Posted on Aug 9, 2014
The demise of the OH-58D. What will happen to my beloved Air Cavalry?
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No more Kiowas. Air Cavalry is a close knit group. There were just of hand full of places we could go (other than the sandbox) so we practically all knew each other. Seeing a 58D flying overhead is synonymous with being in contact, yet we are putting them out to stud. What a sad time for the ground pounders and convoys. If I were king..........
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 21
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Is the role going away or merely a platform change? The former is the death of "cavalry" as a battlefield function, the latter is merely the evolution from going from horse to vehicle. The mount changes, the mission is the same (Cavalry in name vs cavalry in function).
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LTC Paul Labrador
All I know is the Kiowas used to buzz the hospital on Al Asad in the middle of the night. Us med types need our beauty sleep if we're gonna take care of troopie owies..... ;o)
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LTC Paul Labrador
Of course, if things go up in flames in Ukraine, those Apaches may have to earn their pay.....
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SFC Mark Merino
That 30 mm will be a can opener on just about everything. I keep seeing T-80's on the side of the roads burnt to a cinder WITH reactive armor. I wonder what toys the Ukrainians are using?
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LTC Paul Labrador
Well considering the T-80 is a piece of shit, they could be throwing spitwads at them and they'd still probably got catastrophic..... ;)
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SFC Mark Merino I hate to see it go, the OH-58 was a great recon copter. Hopefully the rest of the force will carry on brother.
http://www.vhpa.org/prod01.htm
http://www.vhpa.org/prod01.htm
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Sad to see them go! I couldn't believe it when I heard it. I had also decided to retire and told the wife it was a sign that it was definitely time to go. I enjoyed flying them tremendously and was glad I didn't get the Apache I asked for!
I loved shooting the Browning and rockets a lot! HELLFIREs were fun, but I enjoyed gun runs and wagon wheels much more! 1-17 Cav
I loved shooting the Browning and rockets a lot! HELLFIREs were fun, but I enjoyed gun runs and wagon wheels much more! 1-17 Cav
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SSG(P) Matthew Bisbee
Sir, I never had the joy of working on the OH-58D. They were a great combination of the older OH-58 and the AH-1S. The 58D will be sorely missed. Airborne! Air Cav!
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End of an era in Afghanistan and in our Army. We've had this conversation before SFC Mark Merino, our KWs were angels over our shoulders on the ground in 3/4 CAV in Afghanistan. Sad times...
http://www.fayobserver.com/military/with-the-troops-kiowa-pilots-have-been-protecting-soldiers-on/article_14e480cb-306f-5b97-98db-52d7705165d9.html
http://www.fayobserver.com/military/with-the-troops-kiowa-pilots-have-been-protecting-soldiers-on/article_14e480cb-306f-5b97-98db-52d7705165d9.html
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SFC Mark Merino
Thanks for posting this, brother. I know the tail numbers of the acft, and the pilots and crewchiefs in the story. We were a very small tight-knit community. Every time there was a loss we all held our breath because chances were that we knew all those involved. Well done little Kiowa Warrior. Thank you for doing everything to bring us home safely. Mission Accomplished.
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True “Air Cav” troops were put to bed in the 80's. A true air troop had a gun plt, lift plt, scout plt, blues (19 deltas) plt, HQ, and Maint. What was a troop, (or 1 company for those of you not Cav), back in the day is now a battalion. It was even commanded by an 05. I stood in formation just as sad as everyone else when we rolled up the guidon for D Troop 4th/12th. We had 9 Cobras, 10 Kiowa's, and 7 Huey’s. We knew things were going down hill when the Army invented the attack BN with only 12 Apaches. Next they changed our mission from “Search & Destroy” to “Eyes & Ears of the Commander” and we lost our 19D's. Then we were no more.
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SFC Erin Barnett
But now you had a squadron made out of what was just a single troop. Lots of more rank and command structure and bureaucracy. And you are correct that during OIF/OEF the Army started creating AVN "Task Forces" that look a lot like old style Cav units only they didn't function as 1 unit or as well. There is a lot of difference between having all of that under 1 Major and 1 1SG vs a LTC/CSM.
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SFC Erin Barnett
Oh and the Army did the same thing with Chinooks. They were Corps level assets with 16 acft/unit and 2 units/BN. and now their 6/company.
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SGT Thomas Lucken
The Blues Platoons were a good thing! I missed being Blues, Korea was the last of them in 1988.
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SSG(P) Matthew Bisbee
I was with the 1/17th Cav, 82nd Abn Div when we lost our Blues. It was a truly sad day to see them go. Command, control, and coordination within a true Air Cav troop was outstanding. We could deploy anywhere and have the benefit of having worked closely together on a daily basis.
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I loved my time with A Troop 3/4 CAV back in the day. We were the ground scouts for the two KW Troops. Nothing better as a PSG in a ground convoy than having a SWT overhead. We had some great pilots and I still keep in touch with as many as I can. Good times. Definitely going to be missed.
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Would much rather have SWT any day asking where do we shoot vs. prick AWT guys asking "do you have an O-5 or higher signature for us to engage". Sure let me tell haj timeout so I can get these guys the ok to kill you. Love the air cav guys. They'll throw everything the got on board to help a grunt out. Even their grenades.
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The OH-58 is and has been a workhorse for Army Aviation nearly 6 decades. It has more than earned its stripes. That being said, the airframe has seen so much equipment added, and its mission expanded so much that it's
More or less promoted itself out of a job. I think the phase out plan, especially for the soldiers tied to that community is a little harsh, but it was definitely time
More or less promoted itself out of a job. I think the phase out plan, especially for the soldiers tied to that community is a little harsh, but it was definitely time
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