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Army Guard helicopter unit to train at Grissom

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GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --  Personnel and rotary-wing aircraft from the Army National Guard will train at Grissom for a two-week period as the unit prepares for a deployment to Southwest Asia.

More than 130 Guardsmen and up to 12 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion, Medical Evacuation Unit, which consists of components from Shelbyville and Gary, Ind., as well as Frankfort, Ky., will be at Grissom during the April 17 - May 3 time period.

While at Grissom, the 2-238th Medical Evacuation Unit will train in joint aero-medical activities to include the areas of flight operations, aircraft maintenance, flight medics, logistics, communications and ground refueling. The unit will conduct between eight and 12 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter missions each day, including both day and nighttime flights.

The UH-60 has a crew of four, including two pilots and two crew chiefs, and has a maximum cruising speed of 160 miles per hour with a range of approximately 320 miles.

Many of the flights will consist of missions traveling between Grissom and Indiana Army National Guard locations in Southern Indiana. Hence, residents of civilian communities should not be surprised to see increased helicopter air traffic in and around Central and North Central Indiana.

Utilizing Grissom will provide the Army National Guard unit the opportunity to maximize its training time and resources in a simulated deployed environment. The 2-238th has deployed on previous occasions, most recently to Iraq in 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where it completed more than 1,200 missions.

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Public Affairs Staff

Material contained on the Official Grissom Air Reserve Base Internet Web Site is written and produced by members of the 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office. The award-winning staff includes:

Ben Mota
Chief, public affairs

Maj. Elias Zani
Public affairs officer

Master Sgt. Wendy Day
Staff writer

Tech. Sgt. Alexa Culbert
Staff writer

Senior Airman Elise Faurote
Staff writer

Senior Airman Benjamin Cowles
Staff writer