Photo By Maj. Wayne Clyne | Sgt. 1st Class Erik Andreason directs South Medford High School students as they line...... read more read more
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MEDFORD, Ore. – South and North Medford High School students received a unique hands-on learning opportunity when an Oregon Army National Guard helicopter landed on their campuses on April 23.
Crew members from Gulf Company, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment, flew an HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter from Salem to give students an up-close look at military aviation and emergency response capabilities.
"The idea behind it was to bring a field trip to the school basically," said Sgt. 1st Class Erik Andreason, a local Oregon National Guard recruiter who organized the event. "One of the issues locally nowadays is it's tough with the bus systems to get kids off campus and take them places and show them things."
The helicopter visit served dual purposes – exposing students to potential career paths while providing practical training for those already enrolled in emergency services courses. At South Medford High School, ES 105 emergency services students practiced loading litter patients into the aircraft under crew supervision.
Jeffrey Chinn, instructor for the ES 105 program at South Medford, explained that his students earn college credits through the program that transfers to Rogue Community College's fire science program.
"We already practiced. I brought a stokes litter and all the stuff for C-spine," Chinn said. "We would have this person packaged, waiting for the MEDEVAC helicopter to show up, and the patient would just go right in."
The aviation crew, which flew down from Salem specifically for the event, answered student questions and allowed them to explore the helicopter's crew areas. In the afternoon, the team repeated the demonstration at North Medford High School, where students also had the opportunity to interact with the aircraft and crew.
Sgt. 1st Class Andreason and Staff Sgt. Brandon Ellis, both Medford-area recruiters, helped coordinate the visits to expose students to military aviation careers and emergency response operations.
Oregon National Guard members serve part-time, typically one weekend a month and two weeks a year, while maintaining civilian careers. They stand ready to respond to state emergencies such as wildfires and floods, while also training to defend the nation when called to federal service. Guard members live and work in the same communities they serve, creating a unique connection between military service and local communities.
The event highlighted the Guard's dual role in community service and military readiness, giving students a memorable educational experience outside the traditional classroom setting.
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| Date Taken: | 04.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2025 18:19 |
| Story ID: | 496141 |
| Location: | MEDFORD, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Oregon Army National Guard Brings Helicopter Experience to Medford High Schools, by MAJ Wayne Clyne, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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