THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 17, 1996 TAG: 9601160303
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Downsizing is sometimes tit-for-tat, with the military trading entire squadrons and battle groups among its ports and posts.
While the trend has its disadvantages, and cutbacks have taken their toll at Fort Eustis, downsizing has brought new life to the post's Army Transportation Center.
After transferring a combination of aircraft, including Apaches and Black Hawk fighter helicopters, to Fort Rucker, Ala., last summer, the Army then made another switch: A squadron of Chinook cargo helicopters arrived at Fort Eustis last September. It was originally stationed at Fort Meade, near Baltimore.
``With downsizing, the Reserves and Guard are more and more a key element in the total force structure,'' said Lt. Brian Cosgriff, operations officer for the B/5/159th Aviation Regiment.
The 16 CH-47 Delta (Chinook) helicopters, plus one UH-1 (Huey) utility helicopter, make up part of the only ``priority one'' reserve unit in the United States. That means that, along with similar squadrons in Kansas and Washington, the Army has a ready reserve unit trained for both combat and natural disasters.
The squadron, stationed at the post's 47-year-old Felker Airfield, brings new life to Fort Eustis in the form of about 25 civilian jobs. It also brings in at least 200 soldiers, who use area hotels and restaurants, for training nearly every day of the year.
``The transfer means a greater role for the fort,'' said Chief Warrant Officer Mike Fischer, flight instructor. ``The facility was already established and, although we lost some aircraft, we're still able to utilize the valuable asset we have here.''
Felker Army Airfield was built in 1949 as the military's first heliport. Since then, all branches of the armed forces' reserves have used, and continue to use, the airfield for training.
Navy pilots set their helicopters down on a runway that's been painted to simulate an aircraft carrier's deck.
Operating with a crew of only three, the Chinook can transport 33 fully outfitted combat troops. The aircraft has been used since the early 1960s to carry troops, medivac patients, do search-and-rescue, drop supplies and carry cargo.
The olive green Chinook can carry 50,000 pounds gross weight, or at least two four-wheel-drive pickup trucks inside its cargo area. However, its main mission is sling loading, carrying trucks and equipment from slings positioned beneath the aircraft.
Fischer said the Chinook has evolved considerably since the heyday of its use in Vietnam. Although all the helicopters were built during the 1960s, they have been reconfigured so they operate much differently than they did 30 years ago.
``They're more powerful now, with more capabilities,'' said Fischer. ``And they're more adaptable; they can take off and land in water. One unique feature is the twin-engine, tandem-rotor system.''
During combat, the Chinook carries two M-60 machine guns, mounted on either side of the front of the aircraft.
The aviators at Felker Airfield who train or fly to keep flight hours current learn to go up in all sorts of weather. They do night flying, simulate combat and rescue missions, and learn tactical maneuvers, Fischer said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MOTOYA NAKAMURA/The Virginian-Pilot
The 16 CH-47 Delta (Chinook) helicopters, plus one UH-1 (Huey)
utility helicopter, were moved to Fort Eustis in September. The unit
is trained for both combat and natural disasters.
by CNB