VNG fixed-wing detachment named “Unit of the Year”
The Virginia National Guard’s Chesterfield-based Detachment 1, Charlie Company, 2-245th Aviation Regiment was recently named the Army National Guard East Region Unit of the Year for Fiscal Year 2022 according to an announcement by the Joint Operational Support Airlift Center, the airlift branch of the United States Transportation Command.
The detachment operates and maintains a C-12 Huron, the VNG’s fixed wing capability. It consists of six Soldiers and two civilian contractors who provide maintenance.
During FY22, the unit logged more than 700 flight hours over nearly 50 missions, all while maintaining operational readiness at above 90%. That accomplishment merits extra commendation because of the detachment’s small size, according to Lt. Col. Craig Lewis, the VNG’s State Army Aviation Officer.
“Despite the unit’s composition of just six Soldiers, each Soldier is a significant force multiplier throughout the entire Department of Defense,” said Lewis. “Commonly called upon to transport senior DOD travelers, the entire team provides an invaluable resource to the DOD.”