Chinook News
In Combat
Chinooks Assault Taliban Strongholds in Afghanistan
A Tough Old Bird—Surviving An Ambush In Helmand
TF Pegasus Inserts Marines into Helmand Province
Iraqis lead Air Assault
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade Provides Aviation Support in Southern Afghanistan
Air Cav Chinooks Play Large Role in Mission Support
Air Assault with the Big Guns
Aviation Assists Scots' Return from Helmand Province
In the Field
CH-47F Crews Talk Aircraft Performance
The Latest Addition To The U.S. Army Modernized Fleet
1st Air Cavalry Brigade Takes Birds to Port
Training on the "Flying Crane" -- 4th Combat Aviation Brigade Soldiers Perfect the Art of Chinook Sling Loads
Soldiers Conduct "Fat Cow" Operations for Continued Sustainment of MND-B Forces
Photos and Captions
International
Italian Army Aviation Antares Unit Conducts Missions of Mercy and Missions of State
Canadian Air Wing Takes to the Skies Over Kandahar
Dutch Rotorcraft Making Significant Contribution in Afghanistan
Chinooks on the Helmand
RAF Chinooks continue operations In Afghanistan
Boeing Awarded Two New International Contracts
Typhoon Morakot Aftermath
At Home
Army National Guard Aviation Unit of the Year
Colorado National Guard Assists in Crash Recovery
N.Y. Guard Provides Helicopter Training to Canadian Aircrews
National Guard Battles Winter Storms in Five States
Boeing Chinook Pilot Reaches 10K Flight Hours

TEAM CHINOOK CONTINUES TO PROVIDE THE SOLDIER WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF PREMIER ALL-MISSION, HEAVY-LIFT HELICOPTER CAPABILITY

Col. Newman Shufflebarger

U.S. Army photo

The soldiers who fly and fight with the CH-47D/Fs in the demanding conditions of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) continue to benefit from the unique capabilities of the Chinook. Our soldiers and Chinooks continue to excel and have surpassed 230,000 combat flight-hours. In this year alone, our Chinooks have logged almost 31,000 combat flight-hours in support of overseas contingency operations.

Since I last wrote to you in Chinook News, the 2/4 GSAB successfully completed their deployment to OIF and reported that the CH-47F performed extremely well. We now have CH-47Fs supporting both theaters, and the aircraft are exceeding the already high expectations set by the soldiers and all of our Team Chinook partners.

To date we have equipped five combat aviation brigades and Fort Rucker with 72 CH-47F helicopters, including the 7-101 Aviation Regiment, the 2-4 Aviation Regiment, the 227th Aviation Regiment, the 3-82 Aviation Regiment, and the 6-101 Aviation.

Our CH-47F New Equipment Training Team continues its impressive track record, having now trained over 260 pilots and 300 nonrated crewmembers. Our training of the maintainers has now exceeded 800 personnel. This tremendously successful Chinook training program could not be accomplished without the Transportable Flight Proficiency Simulator. This high-fidelity asset accomplishes 65 percent of the course syllabus and has logged over 7000 hours.

In the coming year, we will train and equip the 10th MTN CAB, thus completing our sixth unit equipped. We will take delivery of another 30 CH-47F aircraft and field the Infrared Suppressor System (IRSS). The team will begin fielding the new Cargo On/Off Loading (COOL) system and continue initiatives to safely reduce burden on the men and women that fly and maintain the CH-47. Most importantly, we will continue our focus to ensure Cargo PM and the partners that make up Team Chinook have one single goal — unending support of the soldier.

 

Col. Newman Shufflebarger

Cargo Helicopter Office Project Manager

 

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