Lt. Col. Rick Zampelli, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment commander, congratulates Chief Warrant Officer 2 Gene Tidwell, Troop B, 1-17 CAV maintenance test pilot, after presenting him with the Broken Wing award during a ceremony at the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, April 29. The award recognizes an individual who demonstrates a high degree of professional skill while recovering from an in-flight failure or malfunction requiring an emergency landing. Tidwell earned the award as a result of his actions on March 24, 2011, when, despite engine failure, he turned his OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Helicopter into the wind and completed autorotation, landing the aircraft upright in a grass field. His actions preserved the crash-worthiness of the aircraft and ensured survival of the occupants.
Capt. Beth Riordan
Taken on 29 April 2014
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