MEDIA RELEASE
HAMET exercises at Pohakuloa Training Area. Photo by Big Island Video News
POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA (PTA), HI – The 25th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) will conduct High Altitude Mountainous Environmental Training (HAMET) for 20 days (weekends and holidays excluded), Oct.11-Nov.7, 2011, to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan.
The training will consist of flying to three landing zones (LZs) on the slopes of Mauna Kea and three LZs on the slopes of Mauna Loa.
Once in the LZ areas, pilots will practice power management, approach, touch and go, and hovering tasks to prepare them for weather and low oxygen conditions they will encounter when deployed.
There will be no more than two helicopters in the Mauna Kea LZ areas and three helicopters in the Mauna Loa LZ areas at any one time. Pilots and aircrews will remain in the helicopters, and no ammunition or heavy loads will be carried during this training.
Helicopters that transit over occupied palila habitat will do so at 2,000 feet above ground level.
Familiarity with this specialized HAMET is critical to save the lives of the Army’s aircrews and the Soldiers they transport when operating in support of operations in Afghanistan.
For more information, call Mike Egami, Public Affairs Officer, at 656-3152 or cell 387-8511.
Environmental Training? What the hell is that.I thought DLNR was actually going to live up to there mandate but I guess they sold out to Uncle Sam. Bunch of lames.
“Enhance, protect, conserve and manage Hawaii’s unique and limited natural, cultural and historic resources held in public trust for current and future generations of visitors and the people of Hawaii nei in partnership with others from the public and private sectors.”