La. National Guard audio, quotes from press conference

Photo By Master Sgt. Toby Valadie | Maj. Gen. Glenn Curtis, Louisiana National Guard adjutant general, speaks to the media about an accident involving a LANG UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that occurred during a training mission in Florida last night. The press conference was held at the armory of the 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment in Hammond, La., March 11, 2015. (National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Toby Valadie, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office)  

NEW ORLEANS, LA, UNITED STATES

03.11.2015

Courtesy Story

241st Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard held a press conference March 11 to update the public on the helicopter accident that occurred March 10 in Florida at the Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Hammond, Louisiana.

Audio from the event can be found here: http://geauxguard.com/louisiana-national-guard-helicopter-accident-media-advisory/7183/

“Today, as you can imagine, is a tough day for the Louisiana National Guard and the Marine Corps,” said Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, adjutant general of the LANG. “This unit is a very experienced unit and one that has received numerous accolades for its service to our nation, to include two combat deployments to Iraq and numerous state emergency operations.”

“At this hour, our priorities are Search and Rescue of our Soldiers and Marines, and secondly, to take care of our families. We are doing both of those.”

For questions relating to Search and Rescue Operations, please contact the Coast Guard at [phone].

For questions relating to the Training Station and accident, please contact Eglin Public Affairs at [phone].

For questions relating to the Marine Corps Trainees, please contact Marine Special Operations Command at [phone]

For questions relating to the Louisiana Army National Guard, the aviation unit and its crew members, please contact the Louisiana National Guard at [phone].

Louisiana Army National Guard’s 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion

Home Station: The unit’s home station is the Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Hammond, Louisiana. Its Soldiers live and work in communities throughout Louisiana.

Mission at Eglin AFB: Joint Training Exercise: Members of the 1-244th were assisting the United States Marine Corps Forces.

What are other types of joint training exercise our aviation assets participate in?

The 1-244th regularly supports the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) for sling load, rappelling and paradrop training for Air Assault courses, joint training at Eglin AFB and annual Christmas tree drops with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in efforts to preserve the marshlands of the Gulf Coast.

Model of helicopter / info: UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopter

Number of Soldiers: The company is comprised of approximately 300 LANG Soldiers.

Number of Black Hawks: There are currently 15 Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 1/244th.

Number of air assets assigned to the LANG:
26 UH-60 Black Hawks
8 LUH-72 Lakotas
1 C-12 Huron

The 1-244th stood up as a unit in 1987. The AASF#1 stood up in 2008 after the 1-244th’s facilities at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport received extensive damage after Hurricane Katrina.

Federal operations include:
Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004-2005; 2009-2010

State emergency operations include:
2005: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
2010: Operation Deepwater Horizon oil spill
2011: Operation River Guardian
2012: Hurricane Isaac Operations

• Date Taken: 03.11.2015
• Date Posted: 03.12.2015 21:25
• Story ID: 156870
• Location: NEW ORLEANS, LA, US