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Army aviation unit displays helicopter maintenance work

ROC Central News Agency

2013/08/26 20:25:30

Taipei, Aug. 26 (CNA) An Army aviation unit to be honored as a military model group of the year displayed its work in maintaining the Army's helicopters at a military base in Taichung, central Taiwan Monday.

The Helicopter Maintenance Plant under the Army's 602nd Aviation Brigade demonstrated its regular safety checks and maintenance work on the AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, OH-58D reconnaissance helicopters and UH-1H utility helicopters at the base in the Xinshe District during a media tour.

The unit's work on safety and maintenance is key to ensuring the safety of pilots and other military personnel required to use the helicopters, said 2nd Lt. Lin Kuan-liang, an AH-1W Super Cobra attack pilot.

The unit is comprised of some 150 military personnel, including servicemen and servicewomen.

Before the unit displayed its work, other military personnel belonging to the 602nd brigade held a drill to demonstrate their abilities to defend against attacking forces.

The drill incorporated the three types of helicopters, with two UH-1H utility helicopters carrying 12 soldiers playing the enemy forces in the exercise designed to simulate an attack on an ammunition depot.

An OH-58D reconnaissance helicopter was deployed to collect information on the position of the enemies before the Army sent soldiers to fight the opposing forces on the ground and two AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters were deployed to provide air support.

The Ministry of National Defense-organized tour was scheduled to take the media the following day to a Navy unit and an Air Force unit that will also be honored as model units of the year during an Aug. 30 ceremony in Taipei ahead of Taiwan's annual Armed Forces Day, which falls on Sept. 3.

This is the first media tour organized by the ministry since the death of Army Corporal Hung Chung-chiu, who collapsed and died July 4 after being thrown into the brig and subjected to strenuous exercises in extreme heat for days.

The incident sparked massive public protests, brought down the minister of defense, forced the government to turn over the trial of military personnel to civilian courts during peacetime, and inflicted untold damage on the military's image and morale at a time when it is being converted into an all-volunteer force.

The military personnel highlighted in Monday's media tour showed high morale, praised their time in the military and encouraged more people to enlist.

(By Elaine Hou)