FORT MCCOY, WI – An aircrew operated a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter at the Sparta-Fort McCoy Airport during training operations December 16, 2019, at Fort McCoy. The UH-60 Blackhawk has been the Army”s frontline utility helicopter for the past 40 years, and it shows no signs of letting up, said service officials at Redstone Arsenal, AL. The helicopter is a regular fixture every year at Fort McCoy, particularly during major exercises such as the Combat Support Training Exercise. Blackhawk crews with the 1st Battalion, 147th Regiment of the Wisconsin National Guard in Madison, for example, support a wide variety of Guard and Reserve training on the post regularly. Now in its fourth decade of service, the Blackhawk was developed as a result of the Army”s requirement in 1972 for a simple, robust, and reliable utility helicopter system to satisfy projected air-mobile requirements around the globe.
An aircrew flies a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter at the Sparta-Fort McCoy Airport during training operations Dec. 16, 2019, at Fort McCoy, Wis. According to the Army fact sheet for the Blackhawk, its mission is to provide air assault, general support, aeromedical evacuation, command and control, and special operations support to combat, stability, and support operations. The UH-60 also is the Army''s utility tactical transport helicopter. The versatile helicopter has enhanced the overall mobility of the Army due to dramatic improvements in troop capacity and cargo lift capability over the years as well. (Photo Credit: Scott Sturkol)
May 21, 2020 | Originally published by U.S. Army on January 16, 2020