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It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s the military’s Chinook helicopter! Later this spring, Millersville University will host the first Chinook helicopter landing on campus since 2018. Originally scheduled for March 26, the landing has been postponed until at least mid-April.
A Chinook helicopter is a U.S. military helicopter used for various operations including troop transportation, search and rescue, special operations and more. For this event, the helicopter will transport MU’s, Franklin and Marshall’s and Penn State Harrisburg’s ROTC cadets to the National Guard Training Center at Fort Indiantown Gap for training.
While at Fort Indiantown Gap, the cadets will take part in a leadership evaluation.
Pete Anders, chief of the Millersville University Police Department, explains the importance of the landings on campus for the senior cadets who are participating. “In a few months, our senior MU ROTC cadets will graduate and be commissioned as officers in our military and protect us and citizens in other nations. The landings serve as a realistic training opportunity and exemplify the future public mission our ROTC cadets will commit to serve.”
Faith Willenbrock, a MU ROTC alum, flies Blackhawk helicopters for the U.S. Army. She is currently deployed and stationed in Fort Bragg, NC, and emphasizes Anders’s support. “The ROTC students work exceptionally hard and are not always provided the opportunity to experience some of the broader experiences the Army has to offer. Giving the ROTC cadets a chance to get this experience is an exciting and great training opportunity.”
Willenbrock also notes the impact the landings will have on the senior cadets. “The senior cadets will get a chance to see what the big Army has to offer outside of the ROTC atmosphere; this flight could change the course of some of their careers if they are inspired to try branch aviation and start their careers as Combat Army Aviators.”
When the landing does occur, the MU community can safely watch from outside the Brooks Field landing zone or on the Ganser loop by the library. To ensure the safety of everyone involved, ROTC, facilities and MUPD will oversee the event. Additionally, the PA National Guard has approved the landing zone, and the flight team at Fort Indiantown Gap will monitor the weather conditions.
