NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS

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RESOLUTION IL-03

CRASH WORTHY UH-60 and CH-47 CREW AND TROOP SEATS

BACKGROUND

The Army National Guard is a significant component of the United States Army. The Army cannot perform its mission today without the ARNG. As such the ARNG must be equipped with modernized equipment to perform its mission. Army National Guard Aviation units have played a key role during every recent deployment. The Army National Guard is currently flying some of the oldest UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters in the fleet and is not scheduled to receive UH-60 "M" model and CH-47 "F" model aircraft until the distant future. Safety concerns, such as updated crashworthy seats, must be addressed in order to safeguard the lives of both the flight crew and soldiers being carried onboard. In the case of the CH-47, the crew chief / flight engineer has no seat at all. The members of the United States Army and the Army National Guard deserve better while performing their mission, in support of the National Military Strategy and support of the State mission.

RECOMMENDATION

It is the recommendation of Illinois that the National Guard Bureau, the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, and the Congress of the United States, support procurement of modern crashworthy crew and troop seats for the ARNG UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.