The Nevada Army National Guard has new Black Hawk helicopters to replace their previous fleet.
They say the new Black Hawk helicopters are an upgrade from their previous fleet of UH-60 Limas and are designed for medical missions.
The aircraft also have a medical interior for their missions and for crew members in the back to access. The helicopters also have upgraded glass cockpits for the pilots, bringing the helicopters into a more modern style, as well as an upgraded avionics package.
Staff Sergeant Mason Burkhart, a detachment sergeant for the Medivac Unit in Stead, explains, "Being a medivac unit, it's our job to go pick up people on both foreign and domestic mission assignments and provide treatment at whatever level they need and take them to the appropriate medical treatment facilities."
He adds, "I like the upgrades; it's nice to be relevant. Again, a lot of our aircraft were 1980s and 1990s aircraft. They did the job, but they weren't designed for what we do. The aircraft behind me is a 2024 model, so pretty much brand new off the line and designed for our mission."
Sergeant Burkhart tells us the biggest feature inside the helicopter is their onboard oxygen concentrator.
They also have an environmental control system for air conditioning and heating for patient and crew comfort.
Lastly, they have suction and oxygen-delivering capabilities and litter pans to help move patients, no matter what condition they're in.
Sergeant Burkhart says, "A lot of us are very local; we fly up here a lot, so if you see us flying around in the Black Hawk with a red cross, it is our medivac unit. Our call sign is Wolf Pack, and we're super dedicated to the state and the country and all the missions that we do. We fight fires up here; we do search and rescue, and we have dedicated crews who are ready to answer the call when it comes out."
