Army Aviation Moving Out!

President's Cockpit / By MG Jeff Schloesser, Ret.  

The holidays are almost upon us, and so it’s a great time to reflect back over the year, and what a great year it’s been for Army Aviation!

Army Aviation leaders at all levels have settled into their jobs, and are pushing our entire enterprise forward, working hand in hand with OSD, Congress, and Industry. Significant strides have been made in ensuring current fleet readiness and modernization, while setting the stage for 2020 to be a year of real progress in Future Vertical Lift, in both the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft. Our Army Aviation leaders are telling the story on the WHY and HOW of Multi Domain Operations (MDO), and explaining in detail and through live experimentation how Army Aviation can and will penetrate, disintegrate, and exploit our foes on a complex, Large Scale Combat Operation (LSCO).

In this issue, our Branch Chief MG Dave Francis provides the context for Army Aviation success in LSCO and MDO, highlighting the critical role of terrain flight and aircraft control in our training. His article reminded me of my own early days in Army Aviation, where more experienced fellow aviators ensured we operated no higher than 100-200 ft above the ground or water, at speed, and where flying the aircraft was always most important when encountering a potential emergency procedure.

Our Army Aviation PEO, MG Thomas Todd, is about to end three exceptional years as Program Executive Officer of the Army’s PEO portfolio, and his heartfelt farewell message reminds me of all he and his team have accomplished these past three years. We wish him the best as he prepares to deploy to his next position as a senior Army leader in Afghanistan.  Read More