Hooker History Page 2
By 30 May 1973, the 92nd had completed their move to Paine Field near Everett, Washington. The new site gave the unit ramp space, maintenance hangars, flight ops, and admin offices, storage facilities, and an airfield with instrument approaches, an FAA tower, and crash rescue. The Hookers shared the airfield with many civilian tenants including Boeing’s 747 production facility at the north end of the airfield.
In September of 1978, The 92nd traveled to Germany to participate in REFORGER 78. Over 17 days the unit flew missions with their active Army host unit located at Coleman Barracks in the city of Mannheim.
One of the most significant missions undertaken by the Hookers began in the summer of 1978 on Mount Rainier. In a joint agreement between the Department of the Interior and the Department of Defense, heavy-lift Chinooks from the 92nd began an annual support mission in conjunction with Mount Rainier’s trail crews in building bridges, alpine hiking trail maintenance and other high altitude, heavy lift missions. During a typical annual two week effort, two Chinooks and support crews could carry over 4 million pounds of material for the Park.
The unit designation was changed to the 92nd Transportation Company (Medium Helicopter) with a revised TOE on 16 December 1979. The Hookers also put together one of the most exciting and dynamic flight demonstration teams seen in airshows around the Pacific Northwest. For over 17 years the Hookers demonstrated Army Aviation capabilities before hundreds of thousands of spectators in the US and Canada.
On September 16, 1987, the unit was redesigned as A Company, 6th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment with the activation of the Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company co-located with A Company at Paine Field. LTC John Brockliss was the first commander from its inception until 13 July 1991. With the help of his Command Sergeant Major, Thomas Simenson they laid a solid foundation for the newly activated battalion to build from. It was under LTC Brockliss’ command that the Hookers transitioned from B to C Model Chinooks, and in September of 1991 the first D Model Chinook, S/N 90-0212 was accepted by the Hookers during a ceremony at Paine Field. Within three years the battalion grew into a cohesive combat team and successfully completed an external ARTEP in Boise Idaho.
Hookers provided aviation support during “WildFire 94” during one of the worst fire seasons on record throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana. A Company also supported “Operation Uphold Democracy” with two 179 day rotations to Haiti.
In 1996 A Company and ASF-25 moved operations to Gray Army Airfield at Fort Lewis where they are currently located. After the deactivation of the 244th Aviation Company, the active Army Chinook outfit at Gray Army Airfield, the Hookers took over two critical missions from the 244th. A Company was designated the High Altitude/Search and Rescue unit for the Pacific Northwest, and is responsible for range fire suppression at the Yakima Training Center on fire bucket standby from 1 May to 31 October each year.
By 2001 final plans were developed for a new multi-million dollar hangar facility on the eastern side of Gray Army Airfield. The completed Reserve Center was named in honor of Brigadier General Erroll Van Eaton. Erroll joined the unit as a Captain in 1973. He was killed as a passenger in a Russian helicopter crash in Central America during a night medical evacuation mission in mountainous terrain.