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Pinellas Airport Reserve Unit To Get Black Hawk Choppers

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By Jeff Patterson

News Channel 8

Published: September 25, 2008

The U.S. Army Reserve is expanding operations at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport by bringing in additional Black Hawk helicopters, according to U.S. Army Reserve Lieutenant Nicholas Steele. An Army Reserve unit has been located at the airport since 2001. The Army unit will now have 20 Black Hawk helicopters and that will bring additional jobs to the area, Steele said.

The airport is the home of the of the 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment.

"We're actually getting ready to stand up a new medivac company, which will be the Army Reserve's first flagship medivac company in about eight years," Steele said.

The new unit will bring about 250 new jobs to the area, according to the Army.

The helicopters based at the airport will also benefit the Gulf Coast of Florida in a number of ways. "It gives an increased dynamic for the West Coast of Florida for hurricane disaster relief; it brings more support for the Army Reserve for the southeast down here. It's good for bringing high-quality and trained individuals into the area," Steele said.

The facility will also become the new home of the largest Army helicopter repair facility in the Southeastern United States, according to U.S. Army Maj. Jim Fitzgibbons.

The Army is waiting on Congress to approve funding for new hangars.

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