Military helicopter visits UP cadets
MARQUETTE — The Michigan Army National Guard made a special trip to Marquette Thursday and they traveled to the U.P. in style.
The group of soldiers from the Lansing area flew the Black Hawk Helicopter to Marquette in about two hours. Northern Michigan University’s military science department reached out to the battalion about bringing the helicopter to the U.P. People of all ages came to see the helicopter at the corner of Lincoln and Wright Street.
“We’re extending our range coming up to the UP. We don’t get to come up here very often,” said First Lt. Paul Fitzpatrick of the U.S. Army. “We’re glad to support the community and show off our assets, do a little recruiting out here and broaden our outreach.”
“This here is a UH–60 Black Hawk, it’s one of the newer ones,” added Fitzpatrick. “We us it primarily for troop carrying.”
“Having a Black Hawk come up from Grand Ledge really shows the public the amazing things that you can do in the Army,” said Cadet John Curtin of the NMU ROTC. “I’ve thought a lot about aviation, especially with the National Guard and/or with active duty. It’s not one of my top ones right now, but I’m seriously considering it.”
Cadets and future cadets with NMU’s ROTC Program took turns taking rides in the helicopter.