A Refueling And Rest Stop-The Combat Aviation Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division Visits Lehigh Valley International Airport

helo1

 

Story and photography by Corey Beitler

The Lehigh Valley International Airport is ideally located in the center of the Lehigh Valley, serving travelers in the surrounding communities and the region’s major population centers of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. The airport has two asphalt runways, ground facilities, and other services supporting commercial, cargo, corporate, charter, military, and general aviation flight operations. Lehigh Valley International Airport has a modern terminal with parking space for nine aircraft and an air cargo operations area with ramp space for six aircraft.

The airport is served by airline partners Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, which fly to 15 destinations nationwide. Most destinations offered by the airline partners, such as Myrtle Beach, Nashville, and Orlando, are popular vacation spots for Lehigh Valley residents. Other destinations, such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, and Denver, are popular as connections for flights to destinations worldwide. Air cargo airline partners at the airport include Amazon Air, ABX Air, and FedEx Express. Air cargo operations at the airport have grown in recent years, with the Lehigh Valley becoming a leader in the e-commerce industry. In 2022, over 237 million pounds of cargo and mail passed through the airport. Over 900,000 people use the airport annually, making the airport the fourth-busiest in passenger traffic in Pennsylvania.

helo9

Recently, military aircraft operations took center stage at the airport when the facility served as a rest and refueling stop for nearly 70 military helicopters from the Combat Aviation Brigade of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division. The helicopters were relocated in a planned exercise from Fort Drum, New York, to the Port of Philadelphia in preparation for shipment for an overseas deployment. Once in Philadelphia, the helicopters were going to have their rotor blades removed or folded so they could be crated and placed aboard a container ship for the journey overseas. This deployment of the Combat Aviation Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division is a planned rotation of forces in the U.S. Central Command’s (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.

helo6

The 10th Mountain Division is an elite light infantry unit based at Fort Drum, NY. Formed during World War II, the 10th Mountain Division was the only unit of its size in the U.S. military to receive specialized training for fighting in mountainous terrain. The unit gained fame during World War II when it fought in some of the roughest terrain of the war in the mountain regions of Italy. After a period of deactivation, the 10th Mountain Division was reactivated again in 1985. Since its reactivation, the division or units of the division have deployed numerous times. The 10th Mountain Division deployed during Operation Desert Storm, for Hurricane Andrew relief in Florida, Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope in Somalia, Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo. Since 2002, the 10th Mountain Division has been the most deployed U.S. Army unit. Its combat brigades have been deployed over 20 times to both Iraq and Afghanistan in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Recent operations for the 10th Mountain Division have seen the unit deployed to Iraq and Syria to assist Iraqi Security Forces and People’s Defense Units.

helo13

The Combat Aviation Brigade is a subordinate unit of the 10th Mountain Division and provides aerial support to the unit. The brigade consists of five battalions and operates several helicopter types in support of the 10th Mountain Division. Helicopter types operated by the battalions include the Boeing AH-64D Apache in the reconnaissance and attack role, the Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk in the general utility/assault role, the Sikorsky HH-60M Black Hawk in the medial evacuation role, and the Boeing CH-47F Chinook in the heavy-lift/transport/support role. In addition to the aviation battalions, the Combat Aviation Brigade also is assigned the 277th Aviation Support Battalion. This battalion provides supporting services to the aviation battalions when they are deployed overseas. This makes the Combat Aviation Brigade capable of operating independently of higher commands, and capable of taking on additional aviation battalions, and other units when deployed, as needed. The Combat Aviation Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division supported the division during its numerous deployments during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Most recently, the brigade deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

helo19

The photographs here feature some of the helicopter movements at the Lehigh Valley International Airport during this planned exercise, which took place on April 6-8, 2024. The exercise involved 20 to 25 helicopters arriving, landing, refueling, and then departing the airport each day. The helicopters arrived at the airport in timed intervals in groups of 4 to 6 to avoid overwhelming the airport’s support services and parking space.

You may also like...

error: Content is protected !!