Army Aviation Digest - Feb 1988

8/22/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Feb 1988

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AirLand Forces ApplicationAGENCY

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Major General Ellis D. ParkerChief, Army Aviation Branch

New Milestone in Operational Testing for the Aviation BoardTHE USE OF computer technology to meet military needs is

not a new concept. The need for computing large amounts ofmilitary data during World War II led to the development of alarge relay computer.

Shortly after World War II started, a substation of the U.S.Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory was opened at the University of Pennsylvania to help produce firing and bombing tables for the U.S. Army. Work began on the development of thefirst all-electronic, general-purpose computer in the spring of1943. The computer, called ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), was successfully completed in the winter of 1944 to 1945.

We have come a long way since 1945. Today, computers perform a wide variety of tasks for the U.S. Army.During the past year, computer technology has played a sig

nificant role in operational testing conducted by the Army Aviation Board, Ft. Rucker, AL. This technology was prevalent inthe force development test and experimentation of the progressive phased maintenance (PPM) concept for aviation conducted at Ft. Campbell, KY. PPM is a scheduled maintenanceconcept that consolidates the daily, phased and special inspections. Its effectiveness is complemented by a newly developedautomated aircraft maintenance management system that consists of a PPM management module and a logbook automat ionsystem (LAS). The system will eventually be incorporated intothe Standard Army Multi-Command Management Information System that is user friendly and requires little or no background in computer operations. Important also is what automation can do for us in the future. For example, LAS and PPMwill be able to capture accurate demand data much like ou rstockage levels are determined in the current supply system.This will allow for growth in adjusting our inspection intervalsthroughout a component's life cycle, while identifying weaknesses in our system.

A computer generated voice, the voice interaction avionics(VIA) system, was part of the next evaluation. The Army Aviation Board completed the first phase of an assessment of a newconcept in voice communication. This system allows theaircrewmember to communicate orally with various radios.This includes radio selections and frequencies for that radio.VIA, when mounted in an OH-58C Kiowa, consists of equipment hardware and software working together with a computergenerated voice that talks to the pilot, giving him critical information. "VIC," to his friends, is a computer generated voice

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that tells the aircrewmember which radio is tuned to what frequency, the unit designation and call sign. During a tactical situation, VIC would be an invaluable copilot. As VIC tunes radios, finds call signs and frequencies and provides currentcommunications-electronics operation instructions information, all from verbal commands, the crewmember's attentionremains outside the aircraft, and his hands remain on the controls. This evaluation represents only the first phase toward development ofadvanced technologies being planned for the lighthelicopter experimental effort.

Automated data collection and data reduction were key fac-. tors in executing the initial operational test and evaluation of heMultiple Delivery Mine System (VOLCANO) (air delivery sys-tem) conducted at Ft. Lewis, WA. Personal computers wereused for data reduction, quality control and information feedback. The VOLCANO mine dispenser system will satisfy twomajor needs: to provide Army light and heavy forces with a helicopter and ground-delivered scatterable mine capability, andto provide Marine forces with a similar deployable mine dispenser. The ultimate objective of VOLCANO is to provide asingle, common mine and dispenser for air and ground application. Each of the four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters used inthe test were instrumented with a video theater to collectdata onairspeed, altitude, ground speed, heading, time, event markertones and voice tracts. Data on installation, removal, missionflights and mine fields were manually collected.

The track file recorder (TFR) will be used to obtain detailed,accurate flight data from the ANIAPR-39A (V) 1 radar warning receiver for reduction and analysis after a flight. In the past,radar data from a I-hour tactical scenario took more than 6man-hours to reduce to a usable format. With the TFR, thissame data are reduced, part ially analyzedand printed in 20 minutes. The TFR employs electrically erasable read-only-memories as the nonvolatile da ta storage medium. This system will beused in future tests such as Phase II and III of the aircraft survivability equipment test, the initial operational test and evaluation of the UH-60 Black Hawk HELLFIRE system and theANIALR-XXX(XO-l) radar frequency interferometer.The use of computer systems in conducting tests and evaluations represents a significant milestone in operational testingfor the Army Aviation Board, but it is only the beginning. Computer systems will.continue to playa vital role in future operational tests and evaluations by increasing efficiency and capability. ~ ..


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AirLand Forces ApplicationAGENCY

[3ridging the Interoperability GapAirLand Forces Application Agency Staff

Langley Air Force Base, VA

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S INCE ITS inception in 1975, the AirLand ForcesApplication Agency, better known as ALFA, has been abridge between the Army and Air Force in the development of AirLand Battle (ALB) concepts. This bridge hasbeen expanding over the years and ALFA has evolvedinto one of the focal points for furthering the jointwar fighting capabilities between all the Services. The resulting relationship has been highly productive in enhancing the development of ALB concepts and improving multi-Service interoperability.

ORGANIZATIONALFA was originally created to manage the increasingworkload of joint actions between the United States Air

Force Tactical Air Command (TAC) and the UnitedStates Army Training and Doctrine Command(TRADOC). The interface of these two commands wasformalized with the establishment of a Joint ActionsSteering Committee (JASC). The JASC is ALFA's governing body and is compromised of the TRADOC Deputy Chief of Staff for Doctrine and the TAC DeputyChief of Staff for Plans.In 1984, the TAC TRADOC dialogue expanded toinclude the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet (LANTFLT) atNorfolk, VA. The interface with LANTFLTwasthrough its director of operations, who is now a JASCparticipant. This interface involved not only fleet headquarters, but also subordinate surface and air commands. A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was developed to define the scope of the LANTFLT involvement, and in March 1984 it was signed by the commandersofTAC, TRADOCandLANTFLT. Then in the summer of 1985, LANTFLT received authorization from theChiefof Naval Operations to speak for the entire Navy onALFA projects.

In May 1984, a similar MOAwas approved by the commander of the Marine Corps Combat DevelopmentCommand (MCCDC) at Quantico, VA. ALFA's interface with MCCDC was through its Doctrine Center director, who also is a JASC participant.It is important to understand that ALFA's work withthese headquarters focuses on joint concepts, tactics andprocedures, not on individual Service doctrine. Workingunder the direction of the four general officers who comprise the JASC, and with the involvement of major command headquarters of all four Services, the ultimate taskfor ALFA is to improve Service interoperability.

ALFA is located at Langley Air Force Base, VA, thehome of TAC. This location is only 7 miles from

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TRADOC, 12 miles from LANTFLT at Norfolk and a 3-hour drive from MCCDC.To perform its unique mission, ALFA is authorized 10officers: 5 Army and 5 Air Force. The ALFAdirector anddeputy director are both colonels, with one being Army

and the other Air Force. The director's position rotatesannually between the two Services. The present director isAir Force Colonel Cato L. Reaves. The staff officers aredivided into two-man teams (each team consists of oneArmy officer and one Air Force officer), and each team isassigned several projects.

MISSIONS AND ROLESThe agency's mission is to develop, coordinate and integrate activities associated with joint efforts to improve

concepts and procedures for the conduct of coordinatedand effective joint warfighting. ALFA's goal is to develop the concepts and procedures necessary to win future conflicts, and to define joint needs in terms that enhance resource decisions. Three products result: jointconcepts, procedures and needs. The action officers(AOs) work relatively unconstrained by doctrinal issuesor roles and mission disputes. Their objective is to manage the development of concepts and practical procedures, and they support their work with the analysis necessary to identify shortfalls and joint problem areas.This diversity of joint efforts raises the next point,which is how join t work gets started. ALFA's work centers on the priority concerns of the commanders of theparticipating major commands. A recommendation forjoint work may be made to the JASC by any activity;however, the J ASC must jointly agree to a program before ALFA can become actively involved.

ALFA's role, therefore, is managing and coordinatingJASC directed joint work. Consequently, the AOs havebroad operational backgrounds rather than narrow technical expertise. ALFA has the authority to form jointworking groups from within the staffs and subordinateorganizations of the JASC, since this is where the technical skills exist. In order to obtain direct field input, thesegroups also include worldwide representation down tosquadron and battal ion levels.Before a product is approved by the appropriate commanders ofTAC, TRADOC, LANTFLT and MCCDC,it must be staffed and coordinated worldwide. I f wo ormore Service chiefs approve an ALFA product, it maybecome a joint Service agreement (JSA). These agreements serve as the basis for the further development ofjoint doctrine and supporting procedures. Ultimately,

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ALFAJSAs could result in Joint Chief of Staff publications.

The final ALFA product is normally a four Servicejoint procedures pamphlet. The information containedwithin these pamphlets is then further field tested and validated in multi-Service and joint exercises. Efforts arecurrently underway to incorporate these procedures intosuch training vehicles as Army Training and EvaluationPrograms, the National Training Center, Red Flag /Green Flag an d the Joint Readiness Training Center.Also, each project has an implementation plan, developed by the respective Services, as a part of the publication. This plan identifies documents and curricula wherethe pamphlet's information should be incorporated.ALFA's efforts, therefore, have a major impact on thehardcover manuals of the four Services. It remains, however, each individual Service's responsibility to incorporate the information contained within these pamphletsinto their Service manuals, training and operations.

COMPLETED PROGRAMSALFA pamphlets are easily recognizable because of

their distinctive green and blue camouflage covers. Several ALFA pamphlets have met with outstanding successand are widely used throughout the joint operations community. "Joint Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (JSEAD)" and" Joint Attack of the Second Echelon (JSAK)" have both been elevated to JSA status by theArmy and Air Force Chiefs of Staff. This effectivelyraises the status of J -SEAD and J-SAK from joint tactics,techniques and procedures to joint Service doctrine.

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Other successful ALFA products include" Joint LightAmplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (JLASER) Designation Procedures," "Joint Applicationof Firepower (J -FIRE) Reference Guide," "Joint Air Attack Team (JAAT) Operations," and "Joint AirborneWarning And Cont rol System (J-AWACS)-Army VoiceOperating Procedures" - a l l of which are availablethrough normal publications distribution channels.

UPCOMING PROGRAMSNot only are ALFA staf f officers participating injoint

exercises around the world to integrate/validate existingprograms, but they also are managing several new ALFAprograms under development. Three previously published projects, J-FIRE, J-SEAD and JAAT, are underrevision. The remaining programs are entirely new andare designed to fill identical shortfalls in joint Serviceinteroperability.

A list of programs currently being managed by ALFA,along with a brief descriptive statement of each one, isprovided below. The remaining programs are entirelynew and are designed to fill identified shortfalls in jointService interoperabil ity

The J-FIRE project provides a reference so thatunits of one Service can rapidly and correctly request firesupport from another Service. In July 1985, the originalJ-FIRE pamphlet was published with about 43,000 copies distributed worldwide. ALFA is currently working ona revision of he pamphlet to update and expand the guide

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with additional technical data and also make it North Atlantic Treaty Organization compatible where appropriate to do so . Joint Coordination of Fires Forward of the FireSupport Coordination Line (FSCL) is a project that willresult in an information pamphlet for joint coordinationof deep fires. Lack of Army doctrine and nonstandardFSCL procedures, combined with new long-range Armyweapons (Lance, mUltiple launch rocket system, Armytactical missile system) have pointed to the need for sucha publication . Joint Army/Air Force Tactical Air Control Party(TACP)/Fire Support Team (FIST) Close Air Support(CAS) Operations. The purpose of the new pam phlet is todescribe the interrelationship of Army FISTs and AirForce T ACPs in the control of CAS missions. The pamphlet includes J-FIRE, the J-LASER, joint authentica-

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tion, integration of artillery and CAS, and night CAScapabilities/limitations. Effective and coordinated Joint Deception Operations (J-DO) are a proven and inexpensive combat multiplier on the battlefield. This project will result in a pamphlet that describes J-DO procedures at the joint forceand the component levels. The Joint Night (J-NIGHT) or Adverse Weather

Combat Operations project will identify and analyzeU.S. Forces' capabilities and limitations that are uniqueto night or adverse weather combat operations. In 1982, ALFA published a TAC/TRADOCJ-SEAD pamphlet. The new J-SEAD project will update

the information and procedures presently contained inthat publication. The Joint Rear Battle project will develop a conceptto provide a framework for the many individual Service

efforts underway to secure the rear area.

The JAAT was last published in 1983. The revisedpamphlet will include the newest tactics, training programs, equipment descriptions and scenario options. Italso will include a checklist format section on planning,coordinating and organizing a JAAT .

The Joint Base Defense (J-BD) project is to developoperating procedures and security precautions for commanders to protect their units at joint bases outside U.S.territory. Joint Communication Procedures for Have-QuickRadios (J-TALK), Volume I, is designed to develop standardized, four Service procedures for worldwide operations of the various have-quick, jam-resistant radiosystems. Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) Joint Communication Procedures for

Have-Quick Radios, Volume II, is designed to develop

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ALFAstandardized, four Service procedures for the joint operation of the SINCGARS radio systems . The Joint Radar Beacon (J-BEACON) proceduresproject will provide joint tactics, techniques and terminology for the tactical employment of surface-located radar beacons during combat operations .

Joint Combat Search and Rescue (J-CSAR) is themost recent project for ALFA and for the first time includes the Coast Guard in one of ALFA's initiatives. Theproject will include a listing of joint SAR resources andwill include a review of Service SAR doctrine, trainingand equipment issues.

AIRLAND BULLETINSince 1977, ALFA has published a quarterly joint in

formation newsletter known as the AirLandBulletin.This publication provides an avenue of two-way communication between ALFA and some 3,500 subscribersworldwide. It is a medium for the free exchange of ideas,and it provides information on recent developments inthe joint arena. Feedback from bulletin subscribers, whoinclude Guard, Reserve and Active forces of all Services,indicates that this publication is beneficial in the dissemination of new ideas and recommendations on how to improve joint warfighting. A SUbscription to the bulletincan be received by writing to ALFA.

SUMMARYALFA is a small organizat ion with a large mission.Originally a TAC and TRADOC bi-Service agency, it has

expanded in scope by the increasing involvement ofLANTFLT and MCCDC. Twelve of the fourteen programs currently being developed at the agency involve atleast four Service commands. Since ALFA interfaceswith all the Services at the major command level and below, its products are typically more tactically orientedand geared for the user when compared with other jointpublications. By attacking interoperability problems atthe operator's level, ALFA is performing a valuablefunction to enhance our joint war fighting capabilities.

The ALFA Agency may be contacted by writing: HQ,TAC/XP-ALFA, Langley AFB, VA 23665-5001 orALFAAgency, HQTRADOC, ATTN: ATDO-ALFA,Ft. Monroe, V A 23651-5000; or by telephoningAUTOVON 574-5934 or Commercial 804-764-5934.

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OverwaterSurvivalTraining

Sergeant Nyleen MullallyMinnesota Army National Guard

8t. Paul , MN

As BUCKLED myself intomy seat in the 9-D5 helicopter dunkerfor the first dunk, my reasons, bothpersonal and professional, for beingin this situation were buried someplace deep in my thoughts. They werenot important anymore. What wasimportant was taking all the steps wehad been instructed to take earlierthat morning by the instructors at theMiramar Naval Air Station (NAS)Water Egress School. But I'm gettingahead of myself and should start atthe beginning.My position as the personal flightequipment handler at the Army Aviation Support Facility (A ASF),(Army National Guard) in St. Paul,MN, requires that I inspect and maintain all aviation life support equipment (ALSE) and related equipment.I believe that I also should be familiarwith the application and use of thisequipment so that I may instruct thecrew members with some personal experiences.

Although I had attended a coldweather survival course, I felt Ineeded to continue my survival training with the Overwater SurvivalCourse that is offered by the ArmyWestern Region ALSE SurvivalSchool (see Flight/ax, 8 October1986) at North Island NAS in SanDiego, CA. The course is instructedentirely by the Navy, using their facilities and equipment. I submitted anapplication, along with the AASFALSE officer, CW3 Tom Ollhoff, toattend in September 1986. After ourapplications were approved all thatremained was the wait.

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when to take that last breath. Thenext instant I was under water withmore water in my lungs than air, butagain had no problem making theegress. By this time I was absolutelycertain that one more dunk was allthat was needed to qualify, and that Ishould recommend a change to thecourse of instruction.While I was receiving the instructions on how I would exit in the finaldunk, my mind went blank . I was determined to complete the training,but I just could not think through thecorrect steps to take to make an exit. Iwent into the dunker hoping thosedivers knew how to do their job, because I knew that I would be needingtheir help. As we dropped into the water, my hand left the seat to grab myreference point but missed it. As thepanic rose, so did the water, and againI took in more water than air, whichcaused me to go under completely unprepared both mentally an d physically. I released theseatbelt before thedunker stopped rotating, and wastumbled around inside, losing allsense of direction an d any sense ofwhere I was in the dunker. All thethings they had warned us not to do, Idid! My mind began working againbut, without any references, I was totally disoriented. The panic left and Istarted putting my hands out in frontof me, trying to locate a reference fororientation. I didn't find the openingalthough I attempted to make somenew ones using my head as a batteringram. Within a matter of seconds, thediver reached in and pulled me out. Igot out of the pool and realized that,if that had been the real thing, I wouldhave been a fatality. My dunker training was complete, and all that was leftwas the sea survival tra ining the nextday.

The class began the next morningwith 2 hours of instructions at theDeep Water Environment SurvivalTraining School at North IslandNAS. Among other items, we wereinstructed on the use of equipment,edible animals/ fish / plants, signalingtechniques, organization of personnel and assets, and how not to drink

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the salt water! Then it was issuing ofequipment: flight suit, flight gloves,helmet, boots , wet suit and PFO. Wewere bused out to board the boat thattook us into San Diego Bay.

We were using two 13-person inflatable rafts and six 1- person inflatable rafts. The rafts were thrown intothe water first; then one by one wejumped into th e water an d beganswimming ou t to the raft. The firstperson to the raft inflated it, then assisted the others in boarding. All ofthis went off without any problemsand, although it was a very snug fit,we settled in to spend a few hoursfloating around, practicing using thepen gun flares an d MK -13 signalingdevices, inventorying our equipment,assessing the strong and weak pointsof the personnel onboard, and bailingwater, bailing water, bailing water.

We had been told to establish achain of command immediately, andappoint a log keeper, ration custodian, morale officer, etc. It quicklybecame apparent how importantthose actions were. There was a disagreement in our raft as to who hadthe most time in grade and whether itshould be an Army or Navy officer incharge, which lent an air of confusionand anger-and this was only a training exercise! After those problemshad been resolved, we waited for thehelicopters to appear that would belifting us one-by-one out of the waterand back to dry land .I was sched uled to be one 0 f the lastto be picked up, so I resigned myselfto wait my turn, and quickly realizedhow uncomfortable it was to be wetand cold with no sign of relief in sight.When my turn came, I swam awayfrom the raft about 100 yards to bepicked up, hoping that none of the local inhabitants would take more thana passing interest in me. As the CH -46hovered over me, the rotor wash simulation of the previous day seemedsadly unrealistic-the real thing wastaking my breath away and blindingme, in addition to churning up thewater into little waves that made it extremely difficult to remain vertical inthe water. When I grabbed the cable

and tried to hook up, it seemed as ifthe O-ring on my PFO had shrunk tothe size of a nickel while the size of thehook had tripled in size! Although Itried several times to make the connection, I couldn't do it, and finally,after becoming completely out ofbreath and three-fourths full of seawater, I waved the helicopter away. Ithad all seemed so easy the day before!The safety boat came and put someone in the water to help me hook upthe cable, an d the helicopter cameback to try again. Everything wentsmoothly this time, and I was hoisted75 feet up into the helicopter. Afterbeing unhooked, I made my way to aseat an d buckled in, hoping that Iwould not have to use any of the training I had received.

This training taught me a lo t ofthings about what actually happenswhen a helicopter goes into the water(90 percent do rotate 180 degrees afterimpact, and they all sink), how to getout and what not to do. It also taughtme that fear alone can kill you. I ttaught me that no matter how muchyou talk about and envision what it islike an d how you will react, onlytraining can best prepare you to reactinstinctively an d immediately to anemergency si tuation.

In my opinion, swimming is a skillthat should be required of all personnel in the Army. Emergency aircrewevacuation training is required byForces Command Regulation 350-3,chapter 3, paragraph 3-5f. When applicable, training should includeditching, underwater evacuation anduse of life rafts. Training for Armycrewmembers in what to do after theaircraft enters the water is no t covered by the aircrew training manualand should be included under specialtasks to include standards.

The excellent training offered byth e Navy is available to any command, if requested though the properchannels. I certainly did not lose anything by taking this training andgained more than I can relate.

Do YOU know what you would doif your aircraft had just hit the waterand was sinking? ~

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PEARL!SPersonal Equipment And Rescue/survival Lowdovvn

Army Western Region Aviation Survival SchoolEffective 1 October 1986, The Army Western RegionAviation Survival School (A WRASS) was established as

a Sixth Army area school collocated with the 6229 Reserve Forces (RF) School at Vancouver Barracks, WA.The primary mission is to provide survival training to allaviation personnel (pilots and aircrewmembers). Subjects covered are shelter building, land navigation,ground-to-air signaling, survival vest and kit components and their use, survival medicine, firecraft, food andwater procurement and other subjects. The school consists of 2 academic days, followed by 2 Y2 days of trainingexercise in the field in this intensive course. This coursealso fulfills the survival training requirements outlined inAR 95-17. The fiscal year 1988 course schedule is asfollows:

COURSE COURSE COURSEDATES TITLE NUMBER

7 to 12 February Cold Weather Survival 8808SC8 to 15 April ALSE Officers Course 8809SA10 to 15 April Basic Land Survival 8810SB17 to 22 April Basic Land Survival 8812SB

1 to 6 May Basic Land Survival 8814SB8 to 13 May Basic Land Survival 8816SB

14 to 19 August Hot Weather Survival 8818SH21 to 26 August Hot Weather Survival 8820SH

Quota control and course enrollment are handled telephonically. Active Components/Ac tive Guard Reserveshould havea DO Form 1610, Army Reserve should havea DA Form 1058, and National Guard should have aNGB Form 64.

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Overwater survival courses will be available starting inlate March 1988. Call Sixth U.S. Army Aviation Divisionto enroll: AUTOVON 586-3883/ 4133 or Commercia415-561-4133/3883.

To schedule courses or for additional information forany of the courses call the 6229th RF School at CommerciaI206-694-5357 / 5358 or 503-285-5577.

The point of contact (POC) is MAJ Lathrop or SFCJohnson at Commercial 206-694-5357/5358 or503-285-5577.Facsimile System fo r Special Measurement Clothing

The Directorate of Manufacturing, Defense PersonneSupport Center (DPSC) now has a facsimile system forordering special measurement clothing requests. Allfield activities and clothing sales stores with facsimile capabilities use the system for special measurement clothing items only. Send requisition, DO Form 1348, andmeasurement blank, DD Form 111, for special measurement clothing.

The facsimile system number is AUTOVON 444-7927or Commercial 215-952-7927 . The POC at the Directorate of Manufacturing is Mr. Aaron Wilson, AUTOVON444-3927.NOTE: Requests for special measurement footwear arestill to be submitted to the Defense Orthopedic FootwearClinic.Hood, Flyer's

Funded requisitions are being accepted by DPSC(RIC-S9T) for the following sizes of the hood, flyer's,currently available in supply channels:

Size National Stock Number TariffSmall 8415-01-167-7242 151Medium 8415-01-167-7243 363

Large 8415-01-167-7244 325X-Large 8415-01-167-7245 161This item is the companion piece for the jacket , flyer's

heavyweight nylon, CWU /45-P, national stock numbe

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(NSN) 8415-00-310-1111(s). The hood's unit price is$29.45, and the unit of issue is each (EA).Signal Kit Distress, Foliage Penetrator (L1l9)The signal kit, NSN 1370-00-490-7362, is a componentof the vest, survival, NSNs 8415-00-177-4818 and8415-01-173-8098. The kit is obtained from the Armament Munitions and Chemical Command (AMCCOM)for replacement purposes, and is included with the Defense Logistics Agency's depot issue of the vest.Because AMCCOM is experiencing a shortage of thiskit, action has been initiated to expedite procurement;however, delivery is not expected until third quarter fiscalyear 1988. The interim replacement kit that can be useduntil June 1988 is the signal kit (L 116), type M 185, NSN1370-00-3119-7560. This interim replacement kit is available from AMCCOM routing identifier code (RIC BI7).You can also refer to PM aviation life support equipment(ALSE) messages 161700Z June 1987 and 30 1400Z June1987, subject as above, for safety and use instructions forthe interim replacement kit. The PO C is Mr. BooneHopkins, PM ALSE, AUTOVON 693-3215.New Survival EquipmentIn the past several years, new components for the survival kits have been entering the supply system. Manyaviation units are ordering them along with extra items fortraining.The new aviation survival spark lite firestarter, NSN1680-01-233-0061, will soon be available, but please remember it takes time to get these items into the system.The general purpose knife sharpener has not been approved as of yet. You will be alerted when it does happen.A word about the new nonsafety matches, NSN9920-01-154-7199. These matches are contained in a 3-inch diameter by 2 Y2-inch deep, high-impact plastic container. There are 4 boxes of 30 matches each inside thecontainer. Do not remove the matches from the containerand stow them with the current plastic match box. Thetime to do this is when you are in an actual survival situation.New Equipment Being DevelopedWater in the survival kits will soon have a new look, infact, some of the water packages are already available.The packages are flexible, pliable and take up little space.Instead of the current slap-test method presently used on

the can, you will have to weigh the plastic containers andeyeball the container for abras ions, scuffing and legibility of the printed instruction. When you place them intothe survival kit, make sure that nothing will puncturethem.Survival Food Packet

Our North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies havedeveloped a new survival packet. Natick Laboratorieshave been testing and evaluating these survival foodpackets. As soon as they prove,to be of use for our aircrewpersonnel and they are type classified, we will notify you,the users.Army Suppor t Activity Digest

Have you ordered the new Army Support ActivitySupply Digest yet? You can obta in the latest issue fromthe U.S. Army Support Activity, P.O. Box l3460,ATTN: Vickie Di Domenico (STRAP-P), Philadelphia,PA 19101-3460, or call her on AUTOVON444-2569. TheSupply Digest contains a wealth of information and willcertainly prove invaluable.Delayed Implementa tion of AR 95-17, Paragraph 2-9BHeadquarters, Department of the Army, DALO-AVMessage R 102018Z November 1987, subject as above,has delayed the implementation of AR 95-17, paragraph2-9B, until May 1988. U.S. Army Southern Commandand U.S. Army Western Command have been suppliedwith 100 percent of their requirement. The fielding of thePRC 90-2 continues to go to the U.S. Army Forces Command as listed: A. JTF-B; B. Multinational Force; C.Alaska; D. Ft. Campbell, KY; E. Ft . Bragg, NC; F. Ft .Ord, CA; G. DAMPL Sequence. As these installationsreceive the PRC 90-2, their PRC 90 radios will be turnedinto the depot to be issued against backorders.

In the interim, the pilot in command (PIC) will continue to ensure that not less than one fully operationalsurvival radio is onboard the aircraft. This does not preclude other crew members from carrying additional radios onboard the aircraft when assets are available. Additionally, the PIC will ensure that crewmembers withoutradios have other required signaling devices; e .g., L119foliage penetrat ion flare signal kit and the signaling mirror. Fo r HQDA, the PO C is MAJ Hinds, DALO-AV,AUTOVON 227-0487, and the HQ TRADOC POC isCPT Camp, AUTOVON 680-2348. jIq ,

If you have a question aboutpersonalequipment or rescue/survival gear, write PEARL'S, AMC Product Managemen t Office, ATTN:AMCPM-ALSE, 4300 Goodfellow Blvd., st. Louis, MO 63120-1798 or call A UTOVON 693-3817or Commercial 314-263-3817.

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u.s. ARMY SAFETY CENTER

One of he Best Years inA viation Safety

WE HAVE JUST recorded one of the safestyears in Army Aviation history . The momentum of fiscalyear (FY) 1986-whenwe had the best Class A rate evercarried over to FY 1987. In FY 1987 we had the lowestnumber of Class A-C aviation accidents in 10 years andthe third best Class A rate in history-2.22 per 100,000flying hours.Credit for this goes to all of you in Army Aviation whohave enthusiastically accepted the challenge of trainingfor peak readiness and, at the same time, protecting andsafeguarding our aviation resources. Each of you can beproud of the contribution you made to this record.To really understand the significance of the progress

we have made in aviation safety over the past 5 years, weneed to remember where we were in FY 1982. That year,the Class A rate was 3.23. Had this rate continued overthe past 5 years, we would have had an additional 58 ClassA aircraft accidents at a cost of more than $100 million,not to mention the increased loss of life and decreasedcombat capability.

This record takes on even greater significance whenyou consider that it was achieved during a period of increasing aviation mission demands. Every year missiondemands and exposure have increased, and tough requirements have been placed on top of already tough requirements.In FY 1982, about 43 percent of our total flying hourswere in the high-risk environment; that is, terrain flight at

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Proper maintenance procedures playa big part in keepinga good safety record.

night with night vision goggles, slingloads and hoist missions. In FY 1987, about 90 percent of the total flyinghours of our combat-ready divisions were in the high-riskenvironment, with some units reporting as high as 65 percent of their total flying hours at night with night visiongoggles at nap-of-the-earth levels.

We are now operating our helicopters at treetop level,in marginal weather, under radio silence an d inmultiaircraft formations. And weare flying more at nightwith night vision goggles, where a single performance error greatly increases the probability of a major accident.The mission is not going to get easier. We've got to besmarter about the training, smarter about managing therisks involved in training, and in reducing and controllingthe risks. There is no choice to make between realistictraining and safety. Ifwe are to be capable of performingeffectively in combat , we must have realistic training. Bythe same token, ifwe are to conserve our resources so wecan perform ou r mission in combat, we must havesafety... both in the combat environment and in tacticaltraining. So what do we do to meet this challenge-toaddtough requirements on top of an already tough mission,and, at the same time, improve on our safety record?Tactics for better aviation operations

Surveys of several units and interviews with commanders and safety officers revealed that units with successfulsafety programs share some common denominators.

Training standards are established, and training isconducted to those standards. Development of knowledge, skills and combinedoverall capabilities of individual aviators is considered

the primary responsibility of command. Establishing individual aviator training as the firstpriority ensures flying time is available to achieve and

maintain flight proficiency standards.

FEBRUARY 1988

No-notice checkrides are conducted. Instructor pilots instruct, not just administer checkrides. They instillconfidence in aviators. Clearly defined performance criteria are establishedfor all phases of operations, and commanders ensure personnel are aware of the performance criteria.

Aviators are proud of the fact that their organizations conduct flight operations by the book. Senior aviators assist in training inexperienced aviators in by-thebook operations.

Maintenance is also performed by the book. Command requires it, and maintenance officers and noncommissioned officers ensure it. Required maintenance manuals are available to all personnel.

Immediate and effective enforcement action ofleaders reinforces self-discipline. Immediate action creates an awareness of intolerable behavior and the consequences of any deviation from proper flight discipline.

Senior aviators police their own, and breaches offlight discipline are not accepted by anyone in the organization.

Commander involvement is one of the most important factors found in safe aviation units. Commander positions are filled by individuals having extensive aviationbackground and experience and who are strong in management and leadership abilities.

Commanders are actively involved in operationsplanning and require active involvement of essential andspecial staffs.Some other tactics found in safe units include a highly

selective pilot in command appointment process. Pilot incommand is considered a status earned instead of something automatically given. Crews are carefully selected,with total and recent flight time considered. Experience ispaired with inexperience, an d flight crew skills arematched with the type mission to be flown.

Experienced aviators are selected as safety officers,and aviation safety officers are actively involved in unitoperations. Appointment of senior aviators as safety officers is the key to well-managed programs. Aviators andcommanders listen when skilled and experienced safetyofficers speak.

These proven tactics came from people in the fieldpeople just like you-aviation unit commanders, safetyofficers, operations officers, pilots and maintenancepeople. They allow high-performance units to train smartand safe while achieving better mission results. These arethe units and the people who are responsible for theprogress being made in safety-they are the ones towhom credit belongs for years like 1986 and 1987.~

13


16/48

AVIATION PERSONNEL NOTES

Warrant Officer RA Promotion BoardThe recently released results ofthe 1987 Regular Army(RA) promotion board emphasizes that Aviation Branchwarrant officers are indeed"above the best." In the firsttime-considered category for CW2, CW3 and CW4, se-lection rates are equal to or above the Army's average.These selection rates reflect the large number of ArmyAviation warrant officers who continue to improve theireducational levels, both military and civilian. The message is clear: to remain competitive for promotion theAviation Warrant Officer Advanced Course (militaryeducat ion level B) is a must and an associate degree (bythe ninth year of warrant officer service) is highly recommended. The chart below shows a comparison of aviation warrant officers to the total Army statistics for the1987 RA promotion board (CW2/CW3/CW4).

ArmyAviation Average

first time first timeconsidered/selected/percent considered/selected/percent

CW2 34/34/100 197/197/100CW3 183/155/84.6 577/488/84.5CW4 141/125/88.6 293/254/86.5

14

A viation Field Grade Officer RefresherCourse UpdateInquiries from the field make it necessary to update in

formation on, and to clarify enrollment procedures for,the Aviation Field Grade Officer Refresher Course. TheU.S. Army Aviation Center, Ft. Rucker, AL, has completed development of a first generation nonresident refresher course. The course contains 43 subcourses thatwere developed using off-the-shelf materials. Some ofthe subcourses are being revised to reflect new changes indoctrine and tactics, and to put the material in the correctsubcourse format. The total number of subcourses maybe reduced as a result of the revision process.

The course is available to Aviation Branch field gradeofficers and promotable captains being reassigned from anonaviation assignment to an aviation assignment. Thecourse will acquaint these Aviation Branch officers withthe latest Army Aviation doctrine, tactics and new equipment systems.

Details about course content should be addressedto: Commander, U.S. Army Aviation Center, ATTN:ATZQ-CAT, Ft. Rucker, AL 36362-5263.

Eligible offjcers desiring to enroll should forward a re-quest to : Headquarters, Department of the Army,ATIN: DAPC-OPE-V, 200 Stovall St., Alexandria, VA22332-0400.



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3SP Basic Noncommissioned OfficerCourse (BNCOC)

The 35P BNCOC was established to provide technicaltraining to personnel in the avionic field who are designated 35P30 staff sergeants. As a 35P30 staff sergeant,soldiers are expected to provide technical assistance,quality control and supervise any and all avionic personnel; these skills are not inherent in the military occupational specialty (MOS) experience and require the additional BNCOC training.The course itself is a 19-week, group-paced, residentcourse conducted at Ft. Gordon, GA. There are 3 phases,1 week, 5 weeks and 11 weeks in length, respectively. Thefirst week is BNCOC common-core training consisting of(skill level 3) supervisory techniques developed by the Sergeants Major Academy. The next 5 weeks are dedicatedto advanced electronics fundamentals while the last 11weeks stress intensive hands-on training in the subjects ofcommunications, navigation, radar and stabilizationequipment repair.All personnel in pay grades E5 and E6 who hold MOS35K, 35L, 35M, 35R or 35P are eligible for attendance.Selection is determined by the Student/Trainee Management System-Enlisted Phase II. Because of the highlytechnical nature of the course, it is imperative that selectees study the foHowing materials before reporting totraining: FM 11-60

FM 11-61FM 11-63FM 11-66FM 11-67FM 11-72TM 11-684

Failure to review these materials will cause academicdifficulty, as BNCOC assumes basic electronic theoriescontained in the references will be mastered before attendance.DA Photo Deficiencies

Despite increased Department of the Army (DA) emphasis concerning submission of DA photos, centralizedselection boards continue to note photo deficiencies. Aparticular case in point is the last captain promotionboard, which noted a significant number of files with nophotographs at all. This situation reflects unfavorably onindividual off icers as well as the chain-of-command.

FEBRUARY 1988

It is imperative that each officer's file is properly constituted. The file must contain a photo that is both currentand presents the individual in the best possible fashion.This is a joint responsibility of the individual officer andthe chain-of-command. Increased attention is requiredto ensure that the files of all officers being considered byDA centralized selection boards are current and accurate.Officer Board Schedule for Fiscal Year (FY) 1988

Following is a list of officer selection boards scheduledto convene during the remainder of FY 1988, with theirdates. Dates may change, but were current as of thisprinting.

BOARDPROMOTION

Captain, Army and ConditionalVoluntary Indefinite

CW3/4, Army of the U.S.Lieutenant Colonel, ArmyMajor GeneralBrigadier GeneralCW2/3/4, RA and Over 30Captain, Army and Conditional

Voluntary IndefiniteCOMMAND

DATES

8 Mar to 1 Apr5 to 29 Apr6Aprto 6 MayIOto13May1 to 24 lun26 lu I to 12 Aug7 to 23 Sep

Lieutenant Colonel, Combat Arms 9 to 26 FebLieutenant Colonel, Combat 23 Feb to 4 Mar

Support ArmsLieutenant Colonel, Product 8 to 18 MarManager

SCHOOLNavy Test PilotWarrant Officer, Fixed WingSenior Service College, ArmyCommand and Staff College, Army

OTHERRegular Army, Army and ArmyMedical Department

Regular Army, Warrant Officer

29 to 30 Mar24 to 27 May6 lu I to 5 Aug23 Aug to 30 Sep

17 to 20 May15 to 26 Aug

The DA secretariat for selection board's point of contact for board scheduling is MAl lohn Hamlin, DAPCMSB, AUTOVON 221-8675 or Commercial 202-325-8675. Jiiji--"

15


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US ARMY

'.

Directorate of Evaluation/Standardization ,5 .

REPORT TO THE FIELD AVIATIONSTANDARDIZATION

Aviation Standardization and Training SeminarsSince July 1983, the Directorate of Evaluation and

Standardization (DES) from the Aviation Center, Ft.Rucker, AL, has been conducting Aviation Standardization an d Training Seminars (ASTS). During thistimeframe, the ASTS team has visited virtually every aviation unit in the world. The team has surfaced and resolved many issues that were brought to our attention bythe participating unit.

Until recently, we have had no way of answering similar questions raised by other units before their assistancevisit. We have eliminated this problem through the Aviation Digest. Periodically, we will select new issues fromrecent visits and publish them in the DES Report to theField. This enhances the information exchange betweenthe Aviation Center and the field. We at DES are here toserve Army Aviation and you, the Army aviator. I f youhave any questions about these issues and their responses,please contact th e Evaluation Division of DES,ATTN: ATZQ-ESE, Ft. Rucker, AL 36362-5216, orcall: AUTOVON 558-469116571.

The A viation intermediate maintenance (A VIM) unitarmament section in support o f the A viation Brigade(AB) (Light) is no t adequate in the area o fassigned personnel, especially ifattack units are deployed in separatelocations. Will the tableof organization and equipment(TOE) be changed to increase the number ofpersonnelassigned to the armament section of the A VIM unit insupport of the AB (Light)? I f not, who will supply thenecessary support when units are deployed?

Under current Army of Excellence TO E guidelines,there is no plan to increase the number of assigned arma-

16

ment maintenance personnel in A VIM units. Th enondivisional A VIM unit has the responsibility for supplying necessary support above the unit's capability.

Is it required that aviatorsprovide theirunit operationswith true copies o fDepartment o f he Army (DA) Form2408-12 after flying with other units? I f so, what regulation states that requirement? I f not, maya DA Form759-1 be used by the aviator to record hoursflown withother units?

No Army publication requires aviators to provide theirunit operat ions with true copies of DA Form 2408-12 after having flown an aircraft from another unit. A copy ofDA Form 2408-12 is an excellent method when aviatorsfly with other units infrequently. On the other hand, if anaviator is in a temporaryduty status with another unit foran extended period, it would be much less cumbersome touse DA Form 759-1 than to return to his parent organization with a stack of DA Forms 2408-12. A DA Form759-1, disposition form, Optional Form 41, letter, computer printout or any other legibly printed/ written/ typedinformation sheet may be used by aviators to inform theirflight records section of flight time. This is a matter for individual units to decide. If a specific form is desired by theunit, instructions may be included in the unit standing operating procedure.

An issue surfaced concerning the 3- month grace period granted to those individuals onflightcrew status whodo no t meet their light-hour requirements. Shouldflightoperations submit the exception certificatefo r these individualsat the endo f he 3-monlh period when the flight



19/48

requirement was not met, or should the exception certif-icate be submitted at the end ofeach month?

An exception certificate for each month during thegrace period that the 4-hour requirement is not metshould be submitted. (Reference: U.S. Army ForcesCommand letter, 7 October 1985, subject: Managementof Enlisted Flying Status and Army Regulation 37-104-3,paragraph 20102.b.)

Concern has been expressed that feedback from prob-lems in field maintenance that are surfaced duringASTSlbranch training team (BTT) visits, DA evalua-tions, etc., is not being incorporated into aircraft quali-fication courses (A QCs). Newly qualified aviatorsshould be made aware of hese problems before arrivingin thefield. Are there procedures presently in effect thatensure maintenance problems and solutions that surface

are incorporated into A QCs at the Army AviationCenter?

Problems that surface during ASTS/BTT visits are recorded and sent to the proponent office for response.Once the response is received by DES, Ft. Rucker, it isevaluated for its validity in solving the problem or answering the question. I f the response is valid, it is published in the trip/afteraction report. DES will then conduct a followup study to ensure that the response is, infact, solving the issue in question. I f not, then the issuewill again be sent to the proponent office for followup actions. All problems that surface during ASTS/BTT visitsare brought to the attention of the proponent office thatdetermines if it necessary to incorporate these problemssolutions into the AQC programs of instruction. Theproponent will indicate that action in its response to thefield in the DES trip/afteract ion report. ----.---:'

DES welcomes your inquiries and requests to focus attention on an area of major importance. Write to us at: Commander, U. S. Army Aviation Center, ATTN : ATZq-ES, Ft. Rucker, AL 36362-5000; or call us at AUTOVON 558-3504 or Commercial 205-255-3504. After duty hourscall Ft. Rucker Hotline, AUTOVON 558-6487 or Commercial 205-255-6487 and leave a message.

New Home ofArmy Aviation Museum

Fort Rucker's plans to build a modern $5 million complex to housethe Army's largest collection of aircraft in the free world are now areality. The 7-year Army Aviation Museum Foundation fund driveculminated on 1 February 1988 when the $2.5 million check in matchingfunds for the facility was presented to Colonel Larry S. Bonine of theMobile District Corps of Engineers, by U.S. Representative BillDickinson, Major General Ellis D. Parker, chief, Army Aviation Branchand members of the museum foundation.

Future plans include a ground-breaking ceremony in April andcompletion of the ultramodern complex 18 months later.

Thanks to you. Your efforts, which made it all possible, are greatlyappreciated.

FEBRUARY 1988 17


20/48

Captain Tom BrockwayCW3 (P) Dan Kingsley

i's HAVE worked in somefew safety jobs around the Army, Ihave been frustrated by certain aspects of the job that never seem tochange. You safety types know exactlywhat I am talking about, so I willonly discuss one: an effective safetymeeting topic. I f you get done readingbefore I get done talking, just shut thebook. I figure this is going to be justlike some of those safety meetings Ihave taught all these years: Some people sleep through, some are politeenough to stay awake, and once in awhile, on e of them actually comesacross with a big 'atta boy' to keep megoing.I have always tried to pitch mysafety meetings at potential troublespots in my line-unit operations , andso have usually built my lesson plansaround the current and upcomingfield problems. This has never beenbad, mind you, but it is situational innature, and only applies to the immediate future. It has traditionally covered preparations to travel, weatherconsiderations, any flight or roadhazards en route, and if the terrainaround the bivouac site required special instruction, I have put it out. The

18

A Topic for All Seasons

usual things, like mission peculiarsafety considerations, were coveredwhenever I became aware of them.How much good did it do? I've always maintained a fairly good safetyrecord. But then there was the time Itold one of my ground troops thatthere was a big hole near their campsite, an d not to go near it. Sureenough, 4 hours after my arrival, oneof their soldiers fell to the bottom. Hehad heard about it in a safety briefing,

and wanted to check it out. We all gotserious abou t staying away from it after that. . . but even then, as withmany safety briefings, the warningabout the hole did not provide anylong-term safety benefit.Since I began teaching safety at theU.S. Army Aviation Center, Ft.Rucker, AL, in 1986, I have been ableto take a close look at many of the different perspectives involved in safety,and at all the axes the different agen-



21/48

cies here grind trying to find the singleanswer. The bottom line in each typeof safety instruction seems to be:"How can this information keep anaccident from happening? How can I(the instructor) impact on the chain ofevents that lead up to an accident, andhow can my commander make himself felt in each cockpit without choking the mission initiative?"There are lots of ideas, but the figures have said the same thing for 10years. Human error is the single mostprevalent cause of accidents. In fact,around 70 percent every year. And,about 80 percent of these human error accidents are caused by the flightcrew alone. You know, I never taughta class that would prevent crew errorin my 12 years in Army Aviation before I came here. I've talked aboutstupid mistakes, about individual accidents, about incidents that my unithad or those they might encounterlike some similar unit. I had the feeling that more than half of my job wasto remind troops of the hazardsaround them, and gave little thoughtto any long-term training. Once Ieven spoke on fault tree analysis andthe systems approach to safety. Had aman suffer massive contusions whenhe fell asleep and banged his head onthe desk...I f you can relate to these observations, I have a real treat for you. InApril 1987, the Department of Gunnery and Flight Systems, U.S. ArmyAviation Center, Ft. Rucker, AL,was assigned to provide the EighthBattalion Safety Day speaker, andwas tasked to discuss dynamics ofaircrew communication and coordination (DACC). It was felt that thispresentation would impact on thesource of the majority of aviation accidents, human (crew) error. Whatthey did was to write 2 hours of original, comical and very informativescript, and put on a play that I canonly describe as a scream! It was sopopular that the organization wastasked to do it again in September forthe balance of Ft . Rucker, and it iscaptured, with some limitations, onvideotape.

FEBRUARY 1988

The presentation starts out withthe attending crowd being involved ina taping of a lecture on DACC. Two"actors" who are presenting the material from podiums on opposi te sidesof the stage get into an argument, tothe never-ending amusement of thecrowd, and vignettes are presentedfrom behind the curtain midstageduring their discussion.One vignette shows two AH 1 Cobra pilots chatting casually, about entirely separate topics, and nearly having an accident. One shows th ebigotry of an instructor pilot with afemale student. One shows the realway a flight evaluat ion board is runand one shows Captain Kirk of Starship Enterprise fame dealing withKlingons, Combined FederationCampaigns and expendable crewmembers. You'll meet VannaWhite's understudy, Michael Jackson and the Broomhandle Trio, ChiefWarrant Officer Richard Weed ofDirectorate of Evaluation and Standardization and many more infamous personalities.Most importantly, the presentation impacts directly on the singlemost significant long-term safetyproblem in the Army today, crew error, and allows for a very positivetransfer of information. An additional side benefit is that you have another tool to use for a good safety daypresentation. One that will get you alot of positive comments. (For all younonsafety types, WE need lovetoo ....

If you are interested, here is how toget the presentation. You must submit a Training-Audiovisual WorkOrder, DA Form 3090, to your supporting Training Aids Service Office(TASO) and request the following:#2B-011-1355-B, Dynamics ofAircrew Communication Coordination, Running Time #43 :40#2B-011-1356-B, Dynamics ofAircrew Communication Coordination, Running Time #51:10Your T ASO must send sufficientvideotapes to record both sessions,and it can be in either 112-inch or 3/4-

inch formats. Pass to them this address because the Ft. Rucker TrainingService Center (TSC) will not respondto unofficial inquiries: TSC, ATTN:ATZQ-DPT-TA, Bldg 9313, Ft.Rucker, AL 36362-5000. The pointof contact is Ms. Jane Preston,AUTOVON 558-2620/2116.Well, do you remember all thosesafety meetings I told you about? DidI ever say they were exciting? Unlessyou're an exception, you may havethe same problem. Here is a real assetthat can give you a terrific safetymeeting and pinpoint a whole meeting to the single greatest cause of accidents, human error. Use itand let usknow how it goes. . . . (

About the AuthorsCaptain Tom Brockway is aplatform Instructor and thebranch chief for theUndergraduate Branch ofDepartment of Gunnery andFlight Systems at Ft.Rucker, AL. He helped wri tethe DACC play and stars init , among other things, asthe Headless Aviator,Captain Kirk and one of theBroomhandle Trio.CW3(P)Dan Kingsley Is aplatform instructor and thesafety officer fo rDepartment of Gunnery andFlight Systems. A regularcontributor to the A llationDigest, he is the winner ofthe 1983 A llation DigestArticle of the Year contestand placed second in the1986 contest.

19


22/48

20

Mr. Willis J. BrownMr. Jeffrey W. Van Rope

This article is the eighth in a series on the AH-64A Apache aircraft and weapons systems. Thesystems addressed include the integrated helmetand display sights system and symbology. The in-formation contained here should familiarize thereader with theAH-64A; however, itmust not beused to operate or maintain the aircraft.



23/48

Integrated Helmet and Display Sights System (IHADSS)The IHADSS performs the functions below. Provides crewmembers withhead communications (standard orTEMPEST) and noise attenuation.

Determines the crewmembers'head line-of-sight (LOS) with respectto the helicopter's armament datumline (ADL), and provides this information to the fire control system.~ "R"itjiii.l'i-!;"!ui!.~ P I L O T~

. . . . ._. .J HMO

~~--____ . . . .J HMO

FIGURE 1: IHADSS helmet mounted display system.

VENTILATION SCREEN

Displays selected sensor videoand/or symbology to crewmembers.The IHADSS consistsof two separate systems-the helmet mounteddisplay (HMD) system and the helmet mounted sight (HMS) system.Helmet Mounted Display System

The HMD system (figure 1) provides for the display of selected videoand/or symbology to each crewmember. This system consists of a displayelectronics unit (DEU), two displayadjust panels (DAPs) and two helmetdisplay units (HDUs). When thecopilot/gunner (CPO) enables theIHADSS, both of the crewmembers'displays are active. The fault detection/location system (FD/LS) monitors the helmet display system.

The DEU (figure 2) receives bothtarget acquisition and designationsight (T ADS) and pilot night visionsensor (PNVS) video from the symbol generator, and PNVS video directly from the PNVS electronicsunit. The symbol generator superimposes weapons symbology on the

CONNECTORS (4)

VENTS(4) - ..... ~ FRONT VIEWFIGURE 2: Display electronics unit.

FEBRUARY 1988 21


24/48

T ADS video and flight symbologyonthe PNVS video before routing themto the DEU. The video from th ePNVS electronic unit contains nosymbology.The DEU processes the incomingvideo and applies adjustments to the

video size/centering in response toDAP settings. During normal operation, the DEU routes selected video tothe respective crewstation for displayon the HDU. I f he fire control system detects a failure, it commands theDEU to provide the PNVS video di-

~ ' I ) g . t l i t i W l i I i I " l r i ! .DAPs

DETAIL A

DISPLAYADJUSTMENTPOTENTIOMETERS

CONNECTOR k 2 : : : : = ' - - - ~ ~ V 7 7RECEPTACLES

FIGURE 3: Display adjust panel.

SLIDINGCLIP

IMAGEROTATIONCOllAR

HElMET DISPLAY UNIT (HDU)

HDUROTATIONALSTOP

FIGURE 4: Helmet display unit .

22

INTEGRATED HElMET UNIT (lHU)

rectly to both crewstations for display(PNVS direct video).In each crewstation, located aft ofthe seat, is a DAP (figure 3). TheDAPs provide size, centering and focus adjustments for the HMD displayed video. Maintenance personnelnormally make these adjustments.

The HDUs (figure4) display the selected video/symbology to th ecrew members by projecting the image onto a combiner lens located infront of the crewmembers' right eye.This permits simultaneous viewing ofselected video/symbology and theoutside world.The HDUs consist ofa I-inch cathode ray tube (CRT) mounted in ahigh-impact plastic barrel andmounted to the forward end of thebarrel, an optics assembly and combiner lens. Infinity focus, image rotation and HDU rotation are built intothe barrel.

The image is projected from theCRT, through the optics assembly,and onto thecombinerlens. The combiner lens is mounted in a sliding clip,which enables the lens to be adjustedto the crewmembers' eye.The HDU mounts into the receiverassembly, which is attached to theright side of the integrated helmetunit (IHU). The HDU interfaces withthe DAP via two cables. If emergencyegress occurs, the HDU will be pulledout of the receiver when the cables become taut.The HDU is stored in a cushionedholster located on the inside of theright-hand console in both crewstations. The HDU is considered part ofthe helicopter's equipment.

The pilot ha s IHADSS video(lHADSS VID) controls (figures 5and 6) on the fire control panel forcontrast (CONT), for brightness(BRT) and for symbol brightness(D + SYM BRT). And, the CPO'sIHADSS video controls are on theoptical relay tube (ORT) controlpanel. When the CPO's sight selectswitch is in the HMD position, thedisplay (DSPL) controls for contrastand brightness and symbol brightnesswill adjust the HDU video.



25/48

CPGs FIRECONTROL PANEl

FIGURE 5: IHADSS controls.

TAOSTV

TAOSELECTRONICUNIT

IMAGE - - - - . ~TAOS - - - t ~ I D " .....FURIMAGE

SYMBOLGENERATOR

:0:: C).'"- -C)"o,.....' 0 """

'&0 \ ... ".' ... .

/)

FIGURE 6: IHADSS helmet mounted display operation.

FEBRUARY 1988

ORT CONTROL PANel

COLLECTIVE STICK SWITCH BOX

PILOT BRIGHTNESSAND CONTRASTADJUSTMENTS~~ -- >PILOT! :'It ..... _ ./j

l', :M:HoU

SIZE/CENTERINGADJUSTMENTS~ ~~ ; ; " -t.. >" CPG

'l_,;:;/{J, HDU

23


26/48

~ ()?SSU SSU BRU SSU SSU BRU

IHUPILOT CREWSTATION CPG CREWSTATION

- - - -+ CPG LOS } TO FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM- - - -+ PILOT LOS

FIGURE 7: IHADSS helmet mounted sight system.

Helmet Mounted Sight SystemThe HMS system provides- Head protection for thecrewmember from crash forces. Communications (standard orTEMPEST) and noise attenuation. Crewmember's LOS with respect to the helicopter's longitudinalaxis, referred to as the ADL.The HMS uses the reticle displayed

on the HD U as the crewmember'sLOS.The HMS consists of these majorcomponents (figure 7): A sight electronics unit (SEU), two IHUs, four

sensor surveying units (SSUs) andtwo boresight reticle units (BRUs).Each IH U (figure 8) consists of ashell, an infrared (lR) sensor assembly, an energy liner, and a suspension

and earphone assembly. A mountingpad for the HDU is cemented to theright side of the shell.The IR detectors respond to an IRsignal, sending electrical pulses to theSEU when they detect this IR energy(position pulses).

24

IRDETECTORS

HDU

VISORDOWNCATCH

HELMENT MOUNTED DISPLAY--- COMMUNICATIONS

EOUIPMENT

FIGURE 8: Integrated helmet unit.

The SSUs (figure 9), a pair locatedin each crewstation, generate pairs ofIR energy beams that sweep thecrewstation. At the start of eachsweep cycle, each IR beam causes theSSUs to send a reference pulse (timezero) to the SEU. The SSU's IR energy cannot be detected outside thecrewstation.

Th e SE U receives the referencepulses from the SSU sand the positionpulses from the IHUs. By calculatingthe time of each posit ion pulse in reference to th e reference pulses, theLOS of each crewstation is determined. The crewstation LOS is thenprovided to the fire control system.

The BRU (figure 10) is an electrooptical device that provides a colli-

mated target reticle used to boresightthe IHADSS in that crewstation. Thisboresight establishes the position ofthe crewmembers' right eye with respect to the reticle displayed on theHDU and the ADL.

The SSUs generate tw o flat,fan-shaped beams of IR energy (figure 11). These beams rotate, orsweep, the crewstation. At the start ofeach sweep, a reference pulse is sent totheSEU.

When an IR beam illuminates anIR detector on the IHU, the beamgenerates an electrical pulse, which isalso sent to the SEU. As the crewmember moves his head (lHU), thetiming between the output positionpulses changes.



27/48

FIGURE 9: Sensor surveying unit.

The SEU compares the timing between the reference pulses from theSSUs and position pulses from theIHUs, and computes an LOS for eachcrewstation. I f he SEU cannot compute a valid LOS for a crewstation, itfreezes the LOS at the last valid computation until the LOS is again computed valid.I f the SEU determines that aboresight is required (for either orboth crewstations), it informs the firecontro l system of the requirement.Also, the "BORESIGHT... RE

QUIRED" message is displayed tothe affected crewmember, informingthe crewmember of the boresight requirement.When the IHADSS has beendetected as NO-GO (one or both ofthe crewstations), the message"IHADSS... FAILED" will be displayed to the affected crewmember.The fire control system will defaultthe LOS of the failed crewstation tothe fixed forward LOS.The SEU also provides a self-testofthe IHADSS system, and providesthis information to theFD/LS.The LOS is used for targethandoff, sensor pointing, automaticranging and weapons aiming.FEBRUARY 1988

IRLAMP(INSIDE)

LENSES

MIRRORS

ELAPSEDTIMEINDICATOR

ENDOFBRUHOUSING

BORESIGHT RETICLE UNIT TARGET

FIGURE 10: Boresight reticle unit.

SSU

REFEREICE PULSES ~ - - PILOT BORESIGHT Ol/STORE. - - - - - - : . = . . : : ; = ; ; . ; ; ; . . ; . . . = ~ - - - - . CPG BORESIGHT OI/STORE

BRU ~PILOT

CPG

REFEREICE PULSES

POSITIOI PULSES

PILOT BORESIGHT REQUIREDCPG BORESIGHT REQUIRED

~ _ - I - - . IHADSSBITPILOT LOS IIVALIDCPG LOS IIVALID

PILOT IHADSS LOSCPG IHADSS LOS

FIGURE 11: IHADSS helmet mounted sight operation.

25


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SymbologySymbology is the representation ofaircraft flight and weapons parameters/status through the use of symbols. These symbols can be graphic

representations of parameters, numeric values or alphabetic messages.Symbology is presented on thepilot's video disk unit and HMD and

on the CPO's HMD and selectedT ADS display when the symbol generator is on and the displays are active(figure 12).The PNVS generates a video that isrouted through the PNVS electronicsunit (PEU) to the symbol generator.This video contains no symbology.

PEU

1 NVSIMAGE

The symbol generator superimposespilot symbology on the video, andprovides this video/symbology to thedisplay as selected by either crewmember.The T ADS has two video sources,television and forward-looking infrared (FLIR). These videos are routedto the TADS electronics unit (TEU),which adds two pieces of symbology-the image autotrack gates andthe T ADS LOS reticle. These videosare then routed to the symbol generator, which superimposes CPO symbology on the video, and then provides this video/symbology to the

PILOT VIDEOCPG VIDEO

r

PILOT VIDEOSYMBOL

GENERATOR CPG VIDEOTADS IMAGETV11 FUR

SELECTED VIDEO

displays as selected by either crewmember. Video selection in on ecrewstation does not affect video selection in the other. If no video is se-lected, the symbology will be displayed without video.The symbol brightness is adjustedindependently in each crewstation.The range of adjustment is frombright (white) through grey to dark(black).Although not considered as a symbology display (not driven by thesymbol generator), the alphanumericdisplay (AND) provides weapons andsight status to the CPO when using

CPGSELECTED IHADSS

DEU VIDEOPLT

IHADSS

VDU

. HODORT SELECTEDDISPLAY

TEU . ELECTSELECTEDIMAGE HOD

AND

BUS CPG tCONTROLLER MULTIPLEX BUS MRTU

FIGURE 12: Symbology generation.

26 u.s. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


29/48

the T ADS in the heads-down mode(heads-down display (HDD) active).The AND is a light-emitting diode(LED) array and is driven directly bythe fire control system (bus controller) through the multiplex system.Symbology Groups

Symbology is divided into twogroups-flight (pilot) and weapons(CPG). Although these boundariesare crossed, flight symbology is displayed on the PNVS video, and weapons symbology is displayed on theTADSvideo.Flight symbology is subdividedinto four modes, depending on theflight parameters of the helicopter.These modes are cruise, transition,hover and bob-up. The pilot may se-lect anyone of the four modes at anytime.Weapons symbology is dividedinto two subgroups, sight and weapons. The displayed symbology depends on the sight/w eapon selectionand the operational status of the selected systems.Figure 13 contains the pilot's symbol set. I f the driving source of thesymbol fails, the symbol will goblank.Figure 14 (on page 28) containsweapons symbols that compose theCPG's symbol set. If the drivingsource of the symbol fails, the symbolwill go blank.High Action Display (HAD)

The HAD (figure 15 on page 28)provides sight and weapon status,range and weapon control information to each crew member relative tothe crewmember's selected sight andweapon. The display is located at thebottom ofthecrewmember's display.The display is split into two fields bythe sensor field of the regard box.Alphanumeric DisplayThe AND (figure 16 on page 29) is aLED display located within th eTADS ORT. The AND is viewed by

Line of sight reticle represents one ormore of the following, depending onthe symbol using reticle as areference : LOS of the pilot. Aft of helicopter lookingforward. Top of helicopter lookingdown. 30 mm impact pOint (normalmode) .

Alternate sensor bearing indicatesthe opposite crewmember's selectedsight LOS in azimuth with reference tothe ADL.Lubber line indicates the nose of theaircraft (ADL).Cueing dots indicate direction tocued-to LOS. All four dots flashingindicate that an IHADSS boresight isrequired .Command heading represents theinitialization heading if the bob-upmode is selected; otherwise thecommand heading is the Doppler fly-toheading.Acceleration cue indicates theeventual end of the velocity vector .Velocity vector represents thelongitudinal and lateral groundvelocities with reference to the LOSreticle (top of helicopter looking down).Heading scale indicates magneticheading of the helicopter withreference to the lubber line .Cued LOS reticle is used with thecueing dots. It represents the cued-toLOS and the 30 mm impact point in thegun-fixed mode.Missile constraints indicate requiredhelicopter orientation for missileengagements. When in constraints,the box will go solid.Radar altitude represents the digitalreadout of radar altitude (AGL) in feet .Rate of climb represents the analogdisplay of the rate of climb.

Radar altitude vertical scale is areference for tht:: radar altitude verticaltape from 0 to 200 feet, which goesblank above 200 feet .Radar altitude vertical taperepresents the analog display of rotoraltitude, which goes blank above 200feet.Skid/slip lubber line representsreference lines for the skid/slip ball.Skid/slip ball indicates helicopterlateral accelerations.Cued LOS do t indicates the cued-toLOS within the sensor field of theregard box.Field of view (FOV) represents theinstantaneous FOV of thecrewmembers' sensor within the fieldof the regard box .Sensor field of regard represents thetotal field of regard of the PNVS.Selected display shows a 30 by 40degree FOV.Rocket steering curser indicatesrequired helicopter orientation forrocket engagements.Hover position box is the display ofthe helicopter's relative position whenthe bob-up mode is selected.Head tracker indicates the nose of thehelicopter with respect to the LOSreticle .Airspeed is the digital readout of thetrue airspeed (TAS) or, if not available,the ground speed (GS) in knots.Horizon line indicates the pitch androll attitude of the helicopter.Engine torque indicates torque outputof the highest torqued engine . Atvalues of 98 percent or greater, aflashing box surrounds the torquevalue, indicating a torque limit is beingapproached. The torque will flashwhen a 12-percent torque split occursbetween the engines.

t h e C P G w h e n u ~ n g t h e h e a d ~ d o w n ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~mode. Since the AND does not de-pend on the symbol generator for op- FIGURE 13: Pilot's symbol set.

FEBRUARY 1988 27


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Alternate sensor bearing indicatesthe opposite crewmember's selectedLOS in azimuth reference to the ADL.Lubber line indicates the nose of thehelicopter.TAOS bearing is the rea ite bearing ofthe TAOS LOS in azimuth with respectto the ADL.Heading scale indicates magneticheading of the helicopter withreference to the lubber line.Cued LOS reticle is used with thecueing dots; it represents the cued-toLOS and the 30 mm impact point in thegun-fixed mode.Missile constraints indicate requiredhelicopter orientation for missileengagements. When in constraints,the box will go solid .Radar altitude is the digital readout ofradar altitude (AGL) in feet.Field of view represents the instantaneous FOV of the crewmember's sensorwithin the field of regard box.Cued LOS do t indicates the cued-to LOSwithin the sensor field of regard box.Sensor field of regard box representsthe total field of regard of the TAOS.Cueing dots indicate direction tocued-to LOS. All four dots flashingindicates IHADSS boresight required.Airspeed is the digital readout of TAS or,if not available, GS in knots.LOS reticle represents one or both of thefollowing: LOS of the CPG and 30 mmimpact point (normal mode).Selected display shows 30 x 40 FOV.TAOS FOV gates indicate the amount ofcurrently displayed imagery that will bedisplayed in the next narrower FOV.Rocket steering cursor indicatesrequired helicopter orientation forrocket engagements.Selected sensor indicates theselected TAOS sensor; television (TV),FUR, or direct view optics (DVOs) .

FIGURE 14: Copilot gunner's symbol set.

28

FUR

116 100

SIGHTSTATUS FiElD OFREGARD BOXRANGE ANDRANGE SOURCE WEAPONCONTROL

CPG'S SELECTED DlSPLAY(S)

W 30 33, I I , I I.' I

198%1

116

N 3 6 EI I I , I I , I I I1 / \

-r 'T "" " , - . - , - r M - '_.I. ... &. J. oJ -'-I. L. .L. oJ

~FiElD OFREGARD BOX WEAPONSTATUSRANGE ANDRANGE SOURCE WEAPONCONTROL

PILOT'S SELECTED DlSPLAY(S)FIGURE 15: High action display.



31/48

MISSILEINVENTORYANDSTATUS

ICC,HR I LC:R IT 8 ~ N 8 0 TSl MSl

: ~ ~SL I I IFIGURE 16: Alphanumeric display.

eration, it can be used for weaponsemployment if the symbol generatorfails. It also provides weapon statusto the CPG when the CPG uses theTADSDVO.

The AND is 24 character spaceslong and 4 lines vertically. It is dividedinto the sections below. Sight status, which displays thestatus of the CPG's selected sight.

Weapons status, which displaysthe status of the weapon the CPG hasselected. T ADS status, which displays thestatus ofTADS sensors and trackers. Laser rangefinder1designator(LRF I D) and laser spot tracker(LST) code status, which displayscode status of the LRF10 and LST,and indicate which laser code is beingused by each. Enhanced display, which is usedin missile and gun or rocket fixed engagements.Symbology UseThe pilot, using the flight symbology superimposed on the PNVSFLIR image can fly and navigate thehelicopter with absolutely no reference outside the crewstation. Thisgives the AH-64 it s all weather,day I night capability.

FEBRUARY 1988

I

SIGHT STATUS 1 WEAPON STATUSTAOS STATUS

LRF /D AND LST CODE STATUSENHANCEMENT DISPLAY

MESSAG E/STATUS SECTIONS

I I I I I I I I I I I I4 BY 24 CHARACTER LAYOUT

The left field is composed of twodisplay sections-sight status andrange and range source. The sight status section displays the status of theselected sight . The range and rangesource section shows the range beingused by the fire control system forthat crewstation, and the source ofthat range.The right field is also composed oftwo sections-weapon control andweapon status. The weapon controlsection informs the crew memberwhich weapon the opposite crewmember has selected. The weaponstatus section displays the status ofthe weapon selected by the crewmember.The CPG , using the symbology superimposed on the T ADS video presentation, can employ the helicopter's armament in all weather, daylnight conditions at extreme ranges.Thus, the AH-64 can be made ahighly lethal weapons platform.

The article has addressed capabilities and characteristics of th eAH-64A Apache weapon system inthe subsystem of IHADSS and symbology. The next article in the Apacheseries will address the target acquisition and designation sight and the pilot night vision sensor. '----f

I I

MISSILEINVENTORYANDSTATUS

ITITII ! ~

ABOUT THE AUTHORSMr. Willis J. Brown is responsiblefor Active and ReserveComponent marketingdevelopment of the Apachehelicopter. He has served in U.S.Military Marketing since joiningMcDonnell Douglas HelicopterCompany in 1985. He has anextensive background in laserguided and airborne weaponssystem marketing.Mr. Brown has more than 11 years'experience in Army Aviation. He israted in the UH-1 , AH-1, Bell 206and Bell 204.

Mr. Jeffrey W. Van Rope has beenresponsible fo r the design,development and presentation ofaircrew training programs fo r theAH-64A, and is currentlyresponsible for designing anddeveloping aircrew and embeddedtraining for the LHX.He has more than 21 years'experience in Army Aviation, withmore than 2,500 hours in rotarywing aircraft, and is a maintenancetest pilot.

29


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How Come I Didn'tMake the List?Master SergeantLeon F. Pelletier

Office of Personnel SystemsDirectorate of Aviation Proponency

U.S. Army Aviation CenterFort Rucker, AL

HEY BILL! The new promotionlist is out. What's your sequencenumber?" shouted Leo."I don't have one," Bill replied de-jectedly.Leo was shocked. "I can't believethat! You and I have been together allof ou r military lives. It makes youwonder how that selection process re-ally works.""You can say that again. What'syour sequence number?" Bill asked."It's a high one, but it doesn't seemso great now that I know you didn'tget one. I wish there was something Icould say that would help," repliedLeo."Here comes Top, probably tocongratulate you. Hope you don'tmind if I cut out. I'm not in the moodto listen to him right now. Hi Top,

bye Top!" Bill's voice fell of f as heshuffled away from the first sergeant(lSG) and Leo.First Sergeant Lloyd was all smilesas he grabbed Leo's hand and said,"Well done, Leo. I knew you weregoing to make the list this timearound."

"Thanks Top! Yea, I was prettyexcited until I ran into Bill. How did Imake the list and he did not? Ourrecords should be identical. We'vegone to the same schools, had thesame raters most of the time, and Iknow ou r skill qualification testscores are equal. I just don't under-stand!" Leo muttered, more con-cerned than happy.First Sergeant Lloyd thought for aminute and said, "I 've got a goodfriend over in the 1st Brigade who sat



33/48

on a board last year; maybe he canshed some light on what really happens at Ft . Ben. Congratulationsagain Leo! I'l l get back with you ifCommand Sergeant Major (CSM)Rivera can help us."

Later that day, the phone rang inCSM Rivera's office. CSM Rivera satand listened to the same tale of woehe's heard a hundred times since promotions became centralized. Heasked 1SO Lloyd some basic questions about both soldiers and agreedthey both seemed to be qualified forpromotion. Finally CSM Rivera said,"Have both men bring a copyof theirfiche over and maybe we can find thereason one got promoted and theother didn't."

"I'll bring them to your office tomorrow morning. Do you mind if Ibring my fiche? I hit the secondaryzone this year and I want to make suremy official file is up to date," 1SOLloyd answered.He then called Leo and Bill to tellthem to get their latest copy of theirOfficial Military Personnel File(OMPF) fiche and meet him at CSMRivera's office at 0900 hours the nextmorning. ISO Lloyd got his first clueto the difference between the two soldiers; Bill didn't have a copy of hisOMPF, Leo did. ISO Lloyd postponed the meeting for 2 weeks, whilethey waited for Bill's records to comefrom the U.S. Total Army PersonnelAgency (TAPA).

"Bill," Leo asked, "how did youreview your records if you didn 't havea copy of your OMPF fiche?""What's to review, I sent all theimportant papers I had to the personnelservice center (PSC), formally

MILPO, and those 'admin' folkstake care of it from there," Bill replied.

" It may be their job to send it in myfriend, but it 's your responsibility toensure everything is in there and aU ofit is yours. You saw how easy it was toget a copy. The personnel administration center (PAC) had the form andall you had to do was sign it and theysent it in." Leo wasn't sure if Bill had

FEBRUARY 1988

realized his responsibility to his owncareer.Bill asked , "Even when I get thedumb thing, how will I know if everything is there? I can't remember allthose letters and things I've sent in.""That's easy. You collect all yourpaper copies and compare them withwhat shows up on the fiche reader.You did keep a personal copy of ev

erything you sent to PS C didn'tyou?" queried Leo.

"Sort of, if there were two copies Ikept one and I think I've probably gotmost ofthe enlisted evaluation report(EER) copies PSC sent back to me.I'll ask the personnel service noncommissioned officer to get my field 201file and compare the OMPF with allthe stuff in there. " Bill smiled at hisresourcefulness.

"Where have you been, son! Theydon't keep any of that in your fieldfile any more. All they keep in thefield file at PSC is your Departmentof the Army Form 2 and 2-1, your latest assignment orders and a few otherthings. They only keep local housekeeping files. Everything else is in theOMPF," Leo stated, somewhat surprised Bill was unaware of thechanges to the field 201 file.

Bill asked, "What did they do withall the old stuff that was in there?"

" I t was sent back to the soldiers along time ago. Don't worry, we'll beable to spot any gaps in the EERs andyou know what schools you've at -tended," Leo replied.

Bill's OMPF arrived and ISOLloyd set up another appointmentwith CSM Rivera, hoping to findsomething missing or anything thatwould give a clue to Bill's failure to bepicked up for promotion.The three arrived at CSM Rivera'soffice, and he had prepared a smallconference room for them with twomicrofiche readers. 1SO Lloyd introduced Bill and Leo to CSM Rivera.He offered them some coffee, thenasked Bill and Leo to sit in front of hereaders. Bill took his position behindthe one on the right and Leo took theone on the left. 1SO Lloyd turned of fthe lights and stood behind CSMRivera who had pulled up a chair between Bill and Leo.The room took on a pale blue huewhen they turned on the fiche readers. Starting at the upper left cornerof he first page, Leo's read, "ServiceComputation Data"; Bill's read,"Performance Data." Leo changedsheets so they could compare performance data. The first slide to the rightwas a picture on both fiches. Therewas no doubt it was Leo's photo, bu t

31


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Bill's was so dark you couldn't see hisface or any of his awards.CSM Rivera said, "Don't worry

about that one, Bill. Look here in thelower right hand corner; it states thereis another picture at frame A6 of thefiche. Do you know it was because ofthe poor reproduction quality of thephotographs on microfiche the promotion boards now use the actualphotograph?" He went on to say,"Y ou wouldn't believe the n um ber ofsoldiers who don't even have a photoin their official file. Many have outdated photographs or ones of suchpoor quality you have to wonder ifthe soldier really cares if he gets promoted. Bill, when was your last photosubmitted?"Bill thought a few minutes an dsaid, "I guess it was 2 years ago,maybe 3."ISG Lloyd's voice came out of thedarkened room, "I had all the NCOsin the company who were in the zoneof consideration in my office and emphasized the importance of a recent

photo. Both of you were there; did either one of you bother to get a newone?"

"I had mine done about a week before the ISG's meeting," answeredLeo.Bill replied, "Well I made an appointment the next day, Top, but wehad that mess in the motor pool and Imissed it. I thought about it a coupleof times after that but by the time I gotaround to it the board was already insession. Anyway, you said the regulation states every 5 years is the minimum."CSM Rivera's chin slumped to hischest and he began shaking his headside to side. In an almost sympatheticvoice he said, "Look here! These arethe results of the last selection boardand they are representative of mostboards. Therewere633 sergeants firstclass in the p rimary zone and 758 inthe secondary zone who didn't have acurrent photo in their files. Now lookat the selection rates; 33.5 percentwith a photo were selected for promo-

Keeping an updated photograph showing neatness indicatesthat the soldier really cares about getting promoted.

32

tion. Only 2.6 percent of those without a photo were selected; that is, 36soldiers ou t of 1,391 whose recordswere so outstanding a photo wasn't adetermining factor."Leo asked, "How much value isthe photo? What can you tell about asoldier

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Army Aviation Digest - Feb 1988

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