Sam Spade's San Francisco

For as many years as I can recall the Army National Guard has been given worn-out hand-me-downs from the regular Army. I've seen the California National Guard flying UH-1 Hueys. The Army began flying Hueys in 1961 and they are a clear and distinct memory to many vets who served in Vietnam. Seeing them nearly ten years into the 21st century is like seeing a living-history demonstration.

In the photo: A UH-72A Army National Guard helicopter. Note the subdued color scheme and markings. Click on the image to enlarge in a separate window.

Fortunately that seems to be coming to an end. The Pentagon as well as civilian authority are beginning to recognize that a well-trained and well-supplied Army National Guard is and will continue to be the central spine of our military. Our National Guard's ability to respond to major homeland emergencies and natural disasters is directly related to the operational condition of National Guard equipment.

Starting this week the Army National Guard is taking delivery of the first of 200 UH-72A Lakota helicopters. The Lakota is based on the med-evac helicopters that are commonly used for life flight missions. The Lakota has two engines, advanced rotors, a glass cockpit for clear vision and a full auto-pilot system.

Resources:
DefenseTech.org - Article about the Army National Guard and the new Lakotas
UH-1 Huey
UH-72A Lakota - Wikipdeia article
Army Unveils UH-72A - U.S. Army military news
UH-72A - info from GlobalSecurity.org
Army National Guard - official website
California National Guard - official website

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