Tuesday, March 27, 2001

By Jim Lea, Osan bureau chief

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — The 3rd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, which flies AH-64 Apache helicopters here, has been named the Army’s best aviation unit for fiscal 2000.

The citation accompanying the award praised the unit for flying 5,200 hours during the year with no accidents.

"Despite high personnel turnover (the majority of unit members serve in South Korea for only a year), in the month of June alone, the unit flew an incredible 832 hours, 65 percent of them at night," the citation read.

In presenting the award, Lt. Gen. Daniel R. Zanini, 8th Army commander, told the troops, "It’s not a commander, a sergeant major, a troop commander or a first sergeant that makes a unit like this as good as it is. It’s each of you doing your part that collectively make it better than each of you as individuals."

Zanini noted that in South Korea the unit "has a mission every day."

"Every single day, we track what’s going on in North Korea. We track where their submarines and special operations forces are. We prepare as if we might have to fight tonight," he said. "Your readiness of your whole organization — maintenance, logistics and pilots — to be able to do that is what allows you to win an award like this."

Capt. Thomas Burke, A Troop commander for the unit, said his soldiers were "pretty pumped" about the award.

Also during last Tuesday’s ceremony, Barbara Smith, Family Preparedness Group coordinator for the squadron, was inducted into the Order of Anne Morrow Lindbergh. The organization is named for the wife of aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh and recognizes wives’ contributions to Army aviation.

Smith said the Family Preparedness Group works to "make sure families have a sense of belonging to the unit here in [South] Korea. It’s very rewarding to see people happy that there’s someone who can help them find a house, where to buy [heating] oil and things like that.

"We also try to make sure the soldiers in the unit have a sense that they’re part of a family," she added.

Smith’s husband, Chief Warrant officer Kyle Smith, is an Apache pilot in the squadron.

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