2 minute read
The Bigger Picture
By LT Zoe "Latrina" MacFarlane, USN
Rotary Warriors,
I’m sure everyone reading this issue has an example of a flight or an event that would not have been possible without their squadron maintenance team. The work maintenance provides in fixing any component of an aircraft or its weapons systems allows for an “on-time launch” in a fully mission capable bird. The “Fix, Fly, Fight” mentality has always been relevant in the aviation community, but even more so in just the last month.
It can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture in the midst of workup cycles, pursuing new qualifications, and so many other daily squadron tasks. But we must remember that every flight, simulator event, and work up evaluation trains us to be ready for when the unexpected happens. These days, we are reminded to expect the unexpected.
With the 2024 NHA Symposium theme of “Be Ready," I immediately thought of the HSM-74 crew that launched off USS Gravely (DDG 107) in response to a merchant vessel’s distress call. When the call was made, CVW-3 was ready to lead the fight from aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. After being shot at and returning fire in self-defense, HSM-74's crew was ready for the fight at hand and played like they had been practicing. They had additional support at the ready from their squadron and HSC-7 aboard the carrier.
2024 brings more uncertainty as the geopolitical picture unfolds throughout the world. Faced with ongoing world events that will shape future politics, rotary aviation has proved that we are ready for the fight, however it evolves.
