'There's an Arms Race': Sikorsky Nears Key 4-Year Deal for Black Hawks as Army Plans More Buys
Sikorsky is finalizing negotiations with the Department of War to produce Black Hawks, its workhorse helicopter, in Stratford and Bridgeport, Connecticut, for another four years. Those talks come as the U.S. Army looks ahead to getting its hands on Bell Textron’s MV-75 tiltrotor aircraft called “transformational” by one officer recently and a machine that might […]
Black Vietnam Veteran’s Story Reveals War’s Harsh Realities 50 Years Later
It was May 1970, deep in the jungles of Vietnam, and 19-year-old infantryman John Smith stepped to the edge of a hill to admire the view. Then came the snap of a wire. “They must’ve thought, ‘This is a beautiful view. Someone’s going to come over here to look at it,’” said Smith, 76, of […]
Night Vision Goggles May Have Hampered Black Hawk Pilots Before Crash with Jet, Experts Tell NTSB
The pilots of a U.S. Army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet over Washington in January would’ve had difficulty spotting the plane while wearing night vision goggles, experts told the National Transportation Safety Board on Friday. The Army goggles would have made it difficult to see the plane’s colored lights, which might have helped […]
NTSB Finds Army Black Hawk in Fatal Midair Crash with Plane Was Above Altitude Limit
Investigators probing the January midair collision of a passenger plane and an Army helicopter over Washington that killed 67 people found the chopper was flying higher than it should have been and the altitude readings were inaccurate. The details came out of the first day of National Transportation Safety Board hearings in Washington, where investigators […]
Families of Those Killed in Black Hawk Collision with Jet Want More 'Openness, Compassion' from Army
Family members who lost loved ones when a passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair in Washington, D.C., in January said in a letter that Army leadership is failing to take accountability and be transparent with those who are still mourning from the tragedy. The letter, posted publicly Wednesday, is addressed to […]
New Army Shaving Policy Will Allow Soldiers with Skin Condition that Affects Mostly Black Men to Be Kicked Out
The Army is preparing to roll out a new policy that could lead to soldiers diagnosed with a chronic skin condition that causes painful razor bumps and scarring to be kicked out of the service — an issue that disproportionately affects Black men. The new guidance, expected to take effect in the coming weeks, would […]
Shaving Waivers Revoked by Massachusetts Guard in Change Disproportionately Impacting Black Troops
The Massachusetts Army National Guard has abruptly rescinded long-standing medical waivers that allowed certain soldiers to maintain facial hair — a policy primarily affecting Black service members. According to an email to the state’s troops, parts of which were posted to social media and confirmed as authentic to Military.com by Guard officials, the Massachusetts Guard […]
Helicopter Route Permanently Closed After Deadly Black Hawk Collision with Plane
WASHINGTON — Helicopters will be permanently restricted from flying near Washington, D.C.’s airport on the same route where a passenger jet and an Army helicopter collided in midair, killing 67 people, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday. The move comes just days after federal investigators looking into the cause of the crash recommended a ban […]
Route Used by Army Black Hawk During Deadly Collision Was Far Too Risky, Safety Officials Say
Federal crash investigators have said a helicopter route used by an Army Black Hawk for training when it crashed midair with a passenger aircraft over Washington, D.C., in late January, killing all aboard, poses a major aviation risk and called for immediate changes. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters Tuesday afternoon that […]
VMI Board Opted Out of Extending First Black Superintendent's Contract
RICHMOND, Va. — Retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins will step down in June from his post as the first Black superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute after the school’s board voted against extending his contract Friday. In a 10-6 vote, the school’s Board of Visitors, an advisory group appointed by the governor, opted […]