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National Guard hovers protectively over Utah
Joint task force here for 'routine support'
By Jennifer Dobner
Deseret News staff writer
WEST JORDAN — Thumpa, thumpa, thumpa.
You know the sound. It's those big, black military helicopters flying overhead. And thanks to a joint task force of National Guard units from around the country, the sight and sound of those bladed birds is a common experience along the Wasatch Front these days.
It's all part of keeping the 2002 Winter Games safe, Utah National Guard Brig. Gen. J.D. Johnson said Tuesday.
"The Olympics is a unique thing. It's a great event for the state of Utah and a great event for the National Guard to be a part of, " said Johnson, who is also the commanding officer of the Joint Forces Command, a collection of active and reserve Guardsmen from 25 states.
A year ago, the JTFO didn't exist. But last March, Johnson began working with Utah's Olympic Public Safety Command and with federal law enforcement groups to find ways for the Guard to support security efforts during the Winter Games and Paralympics.
Johnson calls the JTFO's mission one of "routine support." Guardsmen, who are stationed strategically around the region so that they can respond quickly when called into service, can provide medical evacuation and paramedic service, communications help, security and command and control helicopter support. Guardsmen from outside Utah began arriving in the state about mid-January. They will stay on duty through the end of the Paralympic Games March 17.
"Knock on wood, we haven't and we won't have any problems," Johnson said.
If needed, however, the JTFO presence will be significantly felt. Prior to Sept. 11, about 2,000 Guardsmen were expected to take part. Afterward, that number grew to more than 4,900.
Among the Guard's resources are 18 of those ominous helicopters — specifically the UH-60 Blackhawk, the MH-60 Pavehawk and the CH-47 Chinook. Up close and sitting still, these birds don't seem quite as threatening as they sound when hovering overhead. And they aren't even black. They're green.
Although the choppers are identical to those used in combat, none of the birds brought to Utah are outfitted for that type of mission, JTFO Air Operations Chief Maj. Peter Adams said. Nor are any National Guard air units assisting the Federal Aviation Administration or the U.S. Customs Service in maintaining and monitoring the no-fly zone established over Olympic venues.
Instead Guard units are ready to move personnel (up to 13 per helicopter), perform rescues or treat the injured. Paramedics fly with some units and are able to treat up to four patients while transporting them to hospitals.
The JTFO initially considered bringing in the older and less expensive Huey helicopters but opted instead for the Blackhawk and its sister ships because of Utah's tough Rocky Mountain terrain, where the weather conditions can rapidly change.
The pilots recruited to fly here come all come from Rocky Mountain and western states, where navigating weather conditions such as snow, high winds and narrow canyons are a frequent part of the job, Adams said. The Blackhawk is considered a versatile, easily maneuverable aircraft with a top speed of about 190 knots.
"We call it the 'most weather' helicopter," Adams said of the Blackhawk. "And we had the luxury for the Olympics to pick the best pilots. All of the crews here are experts at flying in these type of mountains."
At least one crew already has had a chance to put its skills and experience into practice along the Wasatch, Adams said. During a late January training flight up to Snowbasin, a guard crew from California was pressed into service when a young snowboarder was reportedly injured after crashing into a rock high on the mountain.
After talking with sheriff's deputies from Weber County, the Blackhawk crew, which had a paramedic team aboard, rescued the boy and transported him to University Hospital.
Since then, however, it's been nothing but hurry-up-and-wait, and daily aircraft maintenance checks and training flights, Adams said.
Still considering all the possible places in the world the National Guard could be called to serve right now, the Olympics is a pretty good gig.
"It's a great mission," Johnson said. "The troops are happy."
E-MAIL: jdobner@desnews.com
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February 13, 2002
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