National Guard Helicopters in Jeopardy
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Army National Guard soldiers say hearing plans to switch out helicopters at the armory would mean changes in how the state operates. “I guess it kind of depends on how the state and the army as a whole wants to move and what direction as far as what we need to do,” said National Guard Test Pilot Phillip Norris. Budget cuts could mean more than 200 Kiowa helicopters taken from the National Guard, and replaced with more than 100 Blackhawk helicopters. Right now the facility in Jackson uses Kiowa helicopters, which soldiers say has great use in Tennessee. “If they want to continue to be able to do operations like looking for personnel, the counter drug and things of that nature and that type of mission, as far as maintaining, flight hours, and expense, it’s cheaper flying the Kiowa,” Norris said. The Kiowa is used on drug missions to scout out places illegally growing marijuana, which means there would have to be new plans to find drugs. Soldiers say there are also benefits to the Blackhawk. “It’s better for the state’s mission in the fact that it can go further and faster, carry more people and supplies, which is what the state would need it to do,” Instructor Pilot Matthew Pasco said. As that debate continues, soldiers say they still worry about how the change will affect their jobs. “Everybody’s war-gaming the next move, depending on what cuts come down. If we end up losing ‘x’ amount of jobs, those people will have to go find jobs somewhere else,” Pasco said. Guard soldiers say they just continue to do their jobs until the final decision is made. They say it could take until 2019 until the final cuts take place.
