Courtesy Photo | U.S. Air Force Colonel Shawn Fitzgerald, 106th Rescue Wing Commander, and Chief Master...... read more read more
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STRATFORD, Conn. – Leaders of the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing got a first-hand look at a new rescue helicopter being built for the wing at the Sikorsky Aircraft plant in Stratford, Connecticut on May 15.
Col. Shawn Fitzgerald, the 106th’s commander, led the delegations that got a chance to sign their names inside an HH-60W “Jolly Green II” search and rescue helicopter that will be delivered to the wing’s home at F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach in August.
The wing currently operates the HH-60G version of the Pave Hawk rescue helicopter.
U.S. Air Force Major General Denise Donnell, Assistant Adjutant General and commander of the New York Air National Guard, and Command Chief Master Sgt. Michael Hewson, a former member of the 106th Rescue Wing and the New York Air Guard senior enlisted advisor, also took part in the visit.
The Air National Guard leaders received a briefing about the capabilities of the new HH-60W helicopter. They also learned how the aircraft is manufactured and tested before delivery to the wing.
“I think the most important thing that both Sikorsky and the New York Air National Guard receive from this visit is the familiarization of the aircraft that they are going to get,” said Greg Hames, Sikorsky director of Army and Air Force programs.
“It’s important that they know exactly what they are getting and when they are getting it so that it can be incorporated into the next training schedule,” he said.
Following the briefing, the officers and non-commissioned officers were given a tour of the two-million-square-foot production facility. They walked through the entire process of building an aircraft.
Command Chief Master Sergeant Edward Rittberg, 106th Rescue Wing senior enlisted leader and Colonel Jeff Cannet, the 106th Operations Group commander, also had the opportunity to sign Aircraft #53, the HH-60W currently under construction.
“I think this visit was extremely beneficial on both ends because Sikorsky was able to hear from us, the end user. And for us, it was important to come up and see a lot of the safety and quality that goes into the building of these aircraft,” Fitzgerald said.
“We were able to see the first aircraft that is going to be delivered to us while it is in production, which is a unique and great experience for us,” he said.
The 106th Rescue Wing, based at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, New York, operates and maintains the HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft and the HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter. The 106th Rescue Wing is home to a special warfare squadron with pararescuemen and combat rescue officers, specializing in rescue and recovery, and deploys for domestic and overseas operations.
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2024 07:57 |
| Story ID: | 471923 |
| Location: | STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, US |
| Web Views: | 189 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New York Air National Guard visits Sikorsky Aircraft Headquarters, by SrA Sarah McKernan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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