav wa. to r locat my offi e. The aviation . af tyoffic wa ne t to a lieutenant colonel who wa thOav iation taff officer . I rno T d clown tail'. so th 11 -listed p opl didn ' t hav to walk up. tail' where theran k is. Th y don't want th xpo ur . Move your office wh rev r th flow of traffic i and you will eth p ople tart comin in and a. king you que tions.Th y will it there and t II you when . omething iswrong. You need to be where you can learn what igoing on .After th first month or two in th job, you willwant to make changes . P opl will u ually resistchange until they see you are really interested inthe ir welfare . When you first tart out, you shouldget to work before they do and stay later than they dofor a bo ut the first two months. After they see thatyou 're re ally interested in what they' re doing andare trying to ave their l ive, they re pond almostimmediately.I don't think we should be called safety officeranymore . I think that' a poor t rm . I would rath rbe called an accident prevention sp ciali t or technician. Prev nt the accident first. That' s our job.Then we can burn all the 2397 r porting forms. Youshould demonstrate an accident prevention awar -nes in v rything you do. That'. where the safetyoffic r et an xamp l .I am a firm believer in complete, a curate, andup-to-date record . I k P a lot of charts on th wallsso the information will be available at a glance to allthose who ne d it. I hav on I call an accident exposure chart. It's a great he lp to me and the commander. Set up by month, unit. and type aircraft, it isAugust 1977

color coded and shows hour flown, landings, and a utorotCltion . The chart haws totals for the month ,fiscal year. calendar year, and cumulative fo r e achtype aircraft . When the commander ca lls me andwants to know how many hours we have flown in thelast 6 months. la . t ye ar or 2 years, how many lan ding. and how many autorotation , I can give it to himin a aU r of minute .vVhen maintenanc n ds ome backing becauseth v are wearing out kid hoe on autorotations ,you have th information they need . You can tellthem, ' W ha ve an IP course going on here. Las tmonth they did 60 a utorotation and they ' ll do 400this month . ' That way the S is backing the wholeunit. He is doing what h i upposed to do .We a1. 0 keep lipboa ds hanging on t he wall. neJipboard i an air ra ft tatu report. E ve rybodyget thi r port . 0 maint nance and operations willknow which aircraft ar down and for what reason.Til ri clipboard for FLIGHTFAX. Keep public a

tions uch a. FLIGHTFAX, PREVENTE R, and theAVIATION DIGES1 on file and readily ava ilable tounit p rsonnel for reference.We hay thre clipboards for EIRs in Huey,Cobra, and OIl-58 categorie . The safety officermu t get a copy of all EIRs. One thing to re memberis that the answer to the E IR is sent to t he unit whichinitiated it. Make sure they loan you a copy so youcan reproduce it. If the safety off icer does not knowhow the EIR program i going and is not keepingtrack, he i not doing hi job.We have another chart on the wall that's a realhelp r to maintenance . It's a record of compressorstalls with 1'53 engine. This chart tells you every

thing. the aircraft tail number, total hours, totaltim since overhaul. number of overh a uls, whooverhauled it , how many compre sor stall s, the lastT AC. and the ba eline TEAC. You can update thiswith a Form 1352 v ry month. That way it 's all onth wall.Th re' a secr t to the chart be ing on the wall .Numb r on . it' in your offic all the time, so youit veral time a day. Num ber two, the peoplewho come into your office and see it know you are interested. That also works with the commander . Heontinued on p ge 3

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H ELICOPTER EVACUATIONof casualti s during American in volvement in th Republic ofKorea in the early 195 s and thenin the R public of Vietnam in th196 aved countless lives. t aldecreas d suffering and pain inthousands of cases. Thi contribution to lowering mortality rat forcombat casualties cannot b overestimated .In U. S. Army , Europe(USAREUR) , helicopter vacuation is available from forward tac tical areas to medical f c i l i t i ~ sequipped to handl the most severely injured Soliders.The capabiliti and liabilitiesof helicopter evacuation must beconsidered when selecting evacuation techniqu for wounded andinjured. War aw Pact antiaircraftcapabilities are formidable anddictate that USAREUR assaultand attack helicopter pilots adoptnap-of-the -earth (NOE ) flighttechniques to survive.In trinsic to NOE flight t ch niques are the slower sp ds ob-

tainable; mor circuitous routnecessary to ,reach objectivlonger flying time to a giv npickup poiJ:lt ; and difficulties inlocating ch ckpoints and sp cificunits du to reduced visibility atlower altitud s. Medican vacuation m d vac) helicopter pilotsface th same probl m . Th Ymay well be slow r r achingcasualties and may xperiencemor difficulty navigating to asp cific point wh r woundedar located.M devac helicopter pilots flyinglow level terrain contour flightpaths can orient themselves be tt r , find the landing zones easierand reduce flying time . However,this type terrain flying increasaircraft vulnerability when opared with OE technique inforward battle areas.Medevac flying is extrem lydemanding and its pilots ust bknowledg able in instrum nt ,NOE and terrain flying techniquesto safely accomplish their missions.

There is immediate need inArmy aviation to reassess the useof air vacuation in the forwardarea , wh r th antiaircraftthreat i th greatest. West rnEurop a a combat zone woulddiff r greatly from the Vi tnamconflict. American aircraft wouldbe ngag d in gaining and keepingair sup riority. During this periodmed vac helicopters would be thebu i l Antiaircraft fire would beintens and sophi ticated.Many NOE fl ying hazards wouldb pr nt , as all who recentlyhav flown in Europe realize.Th problem all must be consid r d when anticipating use ofmedevac on a European bat tlefi ld. Ground e vacuation of theI s seriously ill and injured mustb redi scov r d - whilemed vac as e t must be skillfullymployed for lif saving missions.

Ther ha been orne tend ncyin field man uv r to use med vacfor many injurie not of a life orontinued on p ge 9

Medevac On heEuropean Battlefield

August 977

Major William C ood

First nnored Divisionsboch Germany

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Oil SII IID You S ~ e. d \ " I~ , I CW William R Steele . , ; ' \ . .of Groduote Flight Training t\. li , ', i l bijl

6

Fort Rucker AL . {II :lj ( I .. . . t if'. . IW I -ttY.. . . .

giv 'nanato y and phy . oiogy of th ean y seriou tholl ghl'? r o b a b lback in about th third g radom on one said , The y mayb like n d to a cam r a. Ilsound

pr tt y impie , ri ght' Well, in im -pIe t rm ., let' e xplore this a littlefurth r .Th ye cons i ,t of two mainpart : the cornea , len and iricombination which gather andcontrol th amount of light; andthe retina , a photographic film -like light n iti ve la y r uponwhich th light is project d to forman image to b trans mitt d to thebrain . ontinum o page



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~ w Impo1;ttlnt re Your Eyes, 1 . jV ' . ergeant Wolter D Brow.. . .a ' f

,

ontinued on page 3

August 1977

Ii i t 't : . I

I 1.i ; .

me andmillions of other peopl , that is aquestion you may never thinkabout until it is too late Well, iti too late for me for I have already 1 t the ight of one eye . Itruly hope in reading this articlthat you find out how much youreyes are worth to you or yourloved ones in life.I used to be a jet engineme chanic working on the C-130Hercule cargo plane This wasmy job for 5 years . I had alsoplanned to continue my careeras a mec hanic after my enlist-ment was over On December 6,1974, my career ended and a

I .l

t6j

49 BWKirtland AFB , NM

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AVIATION TRAININGI ft If.1 r fUP TH ~ Q l \ \ ~ 1 SP T

LTC Matthew R. ambrodCommander, 7th Aviation Battalion

Fort Ord, CA

O NE OF THE MOST signif icant actions per taining to Army aviation which recently has taken placeon the Army Staff deals directly with training Armyaviators . t has not received much publicity amongaviators primarily because it has been over shadowed by its more dollar sensitiv component,the Army 's FHP. Essentially , effective 1 October 1977, the Armywill implement a new training concept for maintain-ing combat readiness among aviators. The programis based on a pilot 's accomplishment of specifictasks and events as outlined in test editions of ATMsnow being finalized . The manuals will define whateach aviator must accomplish in the aircraft systems which that individual operates as a primaryduty.

Before going further we need to be aware of somebackground information leading to this change tounderstand fully the Army 's move in this new direction. First, recognition that aviation training in theArmy sorely needed overhauling is not new . GeneralBernard Rogers Army Chief of Staff, while stillFORSCOM commander in 1975 , stated at aFORSCOM Aviation Resources Management Conference ...the bigges t w.eakness in Army aviation iseffective training management , the softest spot inthe system .

Barely 9 months had passed when th full impactof General Rogers ' comment dealt a sobering blowto aviation in the form of a dramatic increase in aviation accidents , particularly in associatedfatalities . The first quarter of FY 76 brought intoclear focus that aviation training , due in large mea-sure to budgetary constraints , had been reduced tothat point wherein it degraded combat power andreadiness. Brigadier General Charles E . Canedy,Deputy Director of Requirements and Army Aviation Officer, ODCSOPS,HQDA , especially noted thisfact. This was manifested by the end of FY 76 in to-8

tally unacceptable p rsonnelloss and $16 millionworth of destroy d aircraft inventory du to aviationaccidents .Also in mid-FY 76 , GAO published a r port to theCongress assessing the development of ach of the

services ' FHPs . The Army was criticized severelyfor its FHP management procedure , particularlyin the sense that aviator training criteria were notsufficiently definitive to assure combat readiness.The GAO recommended , in effect , that the Army restructure its FHP developmental procedure. The intent was to reflect actual requirements based onlegitimate performance-oriented criteria en uringreadiness , rather than on historical precedencewhich in the past had been the basic tool for formulating FHP funding requests by the MACOMTranslated into real world terms , this meant thatwhere in the past the annua120-hour CRF instrumentrequirement meant only that 20 hours of actual in struments or hooded flight would be flown. Now , forexample , a breakdown would be required of whatwas specifically done in those 20 hours flown andpayed for by the taxpayer. (Our inability to do justthis resulted in our failing to reclama successfullyFY 76 and FY 77 Congressional reductions in requ sted appropriations to fund the Army 's FHP.)The convergence of recognized reductions in Armywide aviation training , increasing accident ratesfrom lack of proper training , criticism from theCongressional watchdog , and primarily our losses inoverall combat effectiveness , resulted in GeneralCanedy s convening in April 1976 a DA Special Flying Hour Program Task Force to resolve what hadbecome a problem of significant magnitude. TheTask Force , comprised of representative of DA ,FORSCOM , TRADOC DARCOM , USAAVNC ,USAAAVS and Army Research Institute , and underthe leadership of Brigadier General Joseph H Kastner , now Deputy Commandant, Army War College,



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ultimately recommended the following: On the premise that training requirements arevery different for pilots flying the AH-l HueyCobrafrom those operating the C-12 Huron , the 80-hour annual CRF requirement was no longer valid. It shouldbe revised to reflect unique training requirementsby type aircraft. Aircrew Training Manuals should be developedto define specific tasks and events to be ac-complished by the aviator (individual aviator training) to ensure retention of flying skills necessary formaintenance of combat readiness. The Army FHP be developed at MACOM level onthe basis of the summation of the individual aviator

training hours cited above , unit training hours required to assure an avition unit 's conformance toARTEP standards , and mission support hours required to service the ground units commensuratewith mission. That a methodology be developed to track theutilization of funds allocated for aviation training toensure their being used for that purpose alone.The Tast Force not only developed the recommendations , but also prepared the initial editions of thedraft Aircrew Training Manuals for each of our different aircraft. It was from these ATMs that preliminary individual aviator training hours were extracted and employed for the first time in zero-basebudget development of the FY 78 Army FHP.Where, then, does this background informationbring us, and what are the short and long term effects of the program on us as aviators? First, thedraft Aircrew Training Manuals are now in thehands of TRADOC being prepared in final format astest editions to be implemented active Armywide effective FY 78 and tested for validity for about 2years. (Applicability to Reserve components must

yet be addressed. ) The test editions will fill a gap inaviation unit ARTEPs in that they will providespecific individual aviation training activities to beaccomplished by each aviator . This will ensuremaintenance of an individual aviator proficiencylevel essential to the unit 's accomplishing its tactical mission as well as meeting unit training standards established through ARTEPs .One point related to flying hours needs to be madeat this time . The draft ATMs originally prepared bythe Task Force do have accompanying flying hoursnecessary to complete the individual aviator training . The final test editions do not have hours requirements specified in the manuals themselves.Only the tasks/events to be accomplished and thetime recommended to be spent on the tasks are identified. Evaluat ion of the TRADOC test editions willprovide a basis for adjusting the hours originallytied to the training by the Task Force.Associated hours for individual aviator trainingper type aircraft should be the commander' s tool todevelop the initial portion of his FHP. (Individualtraining hours , different for each of our systems,have been specified in HQDA (DAMO-RQD) message to all MACOMs, DTG 042125Z Jan 77 subject:Development of Army's FY 78 and FY 79 FlyingHour Program FHP).) The hours referred to in theATMs are not stated requirements but are recommended average times required by the averageaviator to maintain proficiency. The concept underwhich we must train needs to specify what we mustaccomplish, not the specific number of hours wemust fly. Our 35 years of Army aviation history arereplete, unfortunately, with hours flown for no definitive purpose other than meeting mandated annual CRF requirements. We can and must do betteras professionals.The new approach permits flying to a criterion asopposed to a set number of hours; i.e., an aviator will

ontinued on page 8ugust 977

See lossaryage 9 9


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Officer Personnel Management System

Flight ay ntitlementsnd

Flight Status ligibilityLTC B H Freemon

Chief, Aviation Management DivisionU. S. Army Military Personnel Center

THE BASIC requirements of qualifying for flightpay under the provisions of the Aviation Career Incentive Act (ACIA) of 1974 were presented in theJanuary 1977 OPMS Corner . The ACIA contains a3-year transition/saved pay provision that precludedtotal loss of flight pay for aviators who were otherwise qualified to receive flight pay on 31 May 1974.

During the 36-month transition/saved pay periodafter 1 June 1974 , flying pay for aviators was notterminated as a result of not qualifying for the 12thor 18th year aviation service screening gates or attaining 25 years total federal officer service (TFOS)for commissioned officers. These provisions of thesaved pay clause terminated 31 May 1977.Those commissioned aviators with a primary oralternate specialty designation of 15 or 71 , who arenot entitled to continuous aviation career incentivepay (ACIP) for failure to meet the gate requirements , should remain qualified for aviation serviceas outlined in AR 95 1 , AR 95 63 and AR 600 106(Le. , Class II flight physical and annual aviationwritten examination). By so doing, they will receive monthly incentive pay when actually assigned to operational flying duty. Appropriate orders requiring the performance of such duties willbe issued by the installation commander as prescribed by AR 37 104 3.

f upon completion of 12 years aviation service aspecialty 15 or 71 aviator ' s entitlement of continuousincentive pay ceases, that entitlement may againcommence upon completion of 18 years aviationservice if fulfillment of the prescribed operationalflying duty requirements for that gate are met.

Commissioned aviators with more than 25 years10

TFOS may fly , without p y as long as they are as signed to an operational fl ying position and continueto meet the flight status requirements established inAR 95-1, AR 95 63 and AR 600-106. Flying status orders for these officers with more than 25 years TFOSwill remain in effect , even though pay entitlementsterminate , as long as the aviator is medically qualified for flying status as prescribed by AR 40 501.However , flying status may be terminated in accordance with AR600 107 upon personal request byan Army aviator.Aviation officers will not be notified individuallywhether they qualified for the gates. However,the Department of Army circular of ACIA flyingdata is published annually for this purpose. DA Circular 600 11 which announces the fiscal year 1976 update information and certification of the key elements of data required by the ACIA was distributedduring May to all finance and accounting offices,military personnel offices , and aviation units andshould be made available to all Army aviators.Additionally , 2 months prior to the month of the12/18-year of aviation service (computed from aviation service entry date) , the following remark willappear on the individual ' s leave and earningsstatement: ACIA 12 /18 YR Gate MMMYY (month/year). The ACIA status for aviators whoreach the 12 or 18-year gates will be evaluatedby Military Personnel Center and flight pay foraviators entitled to continuous ACIP after 31 May1977 will be authorized by direct input to theJUMPS-Army pay system (Joint Uniform ~ l t -ary Pay System). No action is required by fIeldactivities or installations.



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THR ARMY AVIATORS, Major Frederick S.Doten , Major George M. Mullen and CaptainThomas E . Burch recently were awarded the en

~ i n e e r i n g test pilot designation followin g com plet O ~ months of rigorous flight and academictraInmg at the Naval Test Pilot School (N TPS )Patuxent River , MD. They received their trainingu n ~ r the Army s aviation engineering and flighttestIng program and now join an elite group of 55Army aviators designated as engineering testpilots .The utilization assignment for these officers willbe at the U. S. Army Aviation Engineering FlightActivity (USAAEFA), Edwards Air Force BaseCA. Being NTPS test pilot graduates , theyqualified to fill a wide range of both aviation andresearch and development requirements as eitherengineering test pilots or in staff positions involving decisions affecting the type, design and configuration of Army aircraft. Their experience andskills represent a high dollar cost investment andwill require a closely monitored program of utili zation and professional development.. r m ~ aviators in the grade of major and below,IncludIng warrant officers, may apply for the

p r o g ~ ~ m providing they meet the following pre-reqUIsItes: Rated Army aviator on active duty and on flightstatus . Fixed and rotary wing rated with a minimum of1,500 hours military flying time, of which 500 hoursmust be in each category (fixed wing time waivera-ble down to 130 hours). Have a current or previously held an instrumentqualification.

Be a confident swimmer. Completed college algebra, physics and calculuswith above-average grades .latest additions to the Army s engineering test pilot program are,from left , MAJ George M. Mullen, MAJ Frederick S. Doten and (PT

Thomas E Burch

rmy viatorsCompleteTrainingt Naval

Test Pilot SchoolMajor Thomas M Walker

U. S. rmy Militory ersonnel Center

Completion of differential equations , although notmandatory , is desirable . A college degree in engineering is desirable but not required.Selection and Training Selection of Army aviiators for participation in the program is made by

an Officer Personnel Management Directorate(OPMD) board. Representatives of the Aviation~ a n a g e m e n t Branch (OPMD) , OPMD grade divi SIOns , NTPS, as well as the Army Engineering FlightActivity are included as board members. Only thoseapplications of officers who are recommended bytheir respective grade division are considered. Onceselected and prior to attending NTPS, officers aresent TDY to the Army Test Pilot Orientation Courseat USAAEFA. The orientation course is about 60days long and is designed to provide academic andflight refresher training. Academic subjects includecollege math through calculus , physics , aero-dynamics , engineering slide rule and technical report writi.ng. Flight orientation includes high altItude envIronmental training, flight test techniquesand familarization in a number of aircraft used atNTPS.NTPS classes are held twice a year beginning inJanuary and JUly. The Army s training quota forNTPS is eight per year (4 in January and 4 inJuly); however, the number of officers trained isa function of requirements. Upon successful completion of the NTPS course , graduates are assigned to USAAEFA or the Aircraft DevelopmentTest Activity, Ft. Rucker , AL , for utilization asengineering test pilots .DA Circular 351-71 , dated 13 December 1976,provides specific guidance for submitting an application. Interested Army aviators should contacttheir respective OPMD grade division regardingapplication details. Additional information concerning the Aviation EAgineering and Flight Testing Program can be obtained through contactingthe Aviation Management Branch , OPMD, AU TOVON 221-0727/0794; commercial (202) 325-0727/0794.


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GROUNDPOINT OFINTERCEPT

Figure

GPI )~ ~ ~ ~ ~ = = ~ ~ = = = = ~ = = ~

glidepath. This ROC is the difference in altitude between theselected glide slope angle flownby the pilot and the final approach obstacle clearance surface, an imaginary surface beginning 975 feet outward fromthe ground point of interceptwith a slope gradient in relationto the selected glide slope angle.No obstacle may penetrate thisfinal approach obstacle clear-ance surface. This ROC will varydepending on the DH and glideslope angle see figures 2 and 3).

Thus you can see , if pilots failto properly transition to a climb

configuration with the ROC provided, the y will violate the missedapproach obstacle clearancesurface - this must be avoidedat all times. Now , if your par-ticular aircraft cannot transitioninto a normal instrument climbwithin the appropriate ROC , youwill have to select a higher DH.A published DH is the low st DHauthorized within the equipmentand obstruction constraints .Higher DHs can be used., andsome major commands do require higher DHs. Rememberthough, if you use a higher thanpublished DH, you will also

RUNWAYneed higher weather minimums.The ceiling and visibility must begreater. A little more than onefourth of a mile visibility is neededfor each 100 feet of height for a3-degree slope. Lots of valuablefuel can be waster starting an approach to a 100-foot ceiling if apilot is aircraft restricted to a200-foot DH.Treat the DH concept as it isintended and you will reap thebenefits of the precision ap-proach. Know your aircraft andfly a precision approach to ar-rive at your DH on course and onglide slope with the correctairspeed and rate of descent.

. .IROC) REQUIRED OBTRUCTRUCTION CLEARANCEAT DECISION HEIGHT Figure 3

DECISION HEIGHT 2 0 GS 2 5 GS 3 0 GS100 F T 88 F T 7 F T 65 F T200 F T 156 F T 128 F T 110 F T300 F T 223 F T 183 F T 1 55 F T

August 1977 13


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nlisted Personnel Management System

Personnel UtilizationI T DOESN'T MATTER what jobI'm doing as long as I keep gettingpaid. Does it matter? Who cares?f there is a job to be done what difference does it make who does it?The answers to all these questionsare very important, more impor

tant than we might realize.Let's answer the questions in theorder they were posed. First of allit does matter. The Army has acertain number of positions (jobs)with a grade designation and skillfor each position. f everything isworking as it should, every Soldiershould be in a position requiringhis or her grade and military occupational specialty (MOS). fyou 're not working in a positionequal to your grade and MOS ,chances are someone else is misslotted also. As an example wecould have a UH-l Helicopter Repairer , MOS 67N grade E5, working in a slot for an Aircraft Powertrain Repairer, MOS 68D , gradeE4. This in turn means the 68D , E4,probably is working in someoneelse ' s position. Overdone , thistype of action can lead toworldwide imbalances and crea-tion of overages and shortagesthat need not exist. So the answeris obvious. Yes, the position youfill matters - a lot.Who cares? Unfortunately, noteveryone does. The proper and effective utilization of Soldiers is aresponsibility of v ry commander , supervisor and unit personnelofficer. AR 600-200 Enlisted Personnel Management System, hasan entire chapter dedicated to14

SF W.E. rotmanu.s. rm y M ilitary Personnel CenterA lex andria V

personnel utilization. Little is leftto the imagination. Even the individual Soldier ' s utilization re-sponsibility is explained: to maintain proficiency in all aspects ofhis or her PMOS and qualifications in other awarded MOS.For the last part of this threepart question , let 's look at a coupleof examples and see if it makes adifference who does what job.First let 's look at a staff sergeantwho gets selected for the postmarksmanship team . That 's fine .A Soldier has to be a pretty goodshot to qualify. And a year , for instance , away from the Soldier'sprimary MOS may not be too bad .A Soldier away from his or herPMOS for a short period of timeprobably would be able to pick upon any changes that have occurred. But if the detail to theteam lasts for a longer period oftime a Soldier has to have quite abit of motivation and initiative tobe able to perform in one job whilekeeping proficient in another aswell. What usually happens is this :the Soldier's enlisted evaluationreports are right up there with allcontemporaries, by grade andMOS (the duty MOS reflected isusually the same as the PMOS although the Soldier should beevaluated in the actual dutyMOS). But what about the MOSevaluation - either under the previous MOS test system or the upcoming skill qualification tests

(SQT s) . (The last test under theold system for aviation-field Soldiers was in November 1976 ; allMOS testing ended 1 January 1977 .Aviation SQTs are projected tostart January 1979. ) Chances areMOS evaluation scores were orwill ,be lower.Now our dead -eye staffsergeant , let 's call him Bill , is inthe primary zone of considerationfor selection to grade E7. Since theboard must select the best qualified to perform in the next highergrade and MOS , evaluation scoresplay an important role in determining best qualified. SSG Billprobably will not be selected because he has not maintained proficiency in his PMOS and is not evenup to par with his contemporaries.He should have requested to be re turned to work in his PMOS whenhis skills and knowledge startedfailing. In addition , he could havetaken correspondence courses tohelp maintain proficiency. So , inpart , based on lower MOS proficiency Bill is not selected forpromotion, advanced NCOES, oramong other things, special assignments. A similar situationexists when a Soldier is working ina secondary or additional MOS.Let 's take another look at theE5, we' ll call him Tom, 67N working as a 68D and we ' ll say the 68Dis a secondary MOS. There isnothing wrong with that. A Soldieris considered properly when work-



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ing in a SMOS. (Until January 1977everyone was evaluated annuallyin their PMOS and every otheryear in their SMOS.)What usually happens when aSoldier is working in an SMOS isthat PMOS proficiency steadilydecreases while the SMOS profidency increases. Since SGT Tomwas doing such an outstanding job,his supervisor put in a recommendation for promotion to grade E6.Our man started studying the codeof conduct first aid, drill andceremony, etc. When he got thecall to report to the Orderly Room,he could hardly contain his excitement. He was sure the firstsergeant wanted to tell him aboutthe promotion board.

When he got to the orderly roomthe clerk was in a solemn moodand would tell him nothing. Whenthe first sergeant called SGT Tominto the office, 'he sensed something was wrong, and he was correct. The first sergeant explainedthat his recommendation had beenreturned by the Military Personnel Office and that SGT Tom wasnot eligible to appear before theboard.This came as a complete surprise to SGT Tom because he wasdoing so well as a 68D . The problem is that a Soldier may onlycompete for promotion in hisPMOS or in an MOS which is thenormal career progression for theSoldier's PMOS as outlined in AR

611-201. Furthermore MOS 67Nand 68D are in different progression positions. Since SGT Tom hadsuch a low evaluation score in hisprimary MOS his recommendation was returned.Will this happen to you, or haveyou planned your career? Does itmake a difference who does whatjob? You bet it doesWhile the commander must usehis personnel assets to accom plishthe mission of the unit, extendeduse of a Soldier outside his or herPMOS may result in a disserviceto the unit and the individual Soldier. Remember you can influence the decision on how best toutilize your skills while developingyour career.

FORSCOM viation Safetynd

Standardization Conferenceu.s. ARMY Forces Command (FORSCOM)Aviation Safety and Standardization Conference istentatively scheduled 7 to 8 September 1977 atRamada Inn (centra}), Atlanta, GA.Conference objectives are: To provide a forum for interchange of command position/viewpoints on proposed or estab-lished aviation policy matters. To discuss matters of mutual interest in theareas of aviation standardization, operations andaircraft accident prevention.Formal presentations at a general session willbegin 0800 hours, 7 September 1977. Problem solving workshops are tentatively scheduled followingthe general session. Work groups will be formedas follows: Group I - FORSCOM Flight StandardizationBoard (Annual meeting) Group II - aircraft accident prevention Group III - plans and operationsGroup leaders will present group findings at theugust 977

concluding general assembly tentativelyscheduled from 0930 to 1200 hours, 8 September1977.In accordance with AR 95-63 , FORSCOM Aviation Standardization Board will meet in formalsession as Work Group I during the FORSCOMAviation and Standardization Conference. Thismeeting will be issue oriented. Each issue musthave an installation/command position and belisted by priority. The intent is that each issue willbe tabled by the FORSCOM standardization officer. Opposing views will be presented and aFORSCOM position established. Issues that can beresolved at FORSCOM level will be assigned foraction within the FORSCOM staff. Issues thatcannot be resolved at FORSCOM will be forwarded to Headquarters Department of the Army(DA) along with a position and rat ionale to support that position and will be resolved at the DAStandardization Board Conference scheduled 27 to28 September 1977.15


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YourLZ PZCanBe

CW Charles D SchenckHQ, 9th Aviation Battalion

9th Infantry DivisionFort lewis, WA

HI H N THE rugged Cas cades of northeastern Washingtona UH-1 Huey approached thesteep , brushy face of amountain - and was landed.

Elsewhere an OH-58 Kiowa approached between the treescrowding a swift , broad stream -and was landed comfortably inmidstreamAt still another location a UH-1pilot lowered the collective to flatpitch - after a secure landing to atree-and-scrub covered lake bank.These and other unlikely landings recently were made by the 9thAviation Battalion, Ft Lewis, WA ,during the course of testing andevaluating a portable heliport.One of the most desirablecharacteristics of helicopters istheir ability to operate in and outof unprepared landing areas .These areas , however, have had tobe selected based on the limitations of the helicopter ; consideration must be given to obstacleclearance , degree of s,lope andlanding surface.A combat situation entailsfurther problems in selecting alanding area - enemy fire, pre-16

Mountainsidevention from detection and others.These combine to effectively limitthe choices available to the commander and the pilot. Errors injudgment can result in an aircraftaccident, as U.S. Army Agency forAviation Safety accident case filesadequately can testify .Can the numberoflanding areasavailable to a commander be increased with increased safety tothe aircraft and crew? The answeris a definite, yes.At the request of the U. S. ArmyTransportation School, Ft Eustis ,VA , the 9th Aviation Battalion atFt. WA, conducted a testand evaluation of a portableheliport. Manufactured by SoloyConversions , Ltd ., of Chehalis ,WA, the heliport is constructed oflightweight , high strengthaluminum and is modular in design. Combinations of its centerand wing modules allow for in-

creasing or decreasing the size ofthe landing surface to meet operational requirements. A center section with two wing units provides a12- by 18-foot landing platform fora UH-1 with a safety factor of 3 to1 for a 12 ,OOO-pound load). This latter configuration can be slingloaded by a CH -47 Chinook or evena UH-l because it weighs only 1,798pounds.The center section 625 pounds)will provide a 12- by 6-foot landingplatform for lightweight helicop

ters such as the OH-58 or OH-6Cayuse. Each leg of the heliportcan be adjusted to conform to un even terrain including slopes of upto 20.7 degrees. Large footpads onthe bottom of the legs allow theload to be distributed over a largeflat surface , preventing slippageon slopes and sinking in soft surfaces.U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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can be improved in cases of aircraft accidents in rugged terrainbecause the heliport can be inserted immediately at a crashsite to expedite evacuation ofsurvivors. At present survivorsare often transported for hoursover long distances on theground to suitable landing areascausing great hardship to thesurvivors and the rescue personnel.

ational geodetic surveyteams often work in very remoteand hostile terrain . The heliportcould be used for many purposesby these teams.Above are listed only a few ofthe -possible heliport applica-tions. The total utility of theheliport is limited only by imagination. ,Thus it can be saidthat the versatility of thehelicopter coupled with that ofthe heliport greatly increases theoptions available to the com-mander and pilot in selectinglanding areas for various tactical and peacetime purposes.With respect to safety theheliport provides a firm levelplatform , free of obstacles onwhich to land. Main rotor andtail rotor clearance from sur-rounding objects and groundpersonnel is greatly increased.Foreign object damage gener-ated by rotor downwash is reduced as the heliport places thehelicopter far enough above theground that the quantity and sizeof debris is substantially decreased.The heliport 's known size provides a reference point for improved depth perception whenlanding on snow fields, deserts,rivers , etc .When operating in areas ofheavy dust, sand and loose snow ,a pilot can lose visual contactwith the ground due to the sur-'face material being blown up bythe rotor wash. Again theheliport keeps the helicopterhigh enough above the surface toreduce this effect.Again, the answer is, yes. Theheliport does increase thenumber of landing areas available with increased safety to the8

The 9th Aviation Battalion using a heliport on a steep mountainside duringUH-1 training exerc ises

Total Weight .. ....... . .... .... ............ ....................... ,798 pounds*Weight of Heaviest Section .......................... .......... 625 Pounds*Overall Surface Dimension .... ............... .. .. . ... ...... .. 12 ' x 18 'Surface Dimension With One

Wing Removed .... _ . . . . . . . .. . ... . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ... 12' x 12'Surface Dimensions With BothWings Removed ............................. .. ....... . . 12' x 6'Minimum Height Above Ground .. .... .. .... ...... ... ....... . 5 4Maximum Height Above Ground ............. .. ...... ..... ... 8'5

(Downhill side on 20 .7 slope)*Weights wi vary slightlydue to material variation

Exploded View, Heliport. The Portable Heliport currently is manufacturedin two basic modules: center and wing sections. They can be used incombinations to create the size landing surface required

aircraft and crew. t provides much greater and safer flexibilthe commander and pilot almost ity in the use of aviation assetsunlimited options in the selection toward the attainment of misof landing areas , thus adding sion objectives. . . . .U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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edevacContinued rom page

limb threatening nature. In someinstances there has been a lack ofseriously injured casualties. Thenthe transportation of the less seriously injured to medical treat-ment facilities constitutes a validand much needed function. It bothhelps the injured individual andprovides all important training inthe tactical environment tomedevac flight crews. Such airevacuation is acceptable but it isnot acceptable to equate with whatwould be required in combat inEurope.In many ways use of air evacuation during current field maneuvers is in reality conducted in anartificial environment. Currentdoctrine for field units does notadequately define how medevac isto be used on the mid-to high intensity European battlefield. Duringthis type of conflict medevac assets will be limited. They must beprotected from loss to hostileground fire as much as possibleand yet provide their lifesavingevacuation capabilities as farforward as is feasible.Current doctrine provides foremployment of medevac aircraftas far forward as the tactical situation will permit. It is unclear howAugust 1977

close to the forward edge of thebattle area (FEBA) medevac - orany other Army aircraft - can beemployed without sustaining un acceptable losses. Also unclear iswho should make the decision torequest medevac. Commandpolicies need to be establishedproviding guidance on thesepoints.Unlike Vietnam the Eurpoeanbattle area is expected to have amore definite FEBA , althoughnumerous possibilities exist forenemy small unit actions in Alliedrear areas. Field units urgentlyneed to rethink their medevacplans. Ground commandersshould begin to exercise the mental decisionmaking process of deciding how medical evacuationwould be employed under actualcombat conditions as opposed totraining exercises.In training we all wish the mostrapid transportation of an injuredSoldier. This is obvious, yet commanders should ask themselves,in the actual situation how wouldour evacuation plan for this indi-vidual differ Are we ready toadapt to changed conditions ofactual combatIn each field manuever by units,a group constituting representatives from the division surgeon;operations section G-3, S-3); airevacuation unit; the commandstaff; and the unit flight surgeonshould assess the use of air evacuation during the manuever . A constructive critique of casesevacuated should follow. Suggestions for improved use of airevacuation resourceS should constitute an ongoing, constantly improving unit-level program to instruct all consumers in the betteruse of air evacuation assets. Doctrine could thus be refined .In many areas medevac doctrine remains to be developed. Apressing need exists for anArmy-wide reassessment of airevacuation employment on theEuropean battlefield. Terrain ,

threat and weather conditions inEurope differ from those found intropical countries. All of these factors (and more) bear directly oneffective use of air evacuation.Medevac helicopters are appropriately used to evacuate individuals with injuries or illnessesaffecting life, limb or sight. Delayin treatmentofthese types of problems can lead to loss of life, permanent disability or complications of an injury. Minor problemssuch as colds, sprained ankles , or other less severe problemsare better evacuated by theground route.Air evacuation carries an expected risk of helicopter traveland poses a mission requirementon aircrews to often fly in poorweather into hazardous areas toaccomplish a rescue. To weigh therisks we must be aware of all thefactors which affect injured individuals and of those factors affecting mission completion of theflight itself. One key to this problem is to employ available medical personnel, including unitmedics, physicians' assistants atbattalion level, and physicians toaid in selecting casualties whoshould be air evacuate9.The availability of medevachelicopters must not result in reduction of the ground evacuationasse ts of Army units. These tablesof organization and equipment(TOEs) should not be reduced.Ground ambulances and armoredvehicles for medical evacuationuse have never been more necessary. Unit allocation of these resources should be increased. Aircraft losses often are unpredictable . And, medevac units must contend both with the antiaircraftthreat and with the possibilities ofaccidents of flight.Emergency medical techniciantraining programs now being usedfor education of many unit medical personnel would do well to include instruction in patient selection for air evacuation. Prepara-

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tion of the patient for flight and inflight treatment of medical problems also should-be covered .Medical personnel , from unitmedic to medical officer, shouldbe taught to deal with medevacdecisions which will have to bemade on the modern battlefieldunder hurried conditions. Textbooks and Army manuals o notadequately instruct in these decisionmaking problems Newmanuals , new training films andcommand emphasis on preparingbefore the actual situation are urgently needed for medical personnel.Medevac units must maintainaccur ate and constantly updatedknowledge of medical facility lo-cations and their medicalcapabilities Unstable patients

2

must receive medical attention atthe earliest opportunity. Hopefully this type of care can be effected prior to air evacuation arrival f not, it should be accomplished aboard the medevachelicopter. Aeromedical evacuation pilots are trained to , andshould act as , airborne medicalregulators. Decisions on patientdestination frequently must bemade by the aviator.A crucial point here is that theair evacuation helicopter mustavoid overflying a medical treatment facility which could haveprovided stabilizing medicaltreatment and made the remainder of the flight safer for the patient. For instance, a person with aleg or arm injury would be appropriately air evacuated i a

threat to the blood supply of the legor arm existed. This injury couldin some cases be due to a fracturewhich when set could restore theblood supply. In this case the airevacuation to the medical clearingcompany could find staff whowould set the fracture, splintappropriately , start intravenousfluids and prepare the patient forfurther air evacuation.A second example would be thechest or abdominal gunshotwound. f bleeding s massive , thepatient may require immediatemedical intervention , with intravenous fluids, which hopefullycould be started at the battalionaid station. This patient might require unexpected emergencysurgery at the medical clearingcompany to prevent death. The



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45-minute, or 30-minute, or even ashorter flight to the combat support hospital might be too long forthe patient to survive. In somecases the shorter distance to themedical clearing company mightensure more rapid care whichcould save the patient s life .Again, the air evacuation unitmust be absolutely sure of all medical facility locations and theircapabilities to effectively makethese decisions.

An " unstable" patient must receive urgent transportation to thenearest medical facility wheremedical personnel can bring abouta stabilized condition for furtherevacuation.Airway establishment, controlof external bleeding and splintingof fractures should be done by theunit medic. This prepares the patient for medic al evacuation. f theunit medic does not carry out thesetasks, they must be done either bythe medevac medical team or bythe nearest medical personnel.In the European battlefield environment it may not be safe to usemedical evacuation helicoptersforward of the battalion aid station. Ground evacuation of casualties to the battalion aid station forexamination by the unit physician s assistant, with stabilizationof the individual, is the advisableroute to follow. Of course, if thetactical environment is safeenough forward of this location -and the severity of the injury issuch that air evacuation s advisable - then that option should beconsidered. But, all factors mustbe considered .

There is a continuing need totrain units in the proper and mosteffective chain of medical evacua-tion. A brief summary of thisscheme of evacuation follows.Each battalion in combat shouldestablish a battalion aid station,staffed with medics and a physician s assistant. This facilitywould send forward for woundedusing an evacuation section. This

August 1977

team should be able to splint fractures , begin intravenous fluidsand ensure that there is no blockage of the patient's breathing.The brigade areas (and in thedivision trains area) should havethe medical clear ing companies -one per brigade, and one at the division support command area.The medical clearing companyshould have three to five physicians , a dentist, X-ray and minorsurgical facilities , and an observation ward.The medical clearing companysends forward , using its ambulance section, for wounded fromthe various battalions and unitswhich it supports. The combatsupport hospitals should be inareas farther to the rear. Theyshould be capable of more extensive specialty and surgical carecapability, X-ray and laboratoryassets, and a medical evacuationambulance section to retrievecasualties from the division medical clearing companies .Air ambulance companiesshould be located at the corps leveland support the division. Continued review and reemphasis ofwhat each of these facilities canoffer will do much to improve useof these assets .The capabilities of each level ofmedical care should receive moreemphasis than in the past. Evacuation asset s must be careful ly andprudently used to transport the in-dividuals to the nearest facility forstabilization.Each ground unit should haveindividuals who can properlyselect and mark landing areas formedevac helicopters. These areasmust be free of hazards to thehelicopter, both during takeoffand landing.Medical personnel at all levelsshould learn the advantages anddisadvantages of using thehelicopter. Forexample, there aredifficulties with inflight patientcommunication and lighting. Intravenous fluid lines and airway

stabilization must be securedprior to flight , due to difficulties inperforming these procedureswhile in flight.Unit commanders must beaware of the potential hazards ofmedical evacuation by air andmust be prepared to employground transportation to thenearest supporting medical facility i air evacuation is not indicated, is delayed or is unavailable.Flight surgeons should be available as consultants for aeromedical evacuation and should be usedfor this purpose When physicians or physicians'assistants are not available , theunit medic and the commandermust act on available informationand make the best decision possible under the circumstances.Good unit communicationfacilities to medical facilities areessential and aid in selectingcasualties for air evacuation. Before deciding to evacuate by air orto use the ground route , the individual 's medical condition , thetactical situation , road conditions,weather and terrain hazards allmust be known and considered.Just as with employment of allArmy assets , helicopter evacua-tion must be properly applied tothe tactical environment. Its usemust be constantly reappraised inlight of changing conditions on thebattlefield . Its limitations and itsadvantages must be recognized.

To the three combat require-ments of the U. S. Army - shoot,move and communicate - weshould add a fourth: evacuateHistorically speaking , armieswhich have been most successfulin maintaining individual and unitcohesiveness have been those thatevacuated and treated theirwounded as early and as well aspossible under the circumstances.Western Europe is not SoutheastAsia. We must adapt air evacuation doctrine to the Europeanbattlefield of the 1970s and 1980sWe have not a month to lose c

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' ItlI ttl YO lee Continued from p ge 6The center of the retina is calledthe f )vea centralis It containsonly cones. The fovea centralis isabout 2 degrees wide and is responsible for the night blind spot.The cones are responsible forcolor and daylight vision. Eachcone is connected to the br ain byits own connector or nerve. Thisenables us to have detailed information about an object we see.The remainder of the retina contains rods and cones with the rodsbecoming exclusive toward theperiphery. These rods are responsible for our night vision. Manyrods are connected by a singlenerve to the brain. This summation allows less light energy tosend an impulse to the brain. Thisarea is 1,000 times more sensitivethan the area of cones. This portion of the retina contains anarea called the optic disc (pointwhere optic nerve and blood vessels enter and leave). This area(optic disc) is responsible for theday blind spot.The cones contain a light andcolor sensitive pigment callediodopsin. Iodopsin is insensitive tolight below full moonlight. On theothel hand, the rods contain a lightsensitive pigment called rhodopsin or visual purple. Its sensiti vityincreases in darkness, but isreadily bleached upon exposure tolight.We need to have a basic understanding of the types of vision. Thefirst type is what we call photopic.This vision allows us to see in thedaylight, to see color and to seesharp images. It is also referred toas cone vision or central vision .The next type of vision is what wecall mesopic This vision allows usto see during dawn and dusk. During a moonlighted night, it is ourmesopic vision that detects various images. Mesopic vision is acombined use of rods and conesand is charac terized by changes incolors and a decline of sharpness.22

The third type of vision, andmost important to us during nightflight, is what we call scotopic vision, or night vision. This type ofvision allows us to see during conditions of partial moonlight orstarlight. With scotopic vision wefind ourselves totally colorblind.Under these conditions, we findthere is a central blind spot whichrequires us to use perpheral vision(looking away from what we actually want to see) . During night vision our visual acuity is decreasedfrom 20/20 to 20/400 and the onlyimpulse being sent to the brain isfrom the rods.Now that we have completed areview of basic visual physiology ,let's examine the effect all of thishas on you and me in regards toArmy aviation after dark . First,there are several night vision limitations. The night blind spot projects directly into the center of ourfield of vision. t prevents us fromseeing certain objects in the darkness, especially when we stare. Asmentioned, we must see in darkness with the peripheral retina.The eye must continuously scan.You should remember that evenwhen looking with the perIpheralretina, any small amount of lightwill bleach or neutralizerhodopsin (visual purple) and, ofcourse, destroy to some degreeour night vision.A recommended night vision(scotopic) technique is to use ascanning, systematic patternfrom left to right, top to bottom, ofthe area of interest. Use a 10-degree overall lapping pattern,spending no more than a few seconds at each point. Remember tomove the head and eyes together.When a target appears, maintainvisual track by looking 10 degreesabove, below, or to the sides of it toavoid bleaching the retina. Do notstare at a target with central vision as it will seem to disappear.How many times have you heard

someone say , Make sure youdark adapt prior to flying tonight, and you hurriedly went offlooking for a fresh set of flashlightbatteries? Dark adaptation maymean the differebce betweenseeing a hazard and not seeing it.Dark adaptation is defined as theprocess of increasing rod sensitivity to light (building visual purpie). This process takes 30 to 45minutes in darkness. The loss ofdark adaptation or the ability todark adapt can be caused by exposure to bright lights, or prolongeddaylight exposure to the sun, sandor snow.There are a number of steps wecan take to protect this dark adaptation. Because the rods are relatively insensitive to ruby-red light,use red illumination in aler t areas,hangars, etc. Wear red goggles ifthey are available, and use redcockpit lighting. Close one eyeupon exposure, or anticipated exposure, to any bright light. Usesunglasses during daylight andwatch your eating habits (goodnutrition) .Avoid self-imposed stressessuch as cigarette smoking.Cigarette smoking can saturatethe blood with up to 8 to 10 percent carbon monoxide. Thiscauses the body to function as ifit were hypoxic before leavingthe ground. (Hypoxia affectsnight vision as we increase altitude.) Smoking causes yourphysiologic (body functioning)altitude to exceed our actual ortrue altitude 7,000 feet mean sealevel (MSL) true equals 13,000feet MSL for the smoker). Alongwith smoking goes alchol andfatigue which further reducenight vision.To help ensure that you willnot become a part of the statistical analysis of night mishaps,here are 10 commandments fornight visual acuity:

1. Dark adapt before attempting night flying duties (minimumof 30 minutes).U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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2. Avoid bright lights af ter darkadapting (preflight in the daylightwhenever possible).3. Do not stare at any light.4. Practice blindfold cockpitdrill.

5. Keep your windscreen clean,unscarred and unscratched .6. Learn to look out of the corners, tops and bottoms of youreyes .7. Do not stare, but scan constantly.

8. Use oxygen at night from theground up if it is available.9. Identify objects by totalform.10 Keep physically fit and men-tally alert at all times.

ow Importtlnt lire our yes ontinual rom page 7nightmare began.While working on a C-130 engine change during a TDY inColorado, I had the misfortune ofbeing too close to the safetywire. While safety wiring a cannon plug, the safety wire pliersbucked on me , causing the wireto penetrate through the middleof my right eye. I saw the wirecoming, but there was no timemove. Even if I could haveblinked , at the force and speedthe wire was coming it wouldhave pierced my eyelid too.For the next 2 years I wentthrough hell. Words have notbeen written to describe the painand heartaches I have experi-enced. The vision in my righteye was listed as 20/200 , which isblindness. I had developed acataract , which is a clouding ofthe lens of the eye, obstructingthe passage of light. My first operation brought back my visionwith the help of a contact lens. Ithought my problems were over,but they had just begun. I developed Glaucoma, which causesdouble vision. While driving orreading, my good eye would seestraight ahead while the othereye was seeing two of every-thing; and, the road was alwaysheading toward the sky. As timewent on , my depth perceptionworsened. I walked into things inbroad daylight. The pain frommy eye was constant. The painwould race all over my facecausing my good eye to weakenand also go blind. t was like 20Vikings jamming an oak treethrough the king s castle doors. Iwas helpless.August 1977

For 2 years I worked approximately 3 months . My time wasspent in hospitals and convalescent leave. I was drinking closeto 40 dollars a week in liquor. tdidn t relieve the pain, but I wasso fired up it didn t matter . Iwas scared of becoming an alcoholic, so the hospital startedgiving me pain pills. I startedwith mild pain pills , then wenton to stronger pills that couldknock out a fighting bull . Still , nopain relief. My doctors were becoming worried that I might getaddicted to these pills. I waspopping close to 70 a week. Thecondition in my eye was worsening.I started traveling to surrounding hospitals for help. In a 2-yearperiod, I visited hospitals for 30

days or more in the following order: The Air Force Academy,Hill AFB Medical Center, DavidGrant Medical Center at TravisAFB, Kirtland AFB MedicalCenter, Sheppard Regional Hospital , Brooks Medical Center,Albuquerque VA Hospital, andWilford Hall Medical Centerthree times . This does not countthe private physicians downtown. The mental strain and personal problems are something Inever want to go through again, orsee anyone else go through. As aresult of these visits , I receivedonly temporary relief for my eye.On December 7, 1976 , 2 years andone day later - my eye came out.

Continuous tests showed thatmy eye was dead and wpuld soonstart causing trouble to my goodeye. My medical bill, if I were acivilian, would take two lifetimes

to pay, not counting my falseeye, which cost 800. My VA benefits are only 40 percent with52 extra a month for loss of eye,leg or arm. This doesn t comeclose to 300 a month for an E4. Idon t know about you, but to mean eye is worth much more thanthat. I could go on and on talkingabout all the new adjustments Ihave had to make with only oneeye. Some things I ll never getused to, like popping out my eyeto clean it. And looking at a holein my face for the rest of mylife.I am not bitter nor have I anydown feelings. I am grateful for the moral support I receivedfrom friends and people in mysquadron. I m also grateful tothe many physicians involved torid me of my pain and savingmy remaining eye.I work in Special Services now,in the base gym. I hope to start anew and safe career. I am only24 years old.I hope in reading my story youwill have a new outlook on thevalue of your eyes. If, by chance,you don t, all I can say is thatyou are FOOLISH. Take it fromone who knows. I ve been there;they re priceless. So, whereveryou are , at work or play, wearyour safety glasses t only takes asecond to put them on, to save alifetime of light.

Editor's Note: This article was reprinted from the US FSafety Officers' Study Kit . It remains in the author swords and has not been edited . SGT Brown wrote thearticle on his own initiative, his sale purpose being tosave someone else the agony he has gone through

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rmyviation

Center

Highbluff Stagefield 1) is usetraining graduate students attenqualification and instructor couDuring the evening hours stagefield s used for Nighthawk/NVision Goggles Method of InstrucHooper Stagefield 2) is usedgraduate students attending qualition and instructor coursesStagefield 3) is home for the TOsage helicopters used in basicmanship. Students spend their firhours here. Knox Stagefield 4)ports the 282nd Assault Helico


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reserve unit performssupport requirements andflights from this facility.CH-47 Chinook medium liftbased out of Hancheyhere includes initialqualification and instructorLeft) OH 58 Kiowa

helicopter operating outStagefield. Training hereof aeroscout and instructor

in the aero scout phase of initialqualification.

tGlance

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How do you test raindrop impact effect onhelicopter rotor blades when there s no rain?First, you take some tubing, nO zies, hoses - putthem together ~ n lift with two cranes ...

next put a helicopter under the rainmaker, withthe helicopter tied down to the ground to preventflying at advaneed power settings, then run thehelicopter both day ...

T he Army has solved the problem of how to rain-test an aircraftwhen there is no rain - the Armycreates its own.Recently , while testing a newmain rotor blade for the AH-lCobra helicopter, the U S ArmyAircraft Development Test Activity, Ft Rucker, AL , a subordinateof the U S Army Test and Evaluation Command, needed to operatethe blades in rain for a certainnumber of hours.When the weather at Ft. Ruckerproved uncooperatively brightand sunny, a rainmaker wasdesigned, constructed and testedwithm 3 weeks .

then pump water through to test the assembly

and night to accelerate accumulation of data.(R otor wa sh from the helicopter prevents the

rain from showing in the last two photos.)

Rain TestingThe AH l

The rainmaker can regulateraindrop size and flow rate to rpeettest specifications , :while savingthe cost of either waiting for rain This new method of producing aor sending the testers in search of rain effect will be avai lable forit. similar testing in the fu tu re . .

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Practice

SgTSOLDIE RS DO N'T ha ve towade through a mountain of references to study for the new SkillQualification Tes t (SQT) . In fact ,Soldiers don' t have to study forthe SQT - they have to pra c-tice.That's a fact , according to theU.S. Army Training and DoctrineCommand at Ft. Monroe , VA . Sol diers have to practice for the SQTbecause SQT is a pr acticaldemonstration of job skills. So l-diers who practice their skills andcan perform them well enough todo the job should have no difficultypassing the SQT .

In fact , if Soldiers want to knowthe ques tions and look at theanswers on the SQT , it's simple.Fi rst, get your copy of the Soldier's Manual and test yourself.

f you're in one of the followingMOSs , and you don 't have yourSoldier 's Manual , tell your immediate supervisor: MOS llB ,llC , llD , llE , 16B , 16C , 16D, 16H ,16J , 16P, 16R , 95B , 95C , 95D , 76J,34E , 34F, 34G, 41C , 44E , 45B, 45K ,45L , 63C , 63G , 63H , 63J, 71P. f youaren ' t n one of these MOSs , yoursis being developed and will be distributed when completed.The Soldiers ' manuals list all the

critical tasks required to perform their jobs. Remember, if itisn 't in there, it won 't be on the .SQT .Here it is , step by step: Takeyour Soldier's Manual , open it topage whatever, pick the criticalskill, and do a quick re ad of thestandards and sequence of events.Simple, right? Okay, now do it. fyou did it correctly, you're readyfor that question on the SQT .Many Soldiers still believe theSQT has a few trick questions.That is simply untrue Each question has a direc t practical application to the job. f you need certaintools on the job to perform thetask , you' ll have them (or simulation devices) dur ing SQT.

The three components of SQT(hands-on , written and performance certification ) may be included in the SQT . That is, certainSQTs may have one, two, or allthree components, depending onthe job.U. S. Army Training SupportCenter developers and managersof the SQT report that Soldiers whopracticed the job skills outlined inSoldiers ' manuals performedwell on the SQT during theshakedown phase.

first ~ S. rmy News elease

August 1977

Army Re.erve Command ARCOM) flight facilltle. In Maryland andMallachu.ett. have received the Flr.t u. S. Army Commander'. AviationAccident Prevention Trophy for fl.cal year 1976.The 79th ARCOM flight facility at Hager.town, MD, received the CategoryA award while the 94th ARCOM flight facility at Ft. Deven., MA, receivedCategory B honors. The Category A award I. given to a unit with 10 or Ieaircraft, while Category B unit. have more than 10 aircraft In operation.Both unit. were honored for having .hown a high degr of profe onal.klll In maintaining a zero accident rate and an operational readlne rateabove e.tabll.hed Department of the Army requirement At the .ame timethey met the required Flying Hour Program. Individual and unit trainingoblectlve. w ~ r 01.0 exceeded.

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VI TIONTR INING

UTH

SP TContinued from p gebe able to fly as many or as few hours as are requiredto maintain competence in the execution of particular tasks and events. Preliminary hours establishedby the Task Force representatives define what intheir best judgment are the mean hours which willbe required to accomplish annually the compositeindividual aviator training tasks by type aircraft.Any return to a direct association of pilots to annualhard hourly flying requirements as opposed totasks and events, will eventually relegate the FHPand aviation training to the depths from which weare now attempting to elevate it.Recognizing that the transition from AR 95-1'sCRF requirements to the ATMs will require a majoradministrative effort, FORSCOM at the request ofDA, has already implemented the draft ATMapplicable to Air Cavalry for a 6-month period usingelements of the 6th ACCB Ft. Hood, TX, as the training vehicle. The effort at Ft. Hood is not a test orevaluation of the concept, but an attempt to assessthe mechanical problems associated with shifting amajor unit into the new training methodology. Thisprocedure is essential before moving the Army across the ATM line in FY 78. The program at Ft.Hood also is being closely monitored by TRADOC,USAAVNC, USAAAVS and the Directorate of28

Evaluation/Standardization, HQDA's proponent forstandardization which is located at Ft. Rucker, AL.What about short and long term gains? Let 's coverthe short first. One of the major problems confronting commanders and staffs in general is the development and justification of a viable FHP at theirrespective levels. The zero-based concept is a simplemathematical linear progression. t consists, forexample, of the number of pilots in a command flying UH-1 Hueys, multiplied by the 60 hours of UH-1individual aviator training time ( P time) required. This figure is added to those hours requiredfor unit training as determined by the commander.The individual aviator training hours and unittraining hours are then added to mission supporthours, or those hours needed to support ground unitsfor the year (to include all their programed tactical exercises such as Reforger). The compilation offlying hours in this manner provides the capabilityto submit a completely valid/justifiable FHP request for funds in the MACOM annual CommandBudget Estimate. This, until now, has been an extremely difficult task.Next, the concept identifies in detail what tasksthe Army expects the aviator to be capable of performing to meet combat readiness requirementsand mandates that those things be done. t thus assures the Army through task/event completion thatthe aviator has , in fact , accomplished the trainingrequired to maintain that readiness , and performedmission support duties as a safe and competentpilot. Further, it makes explicit the fact that fundsallocated to purchase fuel and spare parts in supportof the three com ponents of the total FHP will be usedfor those purposes . Reports of flying hours flown bytype aircraft submitted to HQDA also will assurethis is accomplished.

Also in the short term, we have developed proofpositive that we have come of age in aviation training. We now recognize that the training requirements for an AH-1 Cobra pilot are not the same training requirements necessary to maintain proficiencyin an OV-1 Mohawk. This was long overdue.Finally, in the short term, our effortsdo show goodfaith to the GAO and to Congress that we have madesignificant strides in correcting the FHP management deficiencies which were recognized both bythose organizations and oursel ves. t is hoped that,while budgetary constraints are a fact oflife in thesetimes, Congressional reductions, should they occurin FY 78, 79 or the out years, would not be appliedto the Army's FHP due to a lack of justification onthe Army's part.I should point out, also, that for the first time usingthe system described we are able to put a price tagon battalion level individual aviator training. TheU.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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significance of this is that we are now able to define aloss in combat effectiveness , combat power or combat readiness in terms of ineffective aviation battalions or separate companies. This results fromCongressional cuts of , for example, 12 million in theFHP, and the impact of those cuts on individualaviator training, our known constant at this time.What about long term gains? These are primarilyinternal to the Army. Using tfte zero-base system inFHP development , using the ATMs to implement individual aviator training and using the ARTEP as amanagement tool to assess the training status of ourunits at any point in time , we have put together acompleted package to assure Army aviation's ability to meet its mission requirements in support ofground forces.Further , the system is a complex administrativeproblem if consolidated at levels higher than company or troop. The administrative handling of theprogram can be accomplished best at platoon level ,where platoon leaders and section leaders track andensure the accomplishment of aviator training. Whyis this a long term gain? Because it puts leadershipand management back into aviation units at thelevels where it belongs. t ensures that the responsibility for command is learned by direct involvementwith training, readiness and safety - down in thesection and platoon where it belongs, where histor-

ically it has proven successful in Infantry , Artilleryand Armor. The development of young leadershipinternally in aviation has taken on an important rolewith the advent of OPMS and Specialty 15.Finally, we have developed for the out years a " to-tal program" concept in aviation training. This willmake each of us far more confident of our individualcapabilities and responsiblities. t will make uskeenly aware , as Mr. Joseph Cribbins, Special As sistant to the DCSLOG HQDA, stated, "We are nothere to keep us occupied in peacetime " As GeneralRogers commented at the 1975 FORSCOM AviationResources Management Conference:

One of the Army s greatest chal-lenges today is getting our aviationcapability trained to the point that it. can fight on the modern battlefield- not survive , but make a contribu-tion to living

I am convinced with what has recently been donein aviation training, with where we are, with wherewe're going, and with the leadership we now have inand supporting our aviation program , that we aremeeting " One of the Army's greatest challenges . .and that we are , finally , toughening up the softestspot in the system "

GLOSSARY

August 1977

ACCBARTEPATMCRFDADARCOMDCSLOGFHPFORSCOMFYGAOGCAHQDAMACOMODCSOPSOPMSTRADOCVSAAAVSVS VNC

Air Cavalry Combat BrigadeArmy Training and Evaluation ProgramAircrew Training Manualcombat readiness flyingDepartment of the ArmyV S Army Materiel Development and Readiness CommandDeputy Chief of Staff for LogisticsFlying Hour ProgramV S Army Forces Commandfiscal yearGeneral Accounting Officeground controlled approachHeadquarters , Department of the Armymajor commandsOffice, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and PlansOfficer Personnel Management 'SystemV S Army Training and Doctrine CommandV Army Agency for Aviation SafetyV Army Aviation Center

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Continued jT m p geAN SO SPE KS OUTsees that you are keeping up with what 's going on. Heknows that everything is straight and that you aredoing all you can.Your crew chiefs will see that you have their tailnumbers and that gets their interest. f something. isdone to their aircraft , they will call you and tell you.The whole secret is to become totally involvedwith the unit. Don ' t be the safety officer who sits inhis office and drinks coffee. Aircraft don 't crash inthe safety office. You have to get out and get with thepeople.

We once had an officer who smoked in the han-gar. I talked to him about it and he said he would stopit. t happened again and an enlisted man sent anOperational Hazard Report (OHR) to me and I tookit to the commander. The commander had a talkwith the officer and he doesn't smoke in the hangaranymore. But the OHR is on the OHR board. OneSpec 4 brought another Spec 4 into my office andshowed him the OHR. He pointed out that I talked tothe commander about all problem OHRs. When yourpeople see you take action, it helps your safety prog-ram.We received an OHR from a subordinate unitmaintenance TI who said a guy was pushing a han-gar door open with a tug. He told me he did not thinkhe would get any corrective action and asked if Iwould take c are of it. I retyped it and put my name onit. That way I helped the TI and he will keep backingme.The safety officer is supposed to be perfect. Ev-erything he does has to be down the straight and nar-row. You cannot make mistakes , because the minuteyou do, you hear about it. I flew an aircraft 1 hourpast an intermediate and I got several phone callsand Xeroxed copies of the dash 13 Everybody iswatching you. f you have good credibility , they' ll3 U.S . ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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overlook your first goof. But if it keeps happeningyou lose your credibility and then your safety program is like paddling upstream in a rowboat. I f youstand still you end up going backward .Inspect your survival gear , especially the firstaid kits . Many of the items have an expiration date.If they are outdated they can be harmful if used. Iordered three cases of water purification tablets in1976 They are good for 3 years from date of manufacture. I received three brand new cases made in1966 . They are still in the supply system and you maystill get them when you order. Every time you getsomething like this , be sure you submit an EIR so wecan get outdated items out of the supply system. Allthe bandaids, tape , and other adhesive in the first aidkit are good for only 3 years.EIR your survival equipment. During inspectionof one of our survival kits , we discovered that thematches had ignited during handling. Since thereare flares in there you can imagine what could happen in the back of a Huey with survival kits going off.We took all the matches that were in match boxesand put them in protective containers.You can work up a good EIR program if you getin with your maintenance officers . Take pictures ofeach item that has been EIR 'd and get a copy of theEIR and a copy of the answer to the EIR . Find outhow many hours the item has on it and when it wasinstalled. Then when your commander says we arewearing out item X too fast , you can hand him fourorfive EIRs that document it. That 's where credibilitycomes in with your commander. You are not a safetyofficer any more ; you are an accident preventionspecialist. And you are working for the organization- not for the safety office , not for the aviator, but forthe whole organization .Operations closely monitors the FORSCOMtraining program. All the classes that have to begiven - quarterly, semiannually, and annually -are listed on a board and one slash beside the classtitle means that it must be conducted in that timeugust 977

frame. When a class is completed , I make the otherslash, forming an X It is not in somebody' s desk ,hidden. It is right there where it can be seen. All youneed then is the backup paperwork. People who givethe classes can walk in there and see when the hot refueling class is due again , or the maintenance officer's class, or any other class. It is a big help inseeing that the training is conducted on time .

I don't think we should be calledsafety officers anymorewould rather be called an accidentpreven tion specialist or techni-cian. Prevent the acciden t firs tthat's our job.

We use photos a lot in our accident preventionprogram. I know they are expensive , but so is an aircraft. Oil was spilled and left on the ground outsideone of our hangars. We took a picture of it and sentone to the fire department and one to the unit. Inabout 6 hours it was cleaned up . We had a similarproblem with a forward area refueling point andpaint lockers. I handled it the same way with thesame results. And I use these same photos later atsafety meetings . I f the photo lab people know you arereally interested in your safety program and realizethe importance of what you are doing, they will support you all the way.When you see .someone doing something rightand going by the book, it 's always a good idea to letthem know you appreciate it. A little pat on the backgoes a long way in encouraging people to continue todo things -right.I have touched on just a few of the hundreds oft