COL David Zimmerman
DUSTOFF Family,
Our country and our Army have come a long way over the past year. In spite of adjustments to our lifestyles and training and wartime missions, the 67J community is still going strong amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
I’d like to highlight a few areas that we have been working on.
1. Future Long Range Assault Aircraft. One of the Herculean efforts in which our officers are engaged is the development of Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA). FLRAA will be a game-changing platform, bringing with it speeds of 250 knots and a combat radius of up to 300 miles. 67Js are heavily involved in the Mission Equipment Package for the MEDEVAC variant of this new aircraft. This capability will sustain our ability to maintain the world’s best patient evacuation system amidst a complex and lethal future battlefield. The AMEDD’s support for FLRAA is but one example of the critical interdependence between the Aviation community and Army Medicine as we prepare for conflict against a peer threat.
2.MEDEVAC Command Panel. As Ricky Ortiz mentioned in his final DUSTOFFer, we have been granted authority to exclude MEDEVAC Command assignments from the Army’s Assignment Interactive Module. Our exception provides the 67J Branch Manager and Consultant Team with more authority to screen and select best-qualified candidates for MEDEVAC Command through a panel, not unlike our historical method. We are nearly complete with our second iteration under the new business rules. While our process will inevitably evolve, I am confident we are producing the best outcomes for our officers and MEDEVAC formations.
3. 67J Mentorship and Leader Lecture Series. Several months ago, we initiated a monthly 67J Leader Lecture Series on Microsoft Teams. This software, a rare positive side-effect of COVID-19, gives us unprecedented access to gather every 67J in the Army in a single, virtual venue. I initiate each session with an update on current events across the AOC, followed by a guest speaker from across our enterprise. Topics have ranged from career management and success as a 67J, to training and standardization, and preparation for future battlefields. I would like to open these sessions up to some of our greybeards in the future…Please reach out if you would be interested in joining us in this forum.
I cannot overstate how impressed I am every day by the accomplishments of our DUSTOFF formations across the Army. We are continually looking for opportunities to showcase current efforts from the field. For our currently serving members supporting combat operations in Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, regional rotations for Atlantic Resolve or Pacific Pathways, Installation MEDEVAC, or just executing great training – Please consider submitting highlights to the DUSTOFFer…and don’t forget to submit your deserving crews for our annual Awards Program!
Thank you for your continued leadership and selfless commitment to our mission and our people! DUSTOFF!