I would question how you get compensation on this deal to the Army. They don’t have a pay-as-you-go operation or dollars-per-hour deal. They are the only ones around in Alaska who have heavy-lift choppers. So it is a logical choice to ask for their help. If you’d waited a week for commercial choppers to arrive...it’d been a bigger mess.
So Shell gets it gratis? Must be nice. Hey I’ve got a tree stump that needs removing - can I ask the Army Corps of Engineers to lend me an Abrams tank?
Heavy lift is heavy lift, so yes, there is a training benefit for the crews involved. However, it costs the Army aound 4k/flying hour for these airframes. Who is paying the freight in a DoD sequestration environment?