Two Army Black Hawk helicopters came to UTC April 21 for an educational and goodwill event. Photos by Angela Foster.
Black Hawk Helicopters at UTC
The Tennessee Army National Guard and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ROTC Department hosted an event—Educator Flights—to thank UTC for its support of the military on April 21, with two Black Hawk helicopters at the center of the festivities.
The helicopters piloted by members of the Tennessee Army National Guard attracted about 100 onlookers to watch as the aircraft lifted off from and gently landed back on Chamberlain Field several times over the course of the afternoon. The helicopters made four quick passes over campus, downtown Chattanooga and nearby surrounding areas carrying eight to 10 passengers each trip. Passengers were a mix of faculty, staff and administrators invited by ROTC to participate as a gesture of gratitude for the University’s support of the program and its cadets.
The helicopters’ final flight was reserved for those ROTC cadets, who are UTC students in addition to the time they spend on ROTC activities.
“The Tennessee National Guard is a fantastic organization that goes out of its way to assist the ROTC programs within the state,” said U.S. Army Capt. A.J. Herink, head of the UTC Department of Military Science. “With many of our cadets planning on commissioning as officers into the Tennessee National Guard, we are always looking for opportunities to help those cadets develop their professional relationships with Guard units across the state.”
“Educator Flights are our way of showing our deepest appreciation for all that you do” for UTC and its ROTC cadets, said Jacqueline Hogan, Tennessee Army National Guard liaison/on campus recruiter and a UTC military science instructor.
Described by the U.S. Army as its “front line utility helicopter for the past 40 years,” UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are operated by the Tennessee Army National Guard and based out of Nashville, Jackson and Louisville
As directed by state officials, the aircraft are used as needed in Tennessee Army National Guard activities, such as being engaged in efforts to control and extinguish wildfires in the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee earlier this month.
