Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels | North Carolina National Guard 449th Theater Aviation Brigade leadership staff accept...... read more read more
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The ballroom erupted with applause as the 449th Theater Aviation Brigade was presented with the 2018 Outstanding Unit of the Year Award during the annual Army Aviation Association of America (Quad A) conference at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee on April 15, 2019.
This award was established in 1959 and is awarded to a unit regardless of component or size.
The 449th TAB is recognized for the execution of aeromedical evacuations, attack helicopter operations, security, air movement, air assault, and reconnaissance support to coalition forces throughout Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, and Turkey supporting Operations Inherent Resolve and Spartan Shield.
“Thank you to Quad A and the Soldiers and family members of the 449th Theater Aviation Brigade,” said Col. Joseph Bishop, the 449th TAB commander. “We are proud and humbled to accept this award on behalf of the 2,000 plus soldiers and their families that make up Task Force Hurricane. This is a huge honor and it is amazing to bring this home to North Carolina.”
The 449th TAB assembled North Carolina Soldiers plus Soldiers from 13 U.S. states mobilizing from Fort Hood, TX as a Combat Aviation Brigade, which was the largest National Guard aviation task force in the last decade.
While supporting the Central Command’s area of operation, the unit stood up reactionary forces in Iraq and Syria, an aerial response force consisting of regular Army Infantry companies responding to high-risk missions within OIR and medical evacuation assets responding in Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria.
“This is a well deserved recognition for the Guard,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Cardanose Bauknight, the 449th’s senior warrant officer. “This was a lot of hard work. Sometimes the active component looks at the Guard as separate but not equal. This goes to show we can do the job.”
The CAB also supported coalition partnerships with the Australian, Canadian and Iraqi forces and the successful integration of a Spanish Rotary Wing.
The recognition of this award is laid at the feet a council composed of 70 Quad A members and retired Army aviation generals.
“It is a peer group that votes on this,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Shorter, the 449th TAB Command Sergeant Major “They know what it is to be in Army aviation. They know what it is to lead Army aviation. They know what the problem sets are and how difficult it was. The experts are looking at what we did. It means a lot to get something like this from a group of your peers.”
Lt. Col. Mark Pickett, the North Carolina state aviation officer, also in attendance, took the opportunity to recognize several National Guard soldiers from Illinois, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Kentucky, New Jersey, Mississippi, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and the National Guard Bureau.
These Soldiers made up an aviation task force responding to Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. Their combined efforts directly contributed to 346 missions, 1,300 flight hours, saving 441 lives, moving 700 personnel to include 127 animals and 500,000 pounds of supplies.
“We really just wanted to take the opportunity to recognize the states that helped us and say thank you,” Pickett said. “I do appreciate everybody that stood up including NGB, the 15 states, us, the N.C Highway Patrol, the N.C. Air Guard and the Coast Guard.”
The Quad A conference is an annual event highlighting major accomplishments within the aviation community while opening a platform to have military and civilian partners discuss the way forward in aviation operations, equipment and technology.
Bishop serves as the National Guard Aviation and Safety Division Chief responsible for ensuring National Guard aviation assets are manned and soldiers are trained and equipped to respond to operational requirements supporting Overseas Contingency Operations and Homeland Defense.
“The reality of understanding the state at that level is critical to making sure we best serve the 54 states and territories and meet the needs of the Army components," Bishop said.
This is the third nation-wide military aviation award received by the NC National Guard for 2018.
The United States Transportation Command's Operational Support Airlift (OSA) awarded NC Army National Guard's OSA Flight Detachment 17, based in Morrisville, NC, the 2018 Joint OSA Unit of the Year in the Large Aircraft category and the Overall Best Joint OSA Unit . This highly competitive category includes 64 units from across the United States.
| Date Taken: | 04.15.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.18.2019 10:37 |
| Story ID: | 318588 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 608 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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