New Mexico Minuteman - Winter 2012

Sgt. Kurtus Tenorio and Spc. Mark Edens, mechanics, work
on a UH-60 Blackhawk in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Marines, Airmen and Seamen. They provide
quick medical assessments at the
POI, sometimes under hostile conditions;
then they provide medical care aboard
the helicopter while en route to the medical
treatment facility. Imagine providing
emergency medical care to a severely
injured casualty in a roller coaster. That is
similar to what the medics experience in
the cabin of a UH-60 Black Hawk operating
in a combat zone. After the helicopter
lands at the medical treatment facility,
the fl ight medic provides the doctors
and nurses with vital information on the
patient’s medical status.
The crew chief is also a critical member
of the helicopter crew. They provide the
pilots guidance on landings, takeoffs,
operation and maintenance of the UH-60
helicopters. Company C did not deploy
with the traditional maintenance platoon;
thus the crew chiefs serve two roles—one
as crew member and the other as helicopter
mechanic. Black Hawk helicopters
are complex aircraft, and under the best
of conditions each one requires several
man-hours of maintenance for each hour
of fl ight time.
In Helmand province, Company C’s
maintenance crews face additional challenges,
including the fi ne “moon dust”
that seems to be everywhere. The fi ne
dust coats the entire aircraft, and many
helicopter components therefore wear
out much faster than they would under
normal fl ying conditions. The result is that
maintenance personnel must work long
hours to keep the fl eet of medevac helicopters
fl ying. In spite of the challenges,
Company C has always been able to provide
a suffi cient number of fl yable aircraft
to provide medevac coverage throughout
its area of operations.
Chief Warrant Offi cer Patrick
Magill reads a letter from home.
Integral to the
success of the
DUSTOFF mission
are the “fl ight operations”
personnel.
They monitor the battlefi eld and communicate
with higher headquarters, medical
treatment facilities, and supported units.
They also provide fl ight crews with critical
information by secure radio within a matter
of seconds and coordinate the smooth fl ow
of casualties throughout the battlefi eld.
Company C, 1-171 Aviation, has been
providing medical evacuation coverage 24
hours a day, seven days a week, at four
A UH-60 Blackhawk is positioned at the end of the day.
Photos: Sgt. Amanda Montoya, Company C. 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation (DUSTOFF)
An air drop resupply delivers supplies to
Soldiers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
separate locations since arriving in Afghanistan
in June 2011. Many U.S. and allied
service members, and Afghan civilians can
credit their lives to the quality of service
and fast response time Company C has
provided. The Soldiers of Company C take
great pride in the
service they provide
to their comrades
on the battlefi elds of
Helmand province.
Spc. Jesse Ochoa
waits for the blades
on a UH-60 Black
Hawk to start turning.
Winter 2012 2012 / NEW NEW MEXICO National Guard 15