Sudden urge to crank Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries….
Black Hawk helicopters prepare to pick up and transport Soldiers for an air assault mission near Samarra, Iraq, March 3, 2007. Photo Courtesy of the US Army
Good buddy of mine, Mike, just got back from a year’s deployment spent flying ‘hawks in the greater Baghdad AO. I asked him….”so, what was your mission?”
Mike replies: “oh, medavac, patrols, DV (distinguished visitor) transport, and air assault.”
“What was involved in air assault?”
I could see Mike grinning on the other end of the phone. “That’s when we pick up some rangers and drop them off in the bad guys’ backyard, definitely the most dangerous flying I had to do out there. Sh*t got hairy dude.”
He thought for a second.
“Man, those were the fun missions.”
Did my time on the blackhawk during my national guard years. this is a great bird all around. although they were newer when i served. i bet they have all types of maintenance problems these days. does your friend have any pictures?