Photo By Staff Sgt. Mikayla Fritz | From left, U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Andrew Strohman, a combat medic specialist and...... read more read more
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Whoosh, whoosh. The unmistakable sound of Black Hawks flying overhead turns heads, stops conversations, and leaves people reaching for their phones to capture the moment. For one Army Reserve Soldier, it was a moment like this that changed the course of her life.
Spc. Shavaun Brugger, a UH-60 helicopter repairer assigned to Charlie Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, is currently participating in her first annual training during Mojave Falcon 2025 at Fort Hunter Liggett, California. As part of an aviation medical evacuation team supporting ground units in Exercise Global Medic, Brugger is not only doing the job she loves but sharing the story of what inspired her to join Army Reserve Aviation and her hopes for its future amid pending restructural changes.
“I was super excited to come out here and do Army things,” Brugger said enthusiastically. “I love working on helicopters. I love being here. I love wearing this uniform.”
Brugger’s journey started with an unexpected encounter on a hilltop traffic jam years ago.
“We were all stuck in traffic, and I saw this medevac helicopter fly overhead,” she recalled. “It was one of those epiphany moments where I just thought, this is what I have to do.”
Brugger had always wanted to serve in the military, but life had other plans. At 18, she learned she was expecting her first child and decided to put her dream on hold to raise her family. Over time, the goal of becoming a helicopter pilot in the civilian world proved difficult, with the high costs and time demands of earning the necessary certifications, especially in the search and rescue community.
“I had kind of resigned myself to it,” she said. “It was something I always wanted to do but never thought I’d get to.”
Nearly two decades later, another pivotal moment reignited that desire. Standing at a Fourth of July parade, Brugger watched a formation of jets fly overhead, the rumble stirring something she hadn’t felt in years.
“At that moment, I thought, what am I doing? Why did I ever think that I could go the rest of my life without joining the Army?” she said.
A sentimental keepsake from her grandmother, a wooden helicopter with a solar-powered rotor, served as a quiet, constant reminder of that dream. “It was something she gave me before she passed, to remind me of what I’ve always wanted,” Brugger shared.
Now she's working inside an HH-60M Black Hawk, an aircraft that inspired her all those years ago.
Brugger and her team are providing aerial medical evacuation support for ground units training in Global Medic, a specific exercise within Mojave Falcon which is a multi-faceted first-of-its-kind Army Reserve training. Global Medic is part of the 807th Theater Medical Command and Army Reserve Medical Command's larger mission to deliver relevant and realistic collective training to medical units and Soldiers preparing for large-scale combat operations.
Even as Brugger lives out her passion, uncertainty clouds the future of Army Reserve Aviation. A planned restructuring initiative has left Soldiers like Brugger hopeful but concerned.
“We all have hope that everything’s going to work out,” she said.
Brugger emphasized the indispensable role Army Reserve Aviation plays, not only in combat environments but also during stateside missions, such as hurricane response, wildfire suppression, and life-saving medical evacuations.
She also highlighted one of Army Reserve Aviation’s greatest strengths, its people. They are twice the citizens. Many Reserve Soldiers balance military service with civilian careers. This dual role brings an unparalleled depth of experience to the flight crews.
Many of the flight medics are medical personnel on the civilian side and bring invaluable experience to the field whereas active duty may end up working on manikins more often than not.
For Brugger, the camaraderie, professionalism, and lifesaving mission of Army Reserve Aviation have made all the challenges worthwhile.
“They’re all so good at what they do, and it’s fun, it’s just super fun,” she said.
The 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment showcased their strength and capabilities during the largest Army Reserve training in style, saving notional lives in their medical scenarios and lifting people’s spirits. A place where Brugger is living out her dream and taking next steps to move from cockpit to pilot.
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2025 11:29 |
| Story ID: | 501101 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 108 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Passion for Aviation Drives Soldier’s Service, by SSG Mikayla Fritz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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