District of Columbia Army National Guard Aviation Command “Capital MEDEVAC” pilots MAJ Robert Schapiro, 1LT Corbin Richardson, 2LT Marcus Russell, and CW2 Jennifer Smith, conduct Helicopter Underwater Egress Training (HUET), commonly known as “Dunker”, with flight crew members from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) “Nightstalkers” at Fort Campbell, April 23-24, 2025. Training consisted of intense classroom and practical exercises, including approximately 20 dunking iterations, culminated by a rescue raft and hoist water rescue scenario, all during simulated hurricane-force winds, storm surge, thunder and lightning. (U.S. Army National Guard video by MAJ Robert Schapiro)
In preparation for the 60th Presidential Inauguration (PI60), the District of Columbia National Guard overhauled its reception and personnel accountability process, replacing outdated manual systems with modern digital solutions. Led by LTC Tyson Mele, the Joint Task Force J1, the transition dramatically improved efficiency, accuracy, and security for the thousands of inbound Guardsmen supporting the event.
