Aviator Sunglasses

Many of us probably believe the worlds of the military and fashion are mutually exclusive. Fashion is a popular style or trend that often includes rare, high-priced wearable art... while the military prides itself on utilitarianism, a calling born of necessity while wearing clothing designed for heavy wear-and-tear. It may come as a surprise, therefore, that the U.S. Army’s fondness for design extends to more than just the most updated lethal weaponry, vehicles and warfare tactics. Its impact on fashion can be seen daily worldwide, without the consumer realizing its history.

From the runway to faces around the globe, “aviator” sunglasses were initially developed for Army Air Corps pilots prior to World War II. If you have ever wondered why these sunglasses have their distinctive shape, it is for much more than fashionable reasons. The design protected the eyes of pilots from 360-degree sunlight, as well as covering the entirety of the eye socket for even more shielding from the sun’s rays. Next time you throw on your favorite pair of aviators, remember you have the Army Air Corps to thank.

March-april saber article posted

The latest article about the 15th Medical Battalion in Vietnam is now available on this Web site under Informational/Historical Documents/Saber Articles. Mike Bodnar faithfully pens this article each month for the 1st Cavalry Division's Saber newspaper. We have back articles all the way to 1999. So if you're stuck indoors for a while, why not browse through the old articles - it's interesting reading.

Helijet Donates Medically Equipped
Helicopter To Ukraine

Designed by Ukrainian-born Igor Sikorsky’s renowned helicopter company, the Sikorsky Aircraft S-76A helicopter is the first private donation of an aircraft of this magnitude from Canada to Ukraine, organized by the joint efforts of Canadian business and the Ukrainian diaspora.

Helijet International is donating a fully operational, medically equipped helicopter from its fleet to be used for missions of mercy in Ukraine. Helijet has signed an agreement with a consortium of Canadian and Ukrainian non-governmental organizations Maple Hope Foundation, the Ukrainian World Congress, and Initiative E+ to accept the delivery and title of a Sikorsky S-76A air ambulance helicopter.

Together, the three organizations have been working with Helijet over the span of eight months to arrange the shipment of the aircraft to Ukraine. The Sikorsky S-76A is a fully equipped air medical helicopter that Helijet had previously provided under contract to the Ministry of Health for patient transport in B.C. The aircraft has now been recently removed from that service but still has years of flight capability remaining. The gift is made on condition that the helicopter is used solely for non-commercial, humanitarian, and medical evacuation missions to airlift individuals in need of urgent medical care to hospitals in Ukraine.

U.S. Army T901 Improved Turbine Engines

Our newbie Medevac crews are getting a more powerful engine, which will make life a bit easier flying the heavy Medevac UH-60M. Sikorsky started its first-ever ground runs on a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter equipped with two GE Aerospace T901 Improved Turbine Engines (ITE). During this test, the T901 engine demonstrated its capabilities through a series of rigorous procedures. The initial light off and ground runs were executed by a combined U.S. Army and industry test team and operated by Army and Sikorsky pilots. “Soldiers will rely on Black Hawk helicopters well into the future, and upgrades to the aircraft today will pay dividends for decades, enabling new missions such as deploying and managing launched effects,” said Hamid Salim, vice president of Army and Air Force Systems at Sikorsky.

“A modernized Black Hawk fleet will create new operational opportunities for the Army by extending the capabilities of a proven, fielded fleet to travel farther on less fuel and with more troops and cargo.” The T901 engine will increase the Black Hawk’s power by 50 percent, while also improving fuel efficiency and is a critical component of the roadmap to a modernized Black Hawk – a key part of Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security vision. Sikorsky H-60M modernization efforts continue to be primarily focused on ITE, as well as Modular Open Systems Approach/digital backbone and Launched Effects. Digital innovations, such as a new sustainment digital twin, improve safety and mission readiness while reducing costly downtime and unscheduled maintenance. Since 2022, Sikorsky has demonstrated the ability to reduce pilot workload and increase safety by incorporating proven autonomy capability into Black Hawk.

lost and missing members

It's been a few years since the Historian, and I asked for help finding lost members of the 15th Med Bn. We'd appreciate it if you'd go to our Missing Members page and see if you know the contact information for any listed. If you know the whereabouts of a missing member, please complete the update form by clicking the link above the table.