CW3 Christopher P. Wilson, Company A, 1st Bn., 25th Aviation
Regiment, Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii
The Army Aviation
Association of America (AAAA) has announced its Calendar Year 2004
National Award Winners. Winning units and individuals are being
recognized at the AAAA Annual Convention, being held this week, May
9-11, 2005, in Orlando, Fla. The AAAA Annual Convention provides an
opportunity for its members to gather with government and industry
representatives concerned with Army Aviation and participate in the
professional program and exhibits.
The first AAAA Annual Convention was held in June 1959 and has
taken place every year since then. In recent years, the sites of
the AAAA Annual Convention have included Atlanta, Ga.; Fort Worth,
Texas and Nashville, Tenn.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher P. Wilson's
sense of duty, professionalism and mission focus personifies all of
the attributes expected of an Army Aviator. His proven leadership
in combat truly sets him apart. An OH-58D (shown below) instructor
pilot with Co. A, 1st Bn. (Attack), 25th Avn. Regt., CW3 Wilson was
deployed to OIF II from January 2004 to February 2005. He safely
flew an unprecedented 1,270 combat flight hours, the most hours
flown in a 12-month period since the Vietnam War, supporting over
350 reconnaissance, security and close combat attack missions. His
superb ability as a scout and air mission commander enabled him to
locate and maneuver ground forces to seize over 15 enemy caches of
arms and ammunition.
Wilson also led his team and ground forces during numerous
direct fire engagements, resulting in the destruction of enemy
vehicles and combatants, and the detention of numerous insurgents
throughout the Baghdad area. In June 2004, Wilson's wingman
suffered engine failure. Without regard for his own safety, Wilson
immediately maneuvered to the badly damaged aircraft lying in a
swamp, located in an area of previous heavy enemy activity. He and
his co-pilot landed to provide security and medical aid to his
injured platoon leader and the company's standardization pilot,
both pinned in the aircraft.
Wilson calmly took charge of the situation and supervised the
site security, positioning of ground forces, and the MEDEVAC
extraction of his fellow leaders. CW3 Wilson then went on to assume
the duties of the injured officers he saved, serving as the platoon
leader and company SIP. Under Wilson's leadership and mentoring,
his company continued to succeed, flying an impressive 9,000 combat
hours in 12 months.