16 WIESBADEN, Germany Echo Company of the 1-214th Aviation Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Wiesbaden Army Airfield provides a unique capability to the U.S. Army Europe-Africa commander that many people do not know exists. Army fixed-wing aviation provides small jet and turbo-prop platforms such as the UC-35 and C-12 that can fly quickly over long distances and land at small airfields.
“Our normal rotational missions provide a critical lifeline to forward supported areas,” said Lt. Col. Matthew McGraw, Commander of the 1-214th Aviation Battalion. “For the first few months of the pandemic, Army fixed-wing was the only way to get critical medical supplies like testing kits and personal protective equipment, and to retrograde COVID samples for US Army rotational forces in Poland, Romania, and Greece.”