SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. -- New York Army National Guard helicopter crews partnered with state Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers to hone their firefighting skills along the Hudson River near Schuylerville on May 8.
The dozen Army aircrewmembers included Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment, flying two UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from the Army Aviation Support Facility in Latham.
The helicopters practiced lifting water from the river and then dumping it on simulated targets. The Rangers were on board training in crew coordination and communication techniques to provide greater precision and safety in water drops.
“Just solving comms (communications) before a wildfire can make all...
