Interview with Maj Karl Wojtkun

MAJ Karl Wojtkun served in Bagram, Afghanistan during 2002 and 2005 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and in Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in various positions in US Army Aviation. In this July 2012 interview, MAJ Wojtkun discusses the various roles of Army Aviation, the roles and capabilities of each of the different aircraft, and the challenges of integration with ground maneuver forces. MAJ Wojtkun concludes his interview with the observation, “I would say a lesson learned that we need to bring in is putting assets toward the development of our officer corps in Army Aviation. It seems that we are pushing officers through the system instead of actually evaluating officers through a system… In order to keep the best leading in battalion commander selection, the Army needs to re-look that and how we develop our officers from the day they join the Army to the day they become senior leaders in the Army, especially in the Aviation community. We can greatly improve the way we evaluate Soldiers, not just in the OER system, but also in the schooling system. It’s a great opportunity for someone to look at, "Hey, does he really get it? Does he understand not just his Army Aviation assets, but how he integrates into the fight? Does he understand how his fight then integrates into the BCT that he’s supporting and how that BCT supports the campaign plan of all of Afghanistan?” There are far too many officers out there who have progressed through the ranks that don’t understand that, and they don’t care to take the time to understand.“