Black Hawk helicopter training highlights Ohio National Guard's mission

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio National Guard gave NBC4 a rare front-row seat to see their work from above after we were invited on a Black Hawk helicopter training flight.

According to leaders, it's important to show the Buckeye State who they are and what they do as they're here to serve the community. 

"Our primary mission is right here within the state of Ohio, 17,000 plus Army National Guardsmen and Airmen that are ready and available so that when that worst day happens in our communities, we are going to be there," Ohio National Guard Col. Jon Stewart said. 

The Ohio National Guard has a dual mission - to serve Ohio and the nation. The orientation flight gave a firsthand look at aviation operations in action. It took off from Rickenbacker International Airport, soaring up State Route 315, flying right past Ohio Stadium. 

"What we're doing is so important because we never know what the future is going to hold," Ohio National Guard Black Hawk Pilot Denver Meek said. "So I think, you know, ensuring that we have trained and ready units to respond to disasters or to state or federal missions, whether here in Ohio or America or overseas, is just critically important to the future of our nation and state and communities."

The Ohio National Guard has had Black Hawk helicopters since the late 1980s. Colonel Jon Stewart said they're the most up-to-date aircraft in the Army's inventory, and they aren't just for the battlefield.

"With the helicopter, we can now extract people from rooftops, which you see many times in hurricanes, which obviously we don't have here in Ohio," Col. Stewart said. "But these Blackhawks have supported hurricane relief not only in Puerto Rico, in Florida, in Texas, and many other locations."

Black Hawks have been deployed for disaster relief, search and rescue, and medical evacuations in Ohio and across the country.

"We can have a hoist hooked up to some of these aircraft and use that to basically have that ability, like in flooded terrain and things of that nature, to go down and rescue individuals who are stranded," Meek said. 

As you can imagine, operating one of these helicopters requires extensive and rigorous training. 

"Pilots have to be in the air on a very regular basis to sustain proficiency," Col. Stewart said. "You can't just sit and wait a few months and get back in and go again. So they are constantly flying, constantly in the air, so that when needed, we can call and respond." 

According to crews, training like this keeps their skills sharp, ensuring they're ready to answer the call no matter where it comes from. While their goal is to serve and protect citizens, they want to make it clear they're a part of the very communities we live in. 

"Those of us that you see in uniform, most of us are only in this uniform two days a month," Col. Stewart said. "The rest of the time we're wearing civilian clothes. We're shopping at the stores. We're driving on the streets, and then we come and do great things like fly Black Hawk helicopters."

Ohio Army National Guard aviation regiments routinely conduct training and operational support missions, providing transport of personnel, cargo, and medical assets for the U.S. military. Since 2001, Ohio aviation units have served in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.