WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. - The New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing officially marked the arrival of its new HH-60W Jolly Green II search and rescue fleet during a ceremony Oct. 25 at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base.
The aircraft will replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters formerly flown by the wing. The new high-tech helicopters are more capable than the aircraft they replace.
“This is a momentous occasion which allows for us to reflect on where we are as an organization and where we are headed,” said Col. Shawn P. Fitzgerald, commander of the 106th Rescue Wing.
The 106th Rescue Wing relied on the HH-60Gs when it responded to hurricanes and major storms during missions in Florida, Texas and North and South Carolina.
The HH-60G, nicknamed the “Golf” by pilots because of its HH-60G designation, was a great aircraft and played a role during the Persian Gulf War and in Afghanistan and Iraq, said Capt. Nic Arosemena, a pilot in the wing’s 101st Rescue Squadron.
“Its contributions have cemented its reputation as a workhorse of the U.S. Air Force rescue community,” Arosemena said.
”The ‘Whiskey’ model you see before you may look almost identical to the Golf, but I can assure you, it is much different,” said Fitzgerald. “So much so that the training of our aircrew and maintainers requires months and additional intensive training and practical hands-on experience. It’s not an easy transition.”
Maj. Gen. Michael W. Bank, the commander of the New York Air National Guard and a former commander of the 106th Rescue Wing, said the new helicopters are part of an effort to keep the wing combat-ready.
“The addition of the 130-J, now the Whiskey, the construction that is going on here for your buildings, you guys are modernizing the wing to be ready for the 21st century Air Force that we need,” Bank said.
Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Shields Jr., adjutant general of New York, said the modernization of the wing’s aircraft was important for the New York Air National Guard to respond to new challenges.
New York recently signed an agreement with the Swedish military to train together, alongside existing relationships with South Africa and Brazil.
Shields said the 106th Rescue Wing has been heavily involved in training with Brazil, and he expects the wing’s Airmen and new aircraft to conduct similar missions with Sweden.
During the ceremony, the wing leadership also honored Tech. Sgt. Michael Tessar, by naming him the first dedicated crew chief for the brand new HH-60W.
“As advancements in military aircraft technology continue, so, too, will the skills of myself and my fellow maintainers and aircrew,” Tessar said. “It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Air National Guard, especially within the 106th, where we are at the forefront of these innovations and ready to meet all challenges that lie ahead.”
The ceremony concluded with a HH-60W demonstration fly-by by the first crew qualified in the aircraft, Lt. Col. James Liston and Staff Sgt. Joe Devito.
“Although we celebrate the arrival of our brand new helicopter, we must always remember it is the Airman that makes the system work,” said Fitzgerald.
The 106th Rescue Wing is a New York Air National Guard unit stationed at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York.
The wing operates the HC-130J Combat King II and the HH-60W Jolly Green II search and rescue aircraft. The wing provides worldwide personnel recovery, combat search and rescue capability, expeditionary combat support, and civil search and rescue support to federal and state authorities.