La. National Guard audio, quotes from press conference

March 11, 2015 Louisiana National Guard 4794 Views 1-244th, Assault Helicopter Battalion, Black Hawk, Louisiana Army National Guard, Louisiana National Guard, UH-60M

Maj. Gen. Glenn Curtis, Louisiana National Guard adjutant general, speaks to the media about an accident involving a LANG UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter that occured during a training mission in Florida last night. The press conference was held at the armory of the 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment in Hammond, La, March 11, 2015. (National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Toby Valadie, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office)

NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to update the public on the helicopter accident that occurred last night in Florida at the Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Hammond, Louisiana.

Audio from the event can be found here: http://geauxguard.com/louisiana-national-guard-helicopter-accident-media-advisory/7183/

“Today, as you can imagine, is a tough day for the Louisiana National Guard and the Marine Corps,” said Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, adjutant general of the LANG. “This unit is a very experienced unit and one that has received numerous accolades for its service to our nation, to include two combat deployments to Iraq and numerous state emergency operations.”

“At this hour, our priorities are Search and Rescue of our Soldiers and Marines, and secondly, to take care of our families. We are doing both of those.”

For questions relating to Search and Rescue Operations, please contact the Coast Guard at (504) 671-2020.

For questions relating to the Training Station and accident, please contact Eglin Public Affairs at (850) 855-6823.

For questions relating to the Marine Corps Trainees, please contact Marine Special Operations Command at (910) 440-0770

For questions relating to the Louisiana Army National Guard, the aviation unit and its crewmembers, please contact the Louisiana National Guard at (504) 278-8286.

Louisiana Army National Guard’s 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion

Home Station: The unit’s home station is the Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Hammond, Louisiana. Its Soldiers live and work in communities throughout Louisiana.

Mission at Eglin AFB: Joint Training Exercise: Members of the 1-244th were assisting the United States Marine Corps Forces.

What are other types of joint training exercise our aviation assets participate in?

The 1-244th regularly supports the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) for sling load, rappelling and paradrop training for Air Assault courses, joint training at Eglin AFB and annual Christmas tree drops with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in efforts to preserve the marshlands of the Gulf Coast.

Model of helicopter / info: UH-60M Blackhawk Helicopter

Number of Soldiers: The Company is comprised of approximately 300 LANG Soldiers.

Number of Black Hawks: There are currently 15 Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 1/244th.

Number of air assets assigned to the LANG:

26        UH-60 Black Hawks
8          LUH-72 Lakotas
1          C-12 Huron

The 1-244th stood up as a unit in 1987. The AASF#1 stood up in 2008 after the 1-244th’s facilities at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport received extensive damage after Hurricane Katrina.

Federal Operations include:

Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004-2005; 2009-2010

State emergency operations include:

2005: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
2010: Operation Deepwater Horizon oil spill
2011: Operation River Guardian
2012: Hurricane Isaac Operations

Louisiana Army National Guard’s 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion

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