On the recordMarch 30, 1998
it was in October of 1996 that the administration supported the sale of 12 Black Hawks to the Colombian Army. These choppers were delivered, three were destroyed last month in fighting. Nine of the police pilots have had more than 3.000 hours flying helicopters. Eleven Black Hawk maintenance men have been qualified to work on Black Hawks. So there is an adequate ability to utilize this equipment. And 36 million of the appropriation that was approved last year included maintenance and training for the police. What I am saying is, they are adequately trained. They need this equipment. They need it now. Their police are dying on the battlefront. We are not helping them. What we have given them are used Huey helicopters from the Vietnam era that have now just this week been grounded because of a failure of equipment.
Source
govinfo.gov
