Army Aviation soars through CSTX

Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Hernandez | FORT MCCOY, Wis. -- Staff Sgt. Ryan Elkins, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter repairer from Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment out of Olathe, Kan., inserts fuel into the helicopter prior to a flight mission as part of the Combat Support Training Exercise in Fort McCoy, Wis., on Aug. 17, 2016. CSTX immerses Army Reserve Soldiers and other service members in real-world training scenarios to enhance unit readiness in the planning, preparation, and execution of combat service support operations. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Spc. Christopher A. Hernandez, 345th Public Affairs Detachment)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

08.19.2016

Story by Spc. Christopher Hernandez 

345th Public Affairs Detachment

FORT MCCOY, Wis. — The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is known for its multi-role versatility and technological capabilities. It has also been a mainstay in the U.S. Army inventory for approximately 50 years of service. Although the Chinook has been refurbished and upgraded numerous times, the Army Reserve Soldiers of Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment operate the most recent “F” model of the transport helicopter.

The 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, out of Olathe, Kansas, lent their support to the 824th Quartermaster Company, an Army Reserve unit out of Fort Bragg, N.C., during the Combat Support Training Exercise on Aug. 17, 2016, in Fort McCoy, Wis. The primary focus of the 158th Aviation Regiment Chinook crew members was coordinating with Soldiers on the ground to transport cargo.

“Our mission was to help facilitate training with sling loads for ground troops,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Marc Boxberger, a Puyallup, Wash. native and an aviation officer from Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment and one of the CH-47F Chinook pilots in the unit. “We deploy on a generally regular schedule and provide support to all [ground] units.”

Furthermore, members of the 158th Aviation Regiment embrace the opportunity to improve their own skill sets in this training exercise.

“Anytime we’re able to go out and do nonstandard loads, it’s great training for us because we’re able to work with a crew on the ground,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan Elkins, a Rifle, Colo. native and a CH-47 helicopter mechanic from Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment. “90 percent of the time, we’ll actually hang out at the bottom of the aircraft and manipulate the sling sets ourselves. But today, we were able to work with a ground crew, so training with that as far as ground troops versus aviation…is awesome.”

One of the most astonishing features of the Chinook is the gargantuan amount of weight the transport helicopter can lift while in flight. This feat is attributed to the four cargo hooks affixed to the undercarriage of the helicopter.

“The forward hooks are rated at 17,000 pounds each, the center cargo hook is rated at 26,000 pounds, and the tandem hooks are rated at 25,000 pounds,” said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Noche, a Bellevue, Wash. native and a CH-47 helicopter mechanic from Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment. “In total, the max push weight of the helicopter is 50,000 pounds.”

“I’ve done a 50,000 pound load before, but obviously, you can’t take it very far as it eats up fuel quite a bit,” Noche said.

Stowing cargo on the Chinook is not limited to the cargo hooks, as the rear cabin of the helicopter can also be utilized for that purpose.

“It can carry up to 33 combat-loaded troops or any other type of cargo you can think of that can fit in the back,” Elkins said. “We can also load two Humvees in the back of the Chinook instead of slinging them.”

The weight-load capacity was demonstrated in CSTX when the CH-47F Chinook transported a 400 gallon water trailer known as the water buffalo and food ration crates uploaded by ground elements of the 824th Quartermaster Company. In order to transport heavy cargo loads, the CH-47F Chinook harbors tandem engines suited for the strenuous task.

“The Chinook is an extraordinarily versatile aircraft, with each engine pushing 5,000 horsepower at the shaft for a total of 10,000 horsepower,” Elkins said. “Under most circumstances depending on weight, we have single-engine capability, meaning if we lose an engine or take one off-line, we can pick it up and still fly.

“In short, the Chinook can do what three Blackhawks can do,” Elkins said.

Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment began their stint at CSTX on Aug. 16, 2016 and concluded their training regimen on Aug. 19, 2016. The remaining Army Reserve units participating in CSTX will continue to do so until Aug. 26, 2016.

• Date Taken: 08.19.2016
• Date Posted: 08.22.2016 23:11
• Story ID: 207908
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US