An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Oct. 28, 2024

New York Air Guard Wing Welcomes New, High-Tech Helicopters

By Capt. Cheran Campbell, New York National Guard

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.

 

 

Related Articles
An LC-130 Hercules aircraft from the 109th Airlift Wing sits at Summit Station, Greenland, May 9, 2024. Summit Station is ideal for studying long-range intercontinental transport and its effects on the ice sheet surface.
New York Air Guard Ends Greenland Science Support Season
By Jaclyn Lyons, | Sept. 12, 2024
STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. - The New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing wrapped up its 2024 support for National Science Foundation research in Greenland at the end of August.Throughout the season, which...

New York Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Myra Winnie belts out “God Bless America” during the 7th inning stretch of a New York Yankees game Aug. 10, 2024, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
New York Air Guard NCO Sings for Thousands at Yankee Stadium
By Eric Durr, | Aug. 27, 2024
NEW YORK - New York Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Mayra Winnie belted out “God Bless America” in front of 41,996 people.Winnie, the personal and development superintendent for the New York Air National Guard’s...

New York Air National Guard Master Sgt. Anderson Brooks, with the 105th Airlift Wing's Civil Engineer Squadron, and U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. David Proebstel, with the 765th Air Base Squadron, review fuels systems at Lajes Field, Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal, Aug. 7, 2024. Airmen from the 105th CES deployed to the Azores for training.
New York Airmen Deploy to Train with Portuguese Counterparts
By Senior Airman Rebekah Wilson, | Aug. 26, 2024
LAJES FIELD AIR BASE, Portugal - Sixty-four New York Air National Guardsmen from the 105th Airlift Wing traveled to the Azores, a cluster of Atlantic islands that belong to Portugal, to train with their Portuguese...