Soldiers taking part in a batlefield medical evacuation exercise in South Korea last October load a mock battle casualty onto Dustoff 3-6, an Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter from the 377th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) out of Camp Humphreys in Pyongtaek, South Korea. Dustoff units will become part of a new aviation brigade that mixes nearly all the basic helicopter types into a single unit, called a Multi-Functional Aviation Brigade, or MFAB. (Franklin Fisher / Stars and Stripes)
PYONGTAEK, South Korea — The U.S. Army in South Korea this summer will merge its helicopter assets into a single, all-purpose aviation unit designed to make it easier for commanders to manage helicopter forces and to mix them for short-term battle tasks.
The unit, being introduced Armywide, is known as a multifunctional aviation brigade, or MFAB. It includes all Army helicopter types except those designed for special operations work.
The Army will establish its first South Korea-based MFAB in mid-June under the 8th U.S. Army.
It will be one of 11 Army MFABs worldwide, several of which are already operating, said Army Col. Richard H. Parker, 8th Army’s chief of force development and plans.
The Army adopted the MFAB concept about two years ago.
The MFAB will make it easier for commanders to pull together the various aircraft types into a “unit of action” — tailored to the needs of a specific task, especially in battle where fast action is crucial, Army aviators told Stars and Stripes.
It will also help commanders sort competing demands for aircraft and increase opportunities for helicopter units to train together, the aviators said.
“The MFAB brings the full spectrum of aviation capability to the ground force commander under one aviation commander,” said Army Lt. Col. Richard Juergens, commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, at Camp Humphreys.
The MFAB consolidates within a single organization the Army’s helicopter missions of attack, scout, command-and-control, cargo and medical evacuation.
Army helicopters are traditionally put in separate units according to general function.
In South Korea, the 6th Cavalry Brigade is the 8th Army’s attack helicopter force. Its high-tech AH-64D Apache Longbows can strike at tanks, vehicles, and other ground targets.The 8th Army’s 17th Aviation Brigade serves as its cargo and general support helicopter force. It consists of UH-60 Black Hawk units that haul cargo or troops and the CH-47 Chinook units that can airlift troops, cannons or other heavy equipment.And 8th Army’s medical evacuation helicopters come under its 18th Medical Command. Its “dustoff” aircrews fly Black Hawks equipped to rush wounded troops to a field hospital.When these units combine in June, “The ground force commander need only go to one aviation commander to get aviation support,” said Juergens.
“It simplifies training, it simplifies mission execution, it simplifies deconfliction during execution,” Juergens said.
Multifunctional Aviation Brigade components
One MFAB headquarters company (brigade command staff, administrative personnel).One signal company (responsible for ensuring that all brigade elements can properly communicate).Two attack battalions (each with 24 AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters, responsible for attack and scout missions).One assault helicopter battalion (primarily 30 UH-60 Black Hawks)One Aviation Support Battalion (responsible for logistics and maintenance functions for the MFAB).One General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), which is composed of:One general support aviation company (8 UH-60 Black Hawks, including some used for command-and-control)One heavy helicopter company (12 CH-47 Chinooks)One air ambulance company (12 UH-60 medical evacuation Black Hawks)One forward support company (responsible for fuel, food service, and "ground maintenance" of vehicles and similar equipment)One aviation support company (responsible for aircraft maintenance)One headquarters company (commander and other key unit leaders, admin staff, medical section)— Courtesy of the U.S. Army
