Check us out at http://www.local1776.org. Also check out our page at https://www.facebook.com/Local1776. While the short term impact of the Army's plan most directly impacts those states that currently have Apache Battalions, including AZ, ID, MO, NC, PA, SC, TX, and UT, the Army's proposal to remove Apaches from the National Guard will have far-reaching long-term affects that we believe
negatively impact the entire Army Aviation community, to include a degradation of the US Army's combat aviation capability. Understanding that the main driver of the Army's proposal is supposedly cost, we believe that the estimated savings (if any) are far outweighed by the overall loss in our collective ability to bring the fight to the enemy as a Total Force. It is accepted that National Guard aviation performs on par with their Active counterparts, and in some instances better, both at home and abroad, and costs the US taxpayer less. Much of the reason for the cost-effectiveness of the Guard is their small yet knowledgeable full-time workforce, which is on average more experienced than their active duty counterparts by a factor (conservatively speaking) of 10 years or more. This experience factor is something we believe is not being given proper consideration by those who support the Army's proposal. Many senior Guard aviators and mechanics have over 25 years of aviation experience and provide continuity among the force; whereas the majority of Active Duty aviators and mechanics have significantly less experience, as well as a known retention problem for mid to senior aviators. Guard aircrew and maintainers are hired on a full-time basis to fly and maintain Apaches, with very limited non-Apache related tasks authorized during their work week as technicians; contrast this to Active Duty maintainers who have multiple distractions which take them out of the cockpit or off the hangar floor, making Active Duty become reliant upon civilian contract aircraft maintenance support – a hidden cost the Army doesn’t openly acknowledge. Dismantling National Guard Apache Battalions will essentially eliminate a third of the most experienced Apache aviators and maintainers within the Total Force. Shifting this knowledge and experience out of the Apache community will take years (perhaps decades) to replace. The only way to fill this experience vacuum without relying on the Guard would be to hire contractors, a move which would more than likely negate some of the savings the Army claims it would experience if their proposal is approved. This experience edge is the lynch pin of why the National Guard should retain all of their Apache capability, and if the Army is truly interested in maximizing their return on budgetary investment, it should look into transferring more of that combat aviation capability to the Guard.
