FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010  

CONTACT:
Capt. Michael Odgers
Cell: (720) 785-3860

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (9/8/10) – The Colorado National Guard’s Joint Operation Center is directing the launch of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with four Citizen-Soldiers and emergency services personnel on board.

The helicopter launched at approximately 11:10 a.m. today from the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site in Gypsum, Colo., to assist local authorities in the rescue of a man in Garfield County.

The CO-JOC has reported the man is suffering from a medical condition. He is in the vicinity of Glenwood Springs near Deer Lake at approximately 11,000 feet.

HAATS is located in the small mountain town of Gypsum, Colo., near Vail. The school trains rotory-wing military pilots from all over the world. Graduates of this challenging course leave with the knowledge of a unique training system known as Power Management. This training concept gives pilots the knowledge and confidence to operate their machines routinely and safely at maximum gross weights in any environment.

While the primary role of HAATS is to train, the facility also assists with search and rescue missions when the terrain or altitude makes landing a civilian EMS aircraft questionable or there is a need for specialized military equipment.

Colorado National Guard rescue efforts are coordinated through the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. The center ties into the Federal Aviation Administration’s alerting system and the U.S. Mission Control Center.

For more than 150 years the Colorado National Guard has served communities across Colorado while defending our nation. The Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen of the Colorado National Guard are always ready, always there.

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