Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Gaelen Lowers | Maj. Gen. Michael D. Lundy, commanding general of the United States Army Aviation...... read more read more
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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – Two aviation battalions within the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) won three separate 2014 Lt. Gen. Ellis D. Parker Awards, during an award ceremony, Feb. 27.
The Special Operations Aviation Training Battalion received, for the second year in a row, the award for the best Army Aviation Table of Distribution and Allowances Battalion, while Task Force 1-160th SOAR (A) was presented the Outstanding Combat Aviation Battalion award and Aviation Battalion of the Year.
“You not only make the 160th better, but also our Army and our nation,” said Maj. Gen. Michael D. Lundy, presenter of the awards and commanding general of the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, Ala. “It’s very clear why you’re getting this award, because you’re doing it better than anyone else.”
In his award recommendation letter, Col. Michael J. Hertzendorf, commander of the 160th SOAR (A), gave his reasons as to why he felt SOATB and TF 1-160th were deserving of the awards.
During the fiscal year, he stated that TF 1-160th flew more hours and fired more ordinance than any other combat aviation battalion in the United States Army; flying more than 10,300 flight hours across combat operations in support of overseas contingency operations. The unit is deployed 365 days a year, executing high-risk combat aviation operations on a daily and nightly basis. Their Soldiers flew more than 84 airborne operations without any serious incidents.
SOATB is a single stop unit, predominantly charged to develop and train basic qualified rotary wing pilots, aviation maintainers, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operators, crew chiefs, medics and staff support personnel to transition immediately into a numbered unit and perform his or her craft. The unit flew more than 9,300 flight hours, conducted 34 deployments to remote training locations, and expended more than 8,422 man-days to temporary duty locations.
“The successes of TF 1-160th and SOATB are the direct result of the professional Soldiers who combine mission focus, initiative, superb training, safety awareness, and outstanding maintenance overcome every obstacle placed in their paths, and continue to serve in the best aviation unit in the world,” said Hertzendorf.
The Lt. Gen. Ellis D. Parker awards are Department of the Army level awards that recognizes excellence at the battalion level in Army aviation. Parker assumed command as Army Aviation Branch Chief shortly after its formation and led the fledging Aviation Branch into its important and rightful place within the Army. The award was established at Parker’s retirement in 1993 by then Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan.
| Date Taken: | 02.27.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.09.2015 10:14 |
| Story ID: | 156417 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 1,404 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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