Press Release
☷Helo Aquatic Search and Rescue Team trains in North Carolina
National Guard ( By Press Release office)
Apr 29,2022
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MORRISVILLE , N . C . – Soldiers from Charlie Company , 1 - 131st Assault Helicopter Battalion , and Det . 2 , Charlie Company , 1 - 126 General Support Aviation Battalion , trained as members of the North Carolina Helo - Aquatic Rescue Team with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol , North Carolina Emergency Management and local first responders . The units are assigned to the 2 - 130th Airfield Operations Battalion and are a highly specialized team that trains monthly to ensure readiness for helicopter - based rescues , including swift water/flood , wilderness , urban and mountain rescues . The training was conducted at the Salisbury armory and Army Aviation Flight Facility #2 March 23 - 24 . Col . Benny Collins , the North Carolina National Guard State Army Aviation Officer , invited leaders from 11 states who hope to establish their own HART program to observe , adopt and modify the training to meet their needs . These leaders , from Arizona , Delaware , Florida , Illinois , Iowa , Kentucky , Maryland , Oklahoma , Virginia , Texas and Utah , consisted of SAAOs , facility commanders , standardization pilots , flight instructors and emergency management offices . Also attending were representatives from the National Guard Bureau , Directorate of Evaluations Standardization ( DES ) , Brig . Gen . Jeffrey Copeland , the North Carolina assistant adjutant general for sustainment , and Col . Michele Harper , 449th Combat Aviation Brigade commander . “The NCHART training conducted with our state partners and emergency management is critical in ensuring that we can respond safely and effectively to wide - area flooding and mountain rescues in support of the citizens of North Carolina and our partner states in the accomplishment of our domestic operations mission , ” said Lt . Col . Daniel McAuliffe , the 2 - 130th AOB commander . The NCHART program includes three different aircraft based on mission needs . The North Carolina Army National Guard provides the UH - 60 Black Hawk and UH - 72 Lakota helicopters , while the State Highway Patrol provides the Bell - 407 . Candidates for HART technician positions are chosen based on stringent prerequisite training and a rigorous physical fitness evaluation . Charlie Company , 1 - 131st AHB and Det . 2 , Charlie Company , 1 - 126th GSAB , are assigned to the 2 - 130 Airfield Operations Battalion , 449th Combat Aviation Brigade , and headquartered in Salisbury .
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