Photo By 1st Sgt. Justin A. Naylor | U.S. Army Spc. Ethan Bain, a CH-47 Chinook crew chief with 12th Combat Aviation...... read more read more
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Soldiers of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade finished their support to the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, United Kingdom, on July 26, 2024. The unit supported this event between July 22 and 26 as 12th CAB aircrews led tours of their aircraft for civilian and military delegations, along with various trade show attendees. Over the course of the FIA, the aircrews spoke with senators, governors, senior Department of Defense civilians, and military leaders from around the world and shared their personal experiences and expertise.
"The importance of participating in events like Farnborough is that we are displaying the U.S. military's strength," said Warrant Office 1 Jeremy Shadron, a CH-47 Chinook pilot with 12th CAB. "We are coming out, showing our aircraft, and working alongside other nations who see our aircraft, and they are wowed. Events like Farnborough display that NATO is stronger together and that we show combat power together."
Meeting multiple legislators and policymakers was a highlight for Shadron, who believes that events like the FIA help leaders better understand the people and equipment that make up the military.
"These are some of the people who make big decisions for us, and now they get to talk to us at the user and operator level and ask for our feedback and our stories," he said. "As you talk to them, you can see the connections being made and can see that they are genuinely listening to you."
For 12th CAB's more junior aircrew members, the FIA was an opportunity to see how interested people are in the U.S. military and its personnel and equipment.
"It's a pretty great experience to come out here and explain what we do for a living and what the Chinook is capable of," said Cpl. Jacob Brown, a CH-47 Chinook flight engineer. "It is also great to have people come onboard the Chinook and experience what we do in our job. It's not just about the aircraft; it's also about the crews who make it work."
Brown said that a lot of people were taken aback when they got close to the helicopter for the first time, but quickly warmed up to it.
"People are kind of intimidated when they walk up," said Brown. "Once they sit down inside and we show them what we do and we talk about all of the aircraft's capabilities, they're minds are kind of blown. They've seemed to really like our hospitality as we bring them on board, and they see that we are normal human beings as well; we are not just Army robots."
The 12th CAB is permanently stationed in Germany but routinely operates across Europe, supporting NATO exercises and real-world missions. The unit recently participated in important humanitarian missions, including earthquake recovery missions in Turkey and wildfire fighting in Greece.
"We are here in Europe, but we are not just here deterring aggression; we are here to help," said Shadron. "The fact that people see U.S. military aircraft doing humanitarian missions like fighting fires and providing aid is extremely crucial to building relationships and establishing trust."
For Shadron, the FIA is a further opportunity to showcase the good that the U.S. military brings to the world.
"There are people out in the world who might try to highlight the U.S. military in a negative light, so it's good that we are putting a positive light on our service and our nation," he said. "We are helping change perspectives and helping people understand that the U.S. military is full of genuine people who want to help and make the world a better place."
On the event's last day, the 12th CAB crews also provided special tours to several groups of teenagers and children, including high school rocketry teams from around the world and a charity group that provides access to events for children with serious illnesses.
"It was fantastic to see the smiles on the kids' faces when they walked up; it made the kids' whole day," said Cpl. Joseph Hunsecker, an AH-64 crew chief with 12th CAB. "This might be their only chance to do this, so that was also really cool. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Hunsecker said his favorite was just the kids' expressions when they approached the Apache for the first time.
"The grins were incredible," he said. "All of them grinned pretty heavily. We got some pretty good high fives, too."
As the FIA ends, the 12th CAB crew leaves a lasting impression on those who attended. Whether talking to senators, lawmakers, military delegates, or children on a special tour, the aircrews provided expertise and showcased the competency and proficiency of 12th CAB Soldiers.
| Date Taken: | 07.26.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.26.2024 09:22 |
| Story ID: | 477081 |
| Location: | FARNBOROUGH, GB |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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