It’s not often you get to see a Black Hawk helicopter up close, let alone see it land.
This was the case for Prairie Central students on Monday as CW2 Chief Warrant Officer Joshua Smith with the Army National Guard brought the aircraft to Prairie Central Primary West in Chenoa, Prairie Central Elementary in Fairbury and Prairie Central High School in Fairbury.
The 2010 Prairie Central graduate and crew members let students and community members get an up-close look at the helicopter.
“It can be used for cargo, troop carrying, air assaults, firefighting, medical and stuff like that,” explained Smith. “Primarily, we are an assault company. We focus on air assaults and carrying troops into battle.”
Smith just returned from a Middle East deployment in January as they are on a five-year rotation, which means their unit number will come back up for deployment every five years.
“As of now, I’ll be here for another four and a half years.”
The crew members are subject matter experts in aviation and when it comes to state emergencies, they can be activated by the governor and president.
“It’s good to bring some experience back to the community so these kids can get an idea of what we do,” added Smith.
Once the helicopter landed on the PC High School football field, several onlookers gathered to see what was happening and grab a few photos.
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