Stationing a U.S. Army Reserve Black Hawk Helicopter Company at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, California

Abstract : This Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzes the potential environmental effects associated with the stationing and operation of a United States (U.S.) Army Reserve (USAR) Black Hawk Company (the Company) at Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) Los Alamitos (also referred to as "the Installation"), California. The Proposed Action, which is the Army's preferred alternative, involves relocating an 87-member Aviation Company from Aviation Support Facility (ASF) Victorville, California to JFTB Los Alamitos. The Company includes A Company 2-238th AVN Regiment and Detachment 1 from D and E Companies. Its wartime mission is to provide aerial Command and Control support, limited air assault, and air movement for the corps and higher level commands. The Company is part of the 11th AVN Command, headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky; however, Detachments within the Company report directly to the 7-158 AVN located at Fort Hood, Texas. The Company consists of 29 full-time personnel and 58 part-time Reserve Soldiers and includes 8 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, 2 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV), 3 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT), 1 flatbed trailer, and 3 fuel trailers. Implementation of the Proposed Action would allow the USAR to improve long-term readiness for the Company by placing it in a location that provides better opportunities to recruit and retain the highly-qualified skill sets required for this unit. This unit is a high demand organization that is consistently deployed in support of current and future operations. Recruiting and hiring full-time staff for the location at ASF Victorville is costly because the majority of the people who work at ASF reside in the Los Angeles basin. Additionally, ASF Victorville is located in a leased facility, which costs the government a substantial amount of money each year.