Maine Aviators Conduct Operation
Timberhook
Photo and Story by Adam Simmler
On November 2, Soldiers of the Maine
Army National Guard’s Company C,
1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment
spent the day in Northern Maine,
working alongside Maine Park Rangers
and representatives from Baxter State
Park to airlift building supplies and raw
materials to camping sites throughout
the park.
The mission, dubbed “Operation
Timberhook” involved moving materials
such as cedar logs, firewood, propane
tanks, and sand, to remote locations
around the park for use in the
renovation of old camping lean-tos
around the park, and the construction
of new ones near Wassataquik Lake.
The unit, which specializes in medical
evacuation, traded their first aid
stretchers for cargo sling kits to lend
a hand to park staff, and in turn, the
visitors that come to the park every
year.
“Without the National
Guard’s help, this project
would take all winter,
inevitably things would
get broken and people
would get hurt,”
said Stewart Guay, deputy chief ranger
at Baxter State Park. “We’re able to
provide them some awesome and
challenging terrain in which to train, so
it’s mutually beneficial.”
A lot of people don’t know that the
Maine National Guard has an Aviation
element, so it’s nice to get the word
out about what we do, said Spc.
Philip Kramer, a Crew Chief from 3rd
Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment.
According to Stewart Guay, The
partnership between the crews and
helicopters of the Maine National Guard
and Baxter State Park goes back for
decades. Working together in life, limb,
and eyesight medical emergencies
as well as missions like Operation
Timberhook.
During the day, the crew of aircraft 668
took a break from carrying supplies
to train with park rangers on loading
injured park visitors into the UH-60 for
medical evacuation. Which is just one of
the many services the unit provides to
the local community.
Guay concluded, we take our
relationship with the Guard very
seriously and we hope to keep it going,
it’s truly outstanding.