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News from the Oklahoma National Guard

NEWS | Feb. 4, 2025

Heavy maintenance operations keep OKGuard Black Hawks mission-ready

By Spc. Danielle Rayon

01:29
VIDEO | 01:29 | Heavy maintenance operations keep OKGuard Black Hawks mission-ready

Helicopter repairers performed heavy maintenance on the Oklahoma National Guard’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dec. 17, 2024.

The Black Hawk mechanic’s function is essential to maintaining the performance and safety standards of the aircraft, and includes performing inspections and replacing faulty parts. Their job is an integral part of successfully carrying out missions such as disaster relief and counter-drug operations.

“As a Black Hawk mechanic, our daily duties usually consist of visual inspections,” said Sgt. Chad Hill, a flying crew chief/helicopter repairer assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment. “It’s very seldom that something does break, but when it does, we jump right into action and we’ll get that bird fixed.”
Video by Spc. Cambrie Cannon, Sgt. Haden Tolbert
Oklahoma Guardsmen face-off against drones in survivability exercise
Oklahoma National Guard
June 12, 2025 | 1:34
Soldiers assigned to the 45th Infantry Brigade took part in the first of a series of counter-unmanned aircraft exercises at Camp Gruber Training Center on June 12 and 13. This exercise focused on Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th IBCT being forced to avoid, react to, and counter reconnaissance drones and first-person view drones deployed to harass them as they battled opposing force role players.
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