US Army, December 12, 2020 - RONKONOKOMA, NY by Sgt Sebastian Rothwyn - Eleven New York Army National Guard Soldiers from the Staten Island-based 145th Support Maintenance Company, partnered with six Soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, to conduct sling-load training on UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters in Ronkonkoma, in preparation for combat and emergency response, on November 24, 2020.
Hurricanes and tornadoes have devastated towns and roadways in the past cutting off ground access to necessities such as food, water, and medical care. Sling load operations allow for the quick deployment of supplies during combat or to areas that are geographically difficult to reach, said Sgt. 1st Class Zhifeng Liao, the readiness NCO for the 145th.
“This training prepares our Soldiers to be ready to deploy urgent supplies needed during natural disasters or on the battlefield,” Liao said.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Scott Specht and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Marques Martins, Blackhawk pilots assigned to 142nd Aviation, picked up maintenance Soldiers from the Staten Island armory and flew them to Ronkonkoma.
Non-aviation units, such as the 145th, must request air missions to train with aviation companies. Without these requests, aviation crews must complete their training on their own which means less time training to proficiency, Specht said.
Nine of the maintenance Soldiers experienced the Blackhawk flight and sling-load training for the first time.
“This was exciting for me because it was the first time in my three years enlisted that I’ve seen a helicopter land on the front lawn of our armory,” said Spc. Tenzin Tashi, a wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to the 145th.
Two Soldiers from Bravo Company guided 145th maintenance Soldiers through the basics. Sgt. 1st Class Amy Klemm, Bravo Company’s readiness NCO, taught sling-load basics to the maintenance Soldiers who learned to properly identify and use the equipment they needed to hook up the load to the helicopter.
“It was great that they came in prior to the mission to do some hands-on learning,” said Klemm. “It really helped create a successful training event.” On the airfield, Spc. Arthur Allen, the crew chief who helped guide the Soldiers doing the hookup procedure, explained the benefits of having the maintenance Soldiers there.
“With the 145th doing the hookups and signaling, our crews were able to spend more time training with the aircraft,” Allen, Allen said.
Each Soldier doing the hookup overcame the challenge of getting the loop of the sling on to the helicopter’s hook while it hovered less than four feet above them with a force of more than thirty miles per hour winds.
Pfc. Shosha-Gay Forbes, an automated logistical specialist assigned to the 145th, completed her first sling load.
“The scariest part was the helicopter hovering above you and the winds pushing you away,” Forbes said. “But now that’s over I’m confident I can do this whenever needed.”
Hurricanes and tornadoes have devastated towns and roadways in the past cutting off ground access to necessities such as food, water, and medical care. Sling load operations allow for the quick deployment of supplies during combat or to areas that are geographically difficult to reach, said Sgt. 1st Class Zhifeng Liao, the readiness NCO for the 145th.
“This training prepares our Soldiers to be ready to deploy urgent supplies needed during natural disasters or on the battlefield,” Liao said.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Scott Specht and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Marques Martins, Blackhawk pilots assigned to 142nd Aviation, picked up maintenance Soldiers from the Staten Island armory and flew them to Ronkonkoma.
Non-aviation units, such as the 145th, must request air missions to train with aviation companies. Without these requests, aviation crews must complete their training on their own which means less time training to proficiency, Specht said.
Nine of the maintenance Soldiers experienced the Blackhawk flight and sling-load training for the first time.
“This was exciting for me because it was the first time in my three years enlisted that I’ve seen a helicopter land on the front lawn of our armory,” said Spc. Tenzin Tashi, a wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to the 145th.
Two Soldiers from Bravo Company guided 145th maintenance Soldiers through the basics. Sgt. 1st Class Amy Klemm, Bravo Company’s readiness NCO, taught sling-load basics to the maintenance Soldiers who learned to properly identify and use the equipment they needed to hook up the load to the helicopter.
“It was great that they came in prior to the mission to do some hands-on learning,” said Klemm. “It really helped create a successful training event.” On the airfield, Spc. Arthur Allen, the crew chief who helped guide the Soldiers doing the hookup procedure, explained the benefits of having the maintenance Soldiers there.
“With the 145th doing the hookups and signaling, our crews were able to spend more time training with the aircraft,” Allen, Allen said.
Each Soldier doing the hookup overcame the challenge of getting the loop of the sling on to the helicopter’s hook while it hovered less than four feet above them with a force of more than thirty miles per hour winds.
Pfc. Shosha-Gay Forbes, an automated logistical specialist assigned to the 145th, completed her first sling load.
“The scariest part was the helicopter hovering above you and the winds pushing you away,” Forbes said. “But now that’s over I’m confident I can do this whenever needed.”
Ronkonkoma See also |
New York National Guard US Army Aviation Black Hawk in
US Army Aviation 3-142nd
3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment US Army Aviation 
