By Navy Office of Community Outreach
(MAYPORT,
Fla.) – An Augusta, Georgia native is serving with a U.S. Navy helicopter squadron that
flies the Navy’s newest and most technologically-advanced helicopter.
Chief Chad Hutchens is an aviation electronics technician
with the “Air Wolves” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 40, a
Mayport, Florida based squadron that operates the Navy’s next generation
submarine hunter and Anti-Surface Warfare helicopter, the MH-60R Seahawk. Each
helicopter is nearly 65 feet long, may weigh up to 23,500 lbs. (max gross) and
can travel over 120 miles per hour for nearly 320 miles on a tank of gas.
As an aviation electronics technician, Hutchens is
responsible for communications and navigation electronic equipment and repair
on the MH-60R helicopter.
“My favorite part of the job is the theory and troubleshooting portion of it,” said Hutchens.
According to
Navy officials, the MH-60R is the most capable multi-mission helicopter
available in the world today. It is used for a variety of missions, including
hunting and tracking enemy submarines, attacking enemy ships, search and
rescue, drug interdiction, delivering supplies and supporting the Navy’s
special operations forces.
It is replacing
the Navy’s older helicopters because of its greater versatility and more
advanced weapon systems.
Hutchens said they and other sailors are proud to be part of
a warfighting team that readily defends America at all times.
“The best thing I like about serving here is that I get the
chance to mold junior sailors and officers,” said Hutchens. "I
get to have an input to how they go about the rest of their career."
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied within the squadron.
Approximately 297 Navy men and women are assigned and keep all parts of the
squadron running smoothly. This includes everything from maintaining
helicopter airframes and engines, to processing paperwork, handling weapons and
flying the aircraft.
"The Airwolves of HSM-40, represent the best and the
brightest our Navy has to offer,” said Cmdr. David Loo, HSM-40 commanding
officer. “HSM-40's mission
is to train Fleet Replacement Pilots and Aircrewman for deployed shipboard
operations in the MH-60R Seahawk aircraft.
The training conducted includes aircraft flights and full visual
simulators in Aircraft Operations, Anti-Surface Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare,
Search and Rescue, and Shipboard Operations.
HSM-40’s support, maintenance, and instructor staff allow for the
completion of over 100 assigned students, year round, operating 16 MH-60R
helicopters and 5 simulators.”
Serving in the
Navy, Hutchens is
learning about being a more respectable leader, sailor and person through
handling numerous responsibilities.
"The Navy has given me the opportunity to learn about
the cultures of the rest of the world,” said Hutchens. "It really puts
life as an American into perspective."