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DUSTOFFER THE DUSTOFF Association Newsletter Fall/Winter 2008 In this issue: DUSTOFF Reunion 2009 February 20–22 bc First Flight Medics Earn Combat Field Medical Badge Mountain Rescue—The 54th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) rescued and transported an injured mountain climber from the pinnacle of a ridge, with only the right skid on a rock, in a significant wind. Piloted by Ken Warner and Phil House, the mission was not even considered other than typical for the mountain rescuers of that era. Fall/Winter 2008 PAGE 1 President’s Message D ear Members of the DUSTOFF Association: Our upcoming reunion marks the 30th anniversary of this event and promises to be an event you will remember. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those who took the time to vote for this year’s DUSTOFF Hall of Fame. Although voting was not complete as of this writing, all four candidates are exceptionally worthy of selection into the Hall of Fame. I also want to personally thank those commanders who took the time to nominate their crews for Crewmember and Rescue of the Year. recently overturned. As we all know, this was long overdue. On or after 18 September 2001, medical personnel assigned or attached to or under operational control of any combat arms units of brigade or smaller size, who satisfactorily perform medical duties while the unit is engaged in active ground combat, may be awarded the CMB. The language, “not to include aviation” was deleted from the policy, permitting medical personnel assigned, attached or OPCON to combat aviation units to qualify for the CMB. This good news was well received from the field. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue on. Our prayers go out to the troops and their family members. Rest assured your fellow DUSTOFF crewmembers from the active and reserve components are doing a phenomenal job in evacuating our wounded warriors to care. I am continually amazed at the efforts of our Soldier-medics in executing this challenging and very dangerous mission. From its inception to where we are now, the DUSTOFF Association has provided a rallying point for past, present, and future Dustoffers in this truly remarkable and noble mission. However, we need everyone’s help in recruiting and retaining those current and former crewmembers who are not members of the DUSTOFF Association. We’ve made this process easier for those who want to apply for membership online. We need your help to take this important organization well into the 21st Century. Thanks for all you do for the DUSTOFF Association. Good news: a long-standing policy prohibiting crewmembers from receiving the Combat Medical Badge was DUSTOFF DUSTOFF Association Executive Council Bob Mitchell President: Robert Mitchell... [email protected] Executive Director: Dan Gower.......... [email protected] Vice President: Bryant Harp......... [email protected] Treasurer: Dan Gower.......... [email protected] Secretary: Larry Hallstrom... [email protected] Historian: Patrick Zenk........ [email protected] DUSTOFFer Editor: Jim Truscott......... [email protected] Web Site: http://www.dustoff.org Ronald Huether... [email protected] uuuuu DUSTOFFer layout & design 2 009 Susan Gower..................................... [email protected] Printing Ink, Spot, Ink Printing & Publishing PAGE 2 The DUSTOFFer Letters to the Editor To the DUSTOFFer: Thought you would appreciate this. We were finally able to award SSG Heathe Craig’s family his Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). It turned out very well and the family appreciated it greatly, both in the States and here in Germany. Here is the note that I sent out to the old 159th alumni: On the two-year anniversary of SSG Craig’s death, I wanted to let you all know that Judy and Heathe’s family were presented the Distinguished Flying Cross recently in the States and here in Germany. The ceremony in Germany took place here in Mannheim during the garrison Memorial Day Ceremony last month. A number of old 159th DUSTOFFers were on hand to join Judy and the kids, Judy’s parents, her sister Hannah, and brother-in-law Josh. Our staunch friend and ally, CSM Alles, also made the trip to Mannheim out of respect for Heathe. The ceremony was well done and honored Heathe well. I included the PAO article from our local paper and a picture of Jonas receiving his dad’s award. On the same day, Heathe’s parents were also presented the DFC at a Memorial Day Parade in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The award was presented in front of a military and civilian crowd of over 500 people. Pretty awesome stuff. I was able to spend some time with Judy and her family yesterday, and they are doing well. Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. LTC Robert Howe Executive Officer 1-214th Aviation Regiment Germany To the DUSTOFFer: I had the honor and pleasure of attending the naming of a road for MG Pat Brady at Fort Rucker yesterday. Brady Lane is now one of the main streets in the new on-post housing area at Fort Rucker. The ceremony was very well done and was held at the intersection of Brady Lane and Wetzel Court (Gary Wetzel was there, also a Medal of Honor recipient, and a street was named after him). A large group of folks, mostly local, attended, and when Pat and Nancy Brady arrived at the site, they were very surprised to see three former members of the 54th in attendance: yours truly, Dan Goody, and Steve Hook. We had a great visit after the ceremony, and it was a good day in Lower Alabama. The Post PAO office took pictures and are supposed to send me some of the four 54th guys standing by the new street sign. If they do, I will send them on for possible future use in the newsletter. We now have on Fort Rucker a Kelly Hall, a DUSTOFF Street, a Novosel Street, and a Brady Lane. In fact, I will take pictures of all of them and send them to the Association on a disc sometime, hopefully soon. Best wishes, Charles L. (Charlie) Webb Fall/Winter 2008 PAGE 3 Closing Out the Flight Plan Otha Gayland Miles Services for retired Army Col. Otha Gayland Miles, 64, Tyler, Texas, were at Green Acres Baptist Church with Pastor Joe Ward and Dr. Bill Moore officiating. Col. Miles died August 10, 2008, in a Tyler hospital. Gayland was born October 29, 1943, in Woodville to the late Otha and Leah Belle Miles. He graduated from Kirby High School in 1962 and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Trinity University. He played semi-pro football for the San Antonio Toros. In 1967 he entered the Army and served in the Medical Service Corps. He retired in 1994 and worked for American Medical Response, Havenwood Caregivers, and ETMC. At his death, he was director of operations and regional manager at East Texas Medical Center. He was a member of Green Acres Baptist Church and former member of Walnut Ridge Baptist Church, Mansfield. Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Kathie Lawler Miles, Tyler; son, David Gayland Miles, Dallas; daughter, Lindsey Nicole Miles, Euless; sister, Lavelle Bush, Woodville; brother, Gary Miles, Tyler; two aunts; two uncles; and one nephew. Glen A. Melton Glen A. Melton, age 67, retired U.S. Army Major, passed away on August 16, 2008, at Select Specialty Hospital in Tallahassee, Florida. Memorial Services were conducted at Culley’s MeadowWood Chapel, Tallahassee, on August 31. Glen was born in Galsesburg, Illinois. He graduated from Valley Senior High in Fairview, Illinois and received a B.S. from Illinois State University and a master’s degree from Boston University. Major Melton had a warrior spirit but a humble and compassionate heart. He honorably served a tour of duty as an enlisted solider, trained as a medical technician with the U.S. Army from 1962–64. In 1969 at the height of the Viet Nam conflict, he volunteered for the most dangerous of jobs: a medevac pilot in combat. Eighty-two percent of those who fell in Viet Nam combat survived due to the “docs,” the combat medics, who were on-site to treat the wounded even as bullets flew around them. From 1970 to 1971 he served as a platoon leader with the 498th Medical Company, flying the UH-1 “Huey” medevac helicopter. Glen Melton and daughter Heather Harrington at In February of 1971 he was awarded the coveted Distinguished Flying Cross for his cour2006 Dustoff Reunion age after he volunteered for a nighttime mission to rescue a badly wounded allied soldier. He turned on his aircraft lights so he could see the treetops and then, as he and his crew endured their enemies’ fire, hovered over the battle for fifteen minutes as his crew lowered a jungle penetrator through the triple canopy jungle to retrieve the wounded soldier. During this first tour, he also earned the coveted Combat Medical Badge. Glen volunteered for a second tour to Viet Nam as a medevac pilot and served again in 1972–73 as the executive officer and then commanding officer of the 237th Medical Detachment. During this tour, he was awarded the Bronze Star. In addition to the awards already listed, he was awarded 23 air medals for valor, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Award, the Vietnam Service medal, the Republic of Viet Nam Campaign Medal, and the Purple Heart. After the Viet Nam conflict ended, Glen continued serving our country on the front lines of the Cold War. Stationed in West Germany, his luck with helicopters ended in June 1976. While landing at his base hospital after transporting an injured soldier, his medevac helicopter had an equipment malfunction that left it uncontrollable. The aircraft plunged 150 feet into the ground. He suffered a spine fracture and a permanent spinal cord injury that left him partially paralyzed. In 1977 after months of hospitalization, Glen medically retired from the U.S. Army. He served over half his military career oversees defending freedom from its enemies and cheating death from its victims. Refusing to let his horrific injuries restrict, him he bought a travel agency and continued traveling the world and spending time with his family. Glen was an active member of the DUSTOFF Association, the Distinguished Flying Cross Association, and the FSU Boosters. He was a devoted fan of the FSU football and baseball teams. He also was a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, an avid model builder, and he loved the theater and traveling. On the evening of August 16, 2008, while sleeping, with his daughter at his bedside, Major Melton entered his final battle with Death. The old soldier faded away. Those who knew him and his boundless courage and fighting spirit believe that Death came for him in his sleep because it was afraid to try and call on him while he was awake. (Closing, continued on page 5.) PAGE 4 The DUSTOFFer (Closing, continued from page 4.) William “Bill” C. Sipes George Mike Zuvela, Jr. Retired CWO Bill Sipes, 67, formerly of Fort Knox, Kentucky, died on 27 October 2007 in the Philippines. Sipes earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Purple Heart Medals, Army Commendation Medal, and 18 Air Medals while serving two tours in Vietnam, first with the 101st Airborne division (Air Assault) flying Huey MEDEVACs, and the second with the 138th Aviation company flying fixed-wing reconnaissance. Survivors include his wife, Helen Sipes of the Philippines; a son, Richard Sipes of Washington; and a daughter, Sharon Ahrens, of California. George Mike Zuvela, Jr., 62, of Tukwila, Washington, died September 29, 2007, at Veteran’s Hospital in Seattle. He was a member of flight school Class 68-505/68-3 and served in Vietnam as a MEDEVAC helicopter pilot with the 237th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) in 1968-69. Upon his return, he repaired cars in his own shop, George’s Autobody. He is survived by his wife, Carol, sons Mark and Bill, and daughters Clare Burleson and Susan Zuvela. Charles M. Clapp Charles M. Clapp, 60, of Conroe, Texas, died 11 February in Temple, DUSTOFF Association Past Presidents Chuck Mateer (1980–81)................ deceased John Hosley (1981–82)................... [email protected] Byron Howlett (1982–83)............... [email protected] Ed Taylor (1983–84)....................... [email protected] Thomas Scofield (1984–85)............ [email protected] Joseph Madrano (1985–86)............ [email protected] Jim Ritchie (1986–87) Donald Conkright (1987–88).......... [email protected] Roy Hancock (1988–89)................. [email protected] Glen Melton (1989–90).................. [email protected] Gerald Nolan (1990–91)................. [email protected] Jim Truscott (1991–92)................... [email protected] Roger Opio (1992–93).................... [email protected] Ed Bradshaw (1993–94)................. [email protected] Robert Romines (1994–96)............ [email protected] Daniel Gower (1996–97)................ [email protected] Charlie Webb (1997–98)................. [email protected] Herb Coley (1998–99).................... [email protected] Merle Snyder (1999–2000)............. [email protected] Gregg Griffin (2000–01)................. [email protected] Jeff Mankoff (2001–02).................. [email protected] Ken Crook (2002–03)..................... [email protected] Art Hapner (2003–04).................... [email protected] Ernie Sylvester (2004–05) ............. [email protected] Garry Atkins (2005-6).................... [email protected] Doug Moore (2006-7)..................... [email protected] Timothy Burke (2007-8)................. [email protected] Founder Tom “Egor” Johnson......................... [email protected] Members at Large Howard [email protected] Hank [email protected] Mary [email protected] Scott Heintz...............................scott.heintz@enableamerica.org Fall/Winter 2008 Texas, of complications following surgery. He served as a MEDEVAC pilot with the 498th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) in 1970-71. After his retirement from the Army, Clapp served in aviation safety as a truck driver and as a deputy sheriff. Willard Gary Rusk “Bill” Rusk died on 11 December in Denver after battling pancreatic cancer for several months. He was 62. Bill joined the Army in 1966 and earned his wings in warrant officer flight training flight class 70-9. He served with the 498th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) from June 1970 to June 1971. His call sign was DUSTOFF 32. Fort Hood DUSTOFF Subject of Young Filmmakers An interesting article in the August/September 2008 edition of Army Aviation Boy Scout producers of “Believe It. Live It,” a documentary profiling individuals who exemplify the points of the Boy Scout Law, were “awed and amazed” after filing medical evacuation Soldiers of company C, 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th combat Aviation Brigade, 18 July at Fort Hood, Texas. The “Lone Star DUSTOFF” aircrews will be featured for exemplifying the value “Obedient” by the Scouts. The nine young film makers had the opportunity to videotape a reenlistment, interview flight crews and commanders, and capture shots of a Black Hawk helicopter starting and taking off. The young men are working under the direction of Austin-based Arrowhead Films, producers of the award-winning documentary “In the Shadow of the Blade.” “As mentors to these young men, I want them to walk away from this project with technical and professional skills, and also with the realization that they can and should use those skills to make documentaries that make a difference,” said director Patrick Fries. The BILI series is designed to inspire young Scouts to examine the meaning of the Scout Laws. It is a project of the Boy Scouts of America, Austin Capitol Area Council, and the Brock Family Foundation and will be distributed later to Scouts nationwide. PAGE 5 A Look at MEDEVAC Missions in Iraq I Leslie Sabbagh, a reporter for the Reader’s Digest, describes her experiences flying with MEDEVAC on helicopter rescue missiosn to aid American casualties of the war. t all starts here with the MEDEVAC units and the 9-lines (requests for medical evacuation in combat zones). I was flying with C Company, 7-101st Aviation Regiment (also know as Eagle DUSTOFF) or the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The 85-Soldier company is part of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, which is based in Balad, Iraq, about 50 miles northeast of Baghdad. The helicopters are specially modified UH-60 Blackhawks. The Geneva Convention stipulates that MEDEVAC helicopters fly missions unarmed, and while the U.S. abides by these rules, insurgents and terrorists in Iraq don’t. In fact, they are known to target the choppers. That makes flying these missions extremely dangerous—yet all the crews volunteer for this duty. Since Vietnam, MEDEVAC crews carry on the tradition of DUSTOFF (dedicated, unhesitating service to our fighting forces). To these brave few, nothing is more honorable than risking their lives to save others. Although they are allowed armed escort, the MEDEVAC choppers often fly into the pickup zones without Apache (AH-64) gunship support. These crews risk their lives to evacuate all the wounded—both friendly and enemy casualties. At the pickup zones (PZ), the crew chief exits the bird and pulls perimeter security for the chopper, which is more vulnerable on the ground than in the air, while the flight medic exits the bird and rushes to the ground units and casualties. The objective is to spend as little time on the ground as necessary. Aside from the lifesaving skills of their flight medics, the best medicine a MEDEVAC crew can offer their patients is the incredible speed with which they can evacuate them to the nearest Combat Support Hospital (CSH). MEDEVAC birds fly in the lowest of weather minimums and will launch when no other helicopter will. The crews are highly skilled, launching within minutes of every call received, and landing in some of the tightest PAGE 6 PZs in Iraq. The medics are trained to perform lifesaving skills in a very difficult environment—cramped, moving, unstable. All this requires a high level of expertise and fitness that is unique in military aviation. When the “MEDEVAC, MEDEVAC, MEDEVAC!” call comes over the walkie-talkies, the crews race into action. The medic runs into the flight operations area to ascertain the number These crews risk their lives to evacuate all the wounded—both friendly and enemy casualties. of patients and their injuries. The pilot in command is simultaneously plotting the flight using grid coordinates provided by the ground unit. The crew chief and co-pilot meanwhile have run to the bird and begun the pre-flight. The medic then runs out to the aircraft and briefs the pilots on the casualties’ conditions. This begins the crew coordination piece of the medic’s responsibilities. En route, the medic provides normal airspace surveillance around the left side of the aircraft, usually from the 7 to 11 o’clock positions, and helps the pilots land the aircraft by looking for obstacles, calling the aircraft and tail clear, and telling them what’s in the pickup zone. From the right side of the aircraft, the crew chief also calls obstacles, looks for inflight hazards such as wires and towers, and keeps an eye on the second helicopter, also known as the chase bird. In Iraq, all aircraft launch and fly in pairs. As soon as the aircraft lands, the medic disconnects headset communication and rushes to receive a patient hand-off from the requesting unit. From this point on, the rest of the crew has visual contact only with the medic. Simultaneously, the crew chief comes around to the medic’s side of the aircraft to assist with patient loading and litter handoffs to replace those the requesting unit uses for the current casualty, and provides security for the aircraft, medic, and crew. The ground medic briefs the flight medic on how the casualty was injured, what treatments were given—medications, bandages, intravenous fluids, vital signs, and any pertinent paperwork or documentation. Depending on how hot the PZ is, all this can be going on as they rush to load the casualties. Once inside, the medic focuses on the patients. Airspace surveillance is picked up by the left-seat pilot because the medic is crouched in front of the patients or sitting on the center seat facing aft and not in the left side window seat. Inside the aircraft, the medic reinforces dressings, continually checks vitals, replaces IV bags, and provides appropriate levels of intervention to keep the patient stable. The medic briefs the pilots on the patients’ status as they near the CSH. Based upon the medic’s report, the pilots will increase speed, change routes, and/or request special clearance from air traffic control. I’ve often heard pilots request permission to fly over no-fly zones because the patients were crashing and couldn’t wait even a few more minutes. Five to 10 minutes from the CSH, the medic calls the ER staff with numbers of patients and status, estimated time of landing, and major interventions given, such as intubation, oxygen, medications. This entire sequence of events is compounded when carrying more than one patient. The aircraft can carry up to four litters and one ambulatory patient in a normal configuration. Once the aircraft lands, the medic exits and assists in unloading and delivering the patients to the ER, where the medic briefs the lead doctor. The crew chief gathers all the necessary litters, oxygen, and blankets from the ER staff, while the medics give the proper handoff to the doctors. Then the medic returns to the aircraft and assists the crew chief in preparing for any follow-on missions. The DUSTOFFer MEDEVAC Crews Brave Enemy Fire to Save Soldiers An article written by SFC Thomas Mills, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, the Multi-National Division Center, Baghdad, Iraq, dated 21 January 2008. Camp Striker, Iraq—Aeromedical evacuation crews from Task Force Marne faced down enemy gunfire to deliver five injured Soldiers to safety on 18 January. The MEDEVAC crews from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were called in when a patrol of Strykers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was attacked. The Blackhawk helicopters flew to the site only to find that the easiest place for them to land, the road the Stryker vehicles were on, was not yet cleared of possible improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The MEDEVAC crews were unable to contact the ground forces or an Apache team from the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade that was in the area. After circling, scouting for a place to land, the crews landed in a field adjacent to the road, said CPT Samuel Fricks, Operations Officer, Company C. Fricks, from Morrow, Georgia, a pilot in the second of the two MEDEVAC aircraft, said his bird waited until Chalk One was down safely before approaching and landing on the other side of the clearing and facing the first aircraft. “After landing, my medic, SSG Robert Congdon, departed the aircraft and linked up with Chalk One’s medic, SSG Aughe McQuown,” said Fricks. The two medics went to the site of the attack and soon returned to the helicopters with three injured Soldiers. When they returned to the Stryker with the remaining two injured Soldiers, Congdon said, they began taking fire. “I just grabbed the patient and grabbed McQuown and we went into the Stryker,” said Congdon, a native of Las Vegas, Nevada. Bullets struck the Stryker and around them as they went for the cover of the armored vehicle. Congdon reset the Stryker’s radio to the MEDEVAC frequency, then took off his flight helmet and put on a Stryker crewmember’s helmet so he could talk to the aircraft. When the call came over the radio Fall/Winter 2008 that his medics were taking fire, Fricks wasn’t sure what to think. He didn’t know where the fire was coming from. He figured that since the helicopters were down below the level of the road in the field, he wasn’t in too much danger. Bullets struck the Stryker and around them as they went for the cover of the armored vehicle. “The only thing we knew was that SSG Congdon was taking fire,” said Fricks. As they waited for the two medics to come back with the remaining patients, a third medic, SGT Donald Dedmon, from Foreman, Arkansas, who was being trained as a flight medic, ran back and forth between the two aircraft to treat the injured Soldiers already on board. Dedmon was half-way through his training to be certified to operate as a medic on a MEDEVAC when he found himself in the position of being responsible for patients on two different MEDEVAC aircraft. “I was keying on the patients,” Dedmon said. “Afterward it kind of came into perspective.” Fricks had been linked up via radio to the circling Apaches, and he relayed Congdon’s directions to bring in some 30mm machine cannon fire to suppress the enemy shooter. Back at the Stryker, Congdon and McQuown were still trying to get back to the aircraft with their patients. “We lowered the ramp of the Stryker to get out and be able to get to the aircraft, and the sniper started shooting,” said Congdon. “McQuown, a native of Florida, picked up one patient, while Congdon and an Infantry Soldier helped the other patient and they broke for it.” It was a combination of running out of litters and the guy was shooting at us, said Congdon. “The longer we wait on the ground, the worse it is on the patients; at some point, we had to just leave and get the patients to the hospital.” The medics loaded the remaining two patients on the MEDEVAC birds. After a quick count of heads to make sure no one was left behind, they departed while the Apaches continued to lay down suppressive fire. “The five patients all survived,” said Fricks. He said watching the two medics struggling to bring their patients to safety, was almost like something you’d see in a Hollywood production. “I just thought it was awesome.” Wanted! 100 DUSTOFFers— each with $100—who are willing to donate the money to the DUSTOFF Association At the 2007 Reunion, the membership voted to pay itself back for the $10,000 placed into the Quad-A Annuity for our DUSTOFF Scholarship. These donations will be taxdeductible and help fund necessary programs of the Association, primarily the funding of DUSTOFF Association Coins, given to units returning from combat operations. At the Reunion we raised almost $1,000 toward that goal. Be a sustaining part of the DUSTOFF Association. Mail your donation to the DUSTOFF Association, P.O. Box 8091, Wainwright Station, San Antonio, TX 78208. On the “for” line note “100/100.” PAGE 7 First Flight Medics Awarded CMBs CAB PAO Maj. Enrique T. Vasquez Tikrit, Iraq – Seven U.S. Army flight medics assigned to The battles of today have no distinct lines, as any area Company C, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st can become a combat zone without warning. This type of Aviation Regiment, received the first Combat Medic Badges warfare has dramatically altered the traditional support role awarded to MEDEVAC crews for their actions during com- of MEDEVAC companies, placing their medical personnel bat operations in northern Iraq, while flying in support of into more multiple direct combat situations than any previTask Force Iron, 1st Armored Division. ous American conflict. Staff Sgt. Kory Werts, Staff Sgt. Lanier Patterson, Sgt. “They are willing to go anywhere, anytime to do the hard Ethan Rogers, Sgt. Jovan Salazar, Sgt. Tyrone Jordan, Spc. work, and it’s just impressive,” said Farrington Nathaniel Northrup, and Spc. Stacey “When they get the call, they don’t Dill received the CMB in a ceremony at know what they are going into. All they Contingency Operating Base Speicher The battles of today know is that they are going to save a Solon July 28. The seven awardees are all have no distinct lines, dier’s life, or any human being for that based out of Fort Riley, Kansas, and de- as any area can become matter. These guys are truly angels of ployed to Iraq with the Combat Aviation mercy,” said Farrington. Brigade, 1st Infantry Division during the a combat zone without Both male and female flight medics, warning. fall of 2007. previously regarded as strictly medical The Combat Medic Badge recognizes support personnel, are now drawn into the unique service and selfless sacrifices the fight against terror and extended the of medical personnel while in contact with enemy or under opportunity to be awarded the CMB. fire. “It is sort of a thankless job. Most people think all we “This is a big deal when you think about the magnitude do is pick up and drop off patients and only give us credit of this because it is the first time flight medics have received for that. We don’t get credit for the times when we retrieve the CMB. It is an interesting point in history,” said Col. Jes- patients under fire or treat them while in flight,” said Rogers. sie O. Farrington, commander CAB 1ID. “It is very special that we are finally being recognized for Previously, medical personnel serving in division-level that time when we actually work to save a patient’s life.” medical companies, ground ambulance, and medical clearThe effort to award the CMB to flight crews gained moing companies, Mobile-Army Surgical Hospital (MASH), mentum through the recent involvement of Army leadership, Combat-Support Hospital (CSH), and aero-medical evacua- who played a major role in pushing for the badge. tion units were not eligible for the CMB. According to Army “Several months ago I was approached by Lt. Col. Miregulations, flight medics could not receive the CMB. chael Tetu, 2-1 commander, and we discussed the need to “In the past the Combat Medical Badge was only awarded do something to recognize MEDEVAC flight crews, since to those medics serving with ground units. For one reason or they did not qualify for the CMB,” said Maj. Gen. Mark P. another, flight medics were unable to qualify for the badge,” Hertling, the Task Force Iron commanding general. said Rogers. “These air [flight] medics go into some very tough conditions and probably face conditions ten times tougher than medics on the ground. What makes this so special is the fact that these flight crews treat patients in the air and to this day these medics and medics like them have never lost a patient in flight,” said Hertling. During the ceremony Hertling recounted how he wrote a letter to Lieutenant General Michael D. Rochelle, Deputy Chief of Staff G-1, United States Army, to see if Army regulations could be changed to allow flight medics to receive the CMB. “This isn’t right. We need to do something to change the regulations. We have to do something to get these flight medics the recognition they deserve,” Hertling wrote to Rochelle. The end result caused a change to current Army regulations that now allow CMBs to be awarded to flight med(Top row) Staff Sgt. Lanier Patterson, Spc. Stacey Dill, ics. Sgt. Ethan Rogers, Spc. Nathaniel Northrup , (bottom row) “So these seven people are the first, and I am very happy Staff Sgt. Kory Werts, Sgt. Jovan Salazar, and Sgt. Tyrone Jordan assigned to Company C, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, to be here to see the ‘Duty First’ brigade, 1st Infantry Divi1st Aviation Regiment, pose with Combat Aviation Brigade, sion, be the first to award the Combat Medic Badge to air 1st Infantry Division Surgeon Col. Arthur Wittich (right). MEDEVAC medics,” said Hertling. PAGE 8 The DUSTOFFer Vietnam Veteran Recalled As Hero by Family, Friends On Memorial Day 1999, DUSTOFFER Timothy Cole was remembered in a ceremony in his home town, Newnan, Georgia. Penned by W. Winston Skinner, Assistant News Editor of the Newnan Times-Herald. L ouise Cole lifted her glasses and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue while a trio sang “Near the Cross,” her son’s favorite hymn. An elderly veteran silently mouthed the words of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as it was sung, and a woman spontaneously placed her hand over her heart as the names of Cowetans killed in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam were read. Monday’s Memorial Day program focused on the life of Timothy Cole Jr., a native Cowetan who lost his life in Vietnam in 1968—two months shy of his 22nd birthday. It was a time of smiles, of tears, of remembrance—of what was and what might have been. “I know if he were here today, he would be doing other great things,” Army buddy Willie Boyd said of Cole, speaking before a record Memorial Day crowd of about 350 in the park at Temple Avenue and Jackson Street. Louise Cole was presented with a flag—folded with military precision by local veterans—to replace the one from her son’s casket that burned in a fire several years ago. She also was given a photo of her son, altered by computer wizardry to show him as a warrant officer, the rank he held when he lost his life on the last of his more than 800 medical evacuation missions in Vietnam. John Davis recalled his boyhood friend as the kind of person “who doesn’t come along very often.” He said Cole, known as “Skip,” was a leader. Davis remembered falling and breaking his arm when he was about 10 while playing king of the hill at Cole’s home. “He was king of the hill in everything he did,” he said. “Skip was always popular in school because of his engaging personality. However, don’t think for a minute that he didn’t know commitment, sacrifice, and family values,” Davis said. Cole’s father died before he was grown, and he helped keep the famFall/Winter 2008 ily farm going while attending high school. “Quitting school—abandoning his goals and his dreams—was not a possibility for him and his mother,” Davis said. Willis Potts also grew up with Cole and then went to the Georgia Institute “From my point of view, he deserved a medal for every mission. . . .” of Technology 10 days after their high school graduation. He remembered enduring the rigors of freshman life, their joint involvement in the Tech Glee Club, and Cole’s interest in the Baptist Student Union. He recalled Cole’s decision to leave school and enter the Army. “This country didn’t really know what they stood for, but Skip wanted to serve. It shocked me,” Potts said. Searcy Jackson was serving as pastor at Macedonia Baptist, the Cole’s family church, when Tim Cole was killed. He remembered “how much he loved his God.” He spoke of Cole’s 800-plus MEDEVAC missions. “If you knew Tim, you could understand that. He did that simply because of his deep love not only for his fellowman, but his deep love for God,” Jackson said. “Tim Cole had a deep love for his God and his church—and certainly for his family and his friends,” Jackson said. He recalled that on Tim’s last trip to Macedonia, he taught the married Sunday School class. “He wanted to say a word for God,” he said. Al Michaels was in the Army with Cole and brought is body back from Vietnam. They met in basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, where Cole helped some of the other new Soldiers read and write letters. Cole “graduated near the top” in flight training, Michaels said. “He was an exceptional young man.” He recalled sharing quarters with Cole in Vietnam. They painted them with the only paint they could find— some walls red, others black. They got a spider monkey and a parrot to keep them company. Speaking of Cole’s medical evacuations, Michaels said that fatalities were particularly high in World Wars I and II because there was no organized effort to get the wounded off the battlefield. “Timmy evacuated a tremendous number of GIs. He saved a lot of lives. There is no doubt in my mind, the day Timmy was taken away from us, he never gave that a second thought,” said Michaels, who traveled with his wife, Nancy, from Virginia for the program. Boyd, who flew with Cole in Vietnam, recalled him as “very efficient and very courageous.” He said that Cole put his life on the line every time he flew in Vietnam. “From my point of view, he deserved a medal for every mission he went on,” he said. Sam Hudson, who in 1968 was dispatched by the Army to tell Louise Cole that her son had died, also returned to Newnan on Monday from his Alabama home. He spoke of Mrs. Cole’s calm faith. “She was an inspiration to me,” he remembered. Carol Gulatt, Cole’s sister, said that Monday’s program had given Tim Cole back to his family for a time. For the first time, she said, her husband and daughters got to meet her big brother. “You have confirmed my memories and given me some new ones to cherish,” Gulatt said. “You have allowed me to have the release that I have so desperately needed for the past 31 years.” Both Potts and Davis named sons after Tim Cole. “His legacy lives on,” Potts said. Gulatt spoke words of hope, grounded in the faith she and her brother shared. “I will see my brother again, not because he was a good man or because I am a good person. Because of his example in his walk of faith, I also know Christ personally,” she said. PAGE 9 First Production HH-60M MEDEVAC Helicopter Enters Final Assembly Steve Flood, Project Manager, provided the status of the new Black Hawk MEDEVAC version in the Q2-2008 issue of the Sikorsky Frontlines. The first production HH-60M MEDEVAC helicopter started final assembly at the beginning of April, marking the next stage in the delivery of “M” model Black Hawks. Deliveries of the HH-60M will commence in July 2008. The HH-60M share the same basic airframe as the UH-60M helicopter but is outfitted with specific systems to support MEDEVAC missions. “Features such as the Aircraft Medical Oxygen Generating System (AMOGS), Downed Pilot Locator System, Medical Interior, and ForwardLooking Infrared Radar (FLIR), help air crews locate and care for wounded soldiers as they are being transported from the battlefield to a medical facility,” said HH-60M Helicopter Project Manager Steve Flood. HH-60M MEDEVAC cabins are built in the new Structures Facility in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where the aircraft’s major structures are joined, and all MEDEVAC unique structural buildups are incorporated. Joined airframes are transported to the Military Aircraft Completion Center in Stratford, where they are inducted into the four-position final assembly line, where they are assembled and then flight-tested and delivered to the customer. “There is a real commitment to get these aircraft completed and out to the field, and the team is passionately working toward this goal,” said Flood. Deliveries are scheduled to occur at an average rate of two aircraft per month. The first 12 HH-60M aircraft will be delivered to the 3-126th General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), an Army National Guard MEDEVAC Company shared by Massachusetts and Vermont. A total of 96 HH-60M MEDEVAC aircraft will be delivered in the next five years. LESSONS LEARNED BY HELICOPTER PILOTS IN COMBAT • There is no such thing as a “fun” hot LZ • The madness of war can exact a heavy toll. Please have exact change. • Always remember that helicopters are different from airplanes. Helicopters are thousands of pounds of parts flying in loose formation often in opposition to each other, and unlike airplanes, they fly by beating the air into submission. • Decisions made by someone over your head will seldom be in your best interest. • “Chicken Plates” are not something you order in a restaurant. • The sole purpose of our helicopters is to support our grunts. Anyone who forgets that has forgotten their purpose in life. • Eat when you can. Sleep when you can.Visit the head when you can.The next opportunity may not come around for a long time, if ever. • Combat pay is a flawed concept. • Air superiority is NOT a luxury. • Everybody’s a hero on the ground in the club and after the fourth drink. • The farther you fly into the mountains or over water, the louder the strange engine noise becomes. • In helicopters, there is no such thing as a “good vibration.” • If every one of us does not come home, none of the rest of us can ever fully come home. • Do not fear the enemy, for the enemy can only take your life. It is far better that you fear the media, for they will steal your HONOR. PAGE 10 The DUSTOFFer Air Ambulance Crashes Trigger FAA’s “Full Attention” W An article written by Alan Levin in the 10 June 2008 edition of USA Today focused on civilian aviation concerns about the ambulance programs. ashington, D.C.—Federal aviation officials said Monday that they are concerned medical helicopter accidents may again be on the rise now that four fatal crashes have happened in less than six months. “The recent spate of accidents has the FAA’s full attention,” said Alison Duquette, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. A helicopter carrying a 58-yearold patient, along with a flight nurse, paramedic, and pilot, crashed into a wooded area near Huntsville, Texas, early Sunday, killing all aboard. The helicopter struck trees, spreading debris over 600 feet, according to preliminary data from the National Transportation Safety board (NTSB). The accident and three others since December 30 have killed 13 people and are similar to a pattern that prompted the NTSB to conduct a special safety review of the air ambulance industry in 2006, according to preliminary reports and an industry association. All four of the recent fatal crashes happened at night and in places where pilots had little or no visual reference on the ground, such as a forest or over water, according to NTSB files. “We’re monitoring all these recent investigations with an eye toward whether they are related to previous recommendations we made,” said Jeffrey Guzzetti, deputy director of the NTSB’s aviation division. The NTSB said in 2006 that most crashes were preventable. It issued recommendations for better technology and new rules to force pilots to be more cautious, especially at night and in poor weather. The FAA, which regulates the air ambulance industry, has taken numerous steps to improve safety in recent years but has balked at the more stringent suggestions of the safety board. “No accidents are acceptable on the helicopters that increasingly ferry the nation’s sickest patients from remote locations to top trauma centers,” said Tom Judge, program director for Fall/Winter 2008 LifeFlight of Maine and a safety adviser to the Association of Air Medical Services. “There is no evidence that the crashes are anything more than an ‘unfortunate cluster,’” Judge said. “I think that all of us are puzzled and are trying to understand what this is.” All four of the recent fatal crashes happened at night and in places where pilots had little or no visual reference on the ground. . . . After a flurry of attention from crash investigators and regulators, the number of fatal air ambulance helicopter crashes fell to two in 2006 and two in 2007, according to NTSB data. In 2008, there have been three fatal crashes. Recent crashes include: • On December 30, in Cherokee, Alabama, an air ambulance helicopter, assisting in the search for a missing hunter, crashed in a wooded area at night, killing a pilot, paramedic, and flight nurse. • On February 5, a pilot and two medical workers died when a helicopter crashed in a bay near South Padre Island, Texas. • On May 10, an air ambulance helicopter crashed into trees near La Crosse, Wisconsin, shortly after dropping a patient at a hospital. The pilot, a physician, and a nurse died. • An FAA inspector and a pilot suffered serious injuries on May 29 when a helicopter crashed on top of the Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The pilot was receiving a routine check by the inspector. The crash prompted the evacuation of some hospital patients. The NTSB recommended that air ambulance companies adopt new technology to warn pilots when they fly too close to the ground and pay more attention to high risk factors, such as poor weather, before departing. The NTSB also voted to encourage the FAA to approve the use of night-vision goggles. “The new technology has proven difficult to put in place, according to FAA documents,” said Judge. None of the pilots on the four recent crashes at night was using night-vision goggles, according to Guzzetti. Al Michaels, DUSTOFF 8 at the 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) in 1968–69, shown in the BO-105 he flew in Pittsburgh in the mid-1980s. PAGE 11 Maine Trauma System An article in the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel, written by Kevin McGinnis, the manager of the Maine Trauma System, published 21 May 2008. The article highlights aeromedical evacuation and its life-saving effect on emergency medical services in America—A legacy of which DUSTOFFers can be appropriately proud. T his week is recognized as Emergency Medical Services Week. This week also marks the 15th anniversary of the inception of the Maine Trauma System, a program for emergency injury care. So, what difference has that made? Some of you may have heard of the “Golden Hour.” That’s the time from a life-threatening injury to the last moment possible for that injury to be surgically repaired so the patient survives. It is not, strictly speaking, an hour in all cases, but that time has held up as a useful indicator of the urgency involved. Regional and statewide trauma care systems save lives by accurately identifying, as soon after the injury as possible, patients for whom the Golden Hour has begun to tick down. They then provide appropriate on-site care to the patient and take the patient to a specialized trauma center as quickly as possible. (The majority of injured patients, for whom the Golden Hour is not a factor, are better served by their local facilities.) In Maine, the three regional trauma centers are in Portland, Lewiston, and Bangor. These sites, all available around the clock, have invested in trauma surgeons and other specialists and in surgical and critical care facilities tailored to trauma patients. Medical helicopters are often the fastest means for taking a patient to one of these facilities, and LifeFlight helicopters are based at the trauma centers in Bangor and Lewiston. Lifeflight also includes a statewide system of helipads, including ones at Maine Medical Center in Portland and Inland Hospital in Waterville. By the end of this year, all but four of Maine’s 38 acute-care hospitals will have built or improved helipads. How is the Maine Trauma System and technology making a difference? Let’s look at a car crash in central Maine 10 years ago and that same crash PAGE 12 10 years from now. Maine’s Trauma System, at 15 years of age, provides much of what will be available 10 years from now. Remember the Golden Hour. Regional and statewide trauma care systems save lives by accurately identifying . . . patients for whom the Golden Hour has begun to tick down. Ten years ago 00:00—(midnight) After the driver, who is wearing a seat belt, falls asleep, a car crashes over a 25-foot embankment into the woods below, rolling over once. The patient suffers internal injuries with bleeding and is unconscious. 00:26—A passing motorist sees headlights in the woods below, checks on the crashed car, and calls for help on his cell phone. 00:35—The local ambulance is dispatched. The emergency medical technician and paramedic travel 20 minutes to the reported accident site. Unfortunately, the information is inaccurate and they end up a mile away. Five minutes are lost while they drive around looking for the site. They happen upon the car of the emergency caller. 01:05—The paramedic reaches the crashed car and determines that the patient is seriously injured, with a low blood pressure. He asks the EMT to call fire rescue to bring the “jaws of life,” a tool to open the jammed doors to extricate the patient. He starts an intravenous fluid line in the patient’s arm and applies oxygen. 01:20—The “jaws” arrive and are applied. 01:30—The patient is extricated, is put in a neck collar, and placed on a rigid board for travel. The ambulance leaves the scene. 02:00—The ambulance arrives at the local hospital with the paramedic and a firefighter doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the patient, whose heart has stopped. The patient can’t be revived. Ten years from now 00:00—Same crash and same circumstances; only the vehicle is different. An automatic crash notification device in the car sends a signal to a dispatch center. It tells the dispatcher that the car has rolled over at high speed, and there is a high likelihood of injury and entrapment. Established protocol for such crash notifications dictate that the dispatcher automatically sends an ambulance, fire rescue extrication responders, and a medical helicopter. 00:01—Fire rescue, EMS, and the helicopter are notified and head to the exact location identified by the vehicle’s Global Positioning System (GPS). 00:25—All responders are at the scene. The patient is extricated, treated, and loaded into the helicopter. 00:30—The helicopter lifts off for the hospital. En route, the patient receives blood replacement and a portable imaging device reveals a bleeding injury in his abdomen. The images are radioed to the trauma center. 00:45—The helicopter lands at the regional trauma center and the patient is wheeled to the trauma operating suite. 00:55—The patient’s abdomen has been opened and the major bleeding injuries clamped. The patient will survive. The DUSTOFFer A Diamond in the Rough no More An account by David May published in the Mineral Wells Index, October 7, 2008, recounts how DUSTOFFer and Aggie Tommy Mayes was reunited with something he thought he’d never see again. T hirty-five years ago, Army pilot-intraining Tommy Mayes landed his TH-55 helicopter in a clearing in the scruffy Palo Pinto Mountains northwest of Mineral Wells. He stepped out of his whirlybird trainer and surveyed the area before preparing to lift off. At some point, he apparently bent over and something important fell out of his shirt pocket. About a year ago, Peggy Harvey found that item. On Sunday, she was able to hand Mayes his Texas A&M class ring. This wasn’t just any class ring. It was special because it contained a diamond from the wedding ring of his mother, who died about a year ago. “I’m sorry she’s not still alive to see the ring again,” Mayes said. Having made the drive from San Antonio to Mineral Wells to be reunited with his sentimental piece of jewelry, Mayes smiled widely as he slipped off his replacement Aggie ring and slid, twisted and slightly forced on the ring he long ago figured he’d never see again. He gazed in wonderment at the ring’s excellent condition, with the small diamond still intact. He said one of his friends told him years ago that, “At some point, when you least expect it, you will get a call out of nowhere” from someone claiming they had found his ring. It wasn’t a phone call out of nowhere, but rather an e-mail out of nowhere. Mayes said he and his wife, Gretchen, had returned from a recent vacation when he had an e-mail in his inbox from Harvey, a Mineral Wells High School math teacher, asking if he had lost a class ring near Mineral Wells. “I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “This wouldn’t happen to just anybody.” He was able to describe the ring to a Texas (A&M) T to Harvey. Harvey began investigating to find the lost ring’s owner first by looking at the ring with its A&M insignia, noting Fall/Winter 2008 it belonged to a Class of 1972 graduate, and reading the name, a cursive inscription, on the inside of the 10-karat gold ring. She said she could clearly read the owner’s first name, but the last name of Mayes was not as easy to determine. “I was in a hurry, and I took it off and dropped it in my pocket . . . I forgot to zip it up.” She eventually got in touch with Don Crawford, executive director of the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Association. Texas A&M has a large and active alumni base, and with his help they were able to make an educated guess as to who the owner of the ring would be. Through a friend of Mayes, Harvey was recently able to make contact with Mayes. Harvey and her husband, James, live near the end of Devil’s Hollow Road off State Highway 377 between Mineral Wells and Possum Kingdom Lake, where the Palo Pinto Mountains rise and fall all around them. Harvey, who said she “finds things,” said one day she was walking on the property in an area she had walked hundreds of times of before. This time she happened to see something shiny barely sticking up through the sand and small rocks. “Out of curiosity I dug it up,” she said. “It had sand and dirt and rocks all around it. I took it in and cleaned it up.” Once realizing what she had, she began the task of trying to find its owner. It was with even more luck the ring was undamaged. The Harveys had cut a road across the property just feet from where the ring was partially buried. She said when a septic system was put in, the dirt could have easily been dumped on top of the ring, permanently burying it. She said seeing the expression on Mayes’ face when she handed him the ring “made it all worthwhile.” Harvey said she persisted in finding the ring’s owner for the past year because, “I felt he’d like to have the ring back.” Maybe it was a payback of sorts. Harvey said in college she lost her high school ring. She said a man found it, tracked her down and returned it. Mayes, a 1972 graduate of Texas A&M, was stationed at the former Fort Wolters Army base in Mineral Wells in early 1973. Fort Wolters at the time was a primary helicopter pilot training base during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Training helicopters in those days filled the surrounding North Texas skies, and one of the tasks the young pilots had to do at times was land and take off in certain areas. Colored tires marked certain zones, and pilots had to properly land in areas that carried different degrees of difficulty. On this day, Mayes was to land near a yellow tire in a clearing about 6 miles northwest of Mineral Wells. “The different colors of tires signified different degrees of difficulty,” said Mayes. “A yellow tire area was a pretty difficult landing area.” One day in 1973 — Mayes thinks it was probably in April — he was about to take off from Fort Wolters when he noticed he was still wearing his class ring. Pilots were instructed not to wear jewelry when flying. Mayes said he would usually remove his ring and place it in a zippered cargo compartment on his flight pants. “I was in a hurry, and I took it off and dropped it in my shirt pocket,” he said. “I forgot to zip it up.” After finding his yellow target and landing, Mayes said he got out and walked around. “I was probably smoking a cigarette (Diamond, continued on page 14.) PAGE 13 Rules A lthough flying a helicopter may seem very difficult, the truth is if you can drive a car, you can, with just a few minutes of instruction, take the controls of one of these amazing machines. Of course, you would immediately crash and die. This is why you need to remember: RULE ONE OF HELICOPTER PILOTING: Always have somebody sitting right next to you who actually (Diamond, continued from page 13.) and throwing rocks,” he said. “I guess I bent over and it fell out.” After returning to the base, Mayes realized his ring was gone. “I felt really bad about losing it, for a lot of different reasons,” he said. He went back to the landing site looking for it. He asked other pilots landing there to look around for the ring, but no one could find it. About a month later Mayes was sent to Fort Rucker in Georgia to advanced helicopter pilot training, and he figured he left behind forever his cherished ring. Mayes served in the U.S. Army for 22 years, eventually commanding a medical battalion supporting the Army’s 101st Airborne during the Persian Gulf War. He told a story of saving the lives of himself and his crew, as well as people on the ground, in a helicopter crash in Germany. He retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel and now works with a San Antonio “home infusion” company that helps people receive therapy and medical treatments at home. He is a 1968 graduate of Richland Hills High School in Fort Worth, where was a member of junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. He said he regretted that his mother did not live to see the ring again. Mayes said his father died when he was 14. His mother remarried, but gave him a diamond from the wedding ring that his father gave her, so he could include it in his A&M ring. PAGE 14 of Helicopter Flying by David Berry knows how to fly the helicopter and can snatch the controls away from you. Because the truth is that helicopters are nothing at all like cars. Cars work because of basic scientific principles that everybody understands, such as internal combustion and parallel parking. Whereas scientists still have no idea what holds helicopters up. “Whatever it is, it could stop at any moment,” is their current feeling. RULE TWO OF HELICOPTER PILOTING: Maybe you should forget the entire thing. This is what I was thinking on a recent Saturday morning as I stood outside a small airport in South Florida. I was about to take my first helicopter lesson. This was not my idea. This was the idea of Pam Gallina-Raisstguier, who flies radio reporters over Miami during rush hour so they can alert drivers to traffic problems (“Bob, we have a three-mile backup on the interstate due to an overturned cocaine truck”). Pam is active in an international organization of women helicopter pilots called (Gloria Steinem, avert your eyes) the ”Whirly Girls.” She thought it would be a great idea for me to take a helicopter lesson. I began having severe doubts when I saw Pam’s helicopter. This was a small helicopter. It looked like it should have a little slot where you insert quarters to make it go up and down. I knew that if we got airborne in a helicopter this size in South Florida, some of our larger tropical flying insects could very well attempt to mate with us. Also, this helicopter had no doors. As a Frequent Flyer, I know for a fact that all your leading U.S. airlines, despite being bankrupt, maintain a strict safety policy of having doors on their aircraft. “Don’t we need a larger helicopter?” I asked Pam. ”With doors?” “Get in.” said Pam. You don’t defy a direct order from a Whirly Girl. Now we’re in the helicopter, and Pam is explaining the controls to me over the headset. But there’s static, and the engine is making a lot of noise. “your throttle (some- thing),” she is saying. “This is your cyclic and (something) your collective.” “What?” I say. “(something) give you the controls when we reach 500 feet,” Pam says. “What?” I say. But Pam is not listening. She is moving a control thing and WHOOOOAAAAAA we are shooting up in the air, and there are still no doors on this particular helicopter. Now Pam is giving me the main control thing. RULE THREE OF HELICOPTER PILOTING: If anybody tries to give you the main control thing, refuse to take it. Pam says: “You don’t need hardly any pressure to...” “AIEEEEEEEEEEE!” “That was too much pressure,” Pam says. Now I am flying the helicopter. I AM FLYING THE HELICOPTER. I am flying it by not moving a single body part, for fear of jiggling the control thing. I look like the Lincoln Memorial statue of Abraham Lincoln, only more rigid. “Make a right turn,” Pam is saying. I gingerly move the control thing one zillionth of an inch to the right and helicopter LEANS OVER TOWARD MY SIDE AND THERE IS STILL NO DOOR HERE. I instantly move the thing one zillionth of an inch back. “I’m not turning right.” I inform Pam. “What?” she says. ”Only left turns.” I tell her. When you’ve been flying helicopters as long as I have, you know your limits. After a while it becomes clear to Pam that if she continues to allow the Lincoln statue to pilot the helicopter, we are going to wind up flying in a straight line until we run out of fuel, possibly over Antarctica, so she takes the control thing back. That is good news. The bad news is, she’s now saying something about demonstrating an “emergency procedure.” “It’s for when your engine dies,” Pam says. “It’s called ‘auto-rotation,’” Do you like amusement park rides?” I say: “No, I doooooooooonnnnnn’t!” (Rules, continued on page 15.) The DUSTOFFer Sikorsky Aircraft Lifts Off in Inaugural Flight Reprinted from Sikorsky Frontline, Q3 2008 T he first production HH-60M MEDEVAC aircraft flew for the first time on August 20, 2008, in Stratford, Connecticut. “This is a significant milestone for this aircraft and what it represents in terms of lifesaving mission capability,” said Steve Flood, HH-60M MEDEVAC Program Manager. The HH-60 MEDEVAC is the most advanced combat MEDEVAC helicopter in the world, sharing all the performance improvements incorporated into the BLACK HAWK “M” series helicopter. Stratford Observes HH-60M Flight On August 12, Sikorsky delivered the HH-60M aircraft to the Army National Guard. With a MEDEVAC helicopter serving as the backdrop, more than 200 Sikorsky employees gathered in the Stratford Military Aircraft Hangar to commemorate the delivery. Government Programs Vice President Scott Starrett opened the ceremony and was accompanied by COL Garrett Jensen, Chief of Aviation and Safety, National Guard Bureau, and COL Neil Thurgood, U.S. Army Project Manager for Utility Helicopters. COL Thurgood praised Sikorsky employees and thanked them for their continued commitment to excellence and quality. “Each one of you is just as much a part of the fight as any soldier serving overseas. Your mission is to deliver a dependable product, which you continue to provide each and every time. On behalf of each Soldier, I thank you. Continue the great work.” In a separate ceremony held September 21 in Baltimore, Maryland, the aircraft was presented to the Army National Guard. (Rules, continued from page 14.) RULE FOUR OF HELICOPTER PILOTING: “Auto-rotation” means “coming down out of the sky at about the same speed and aerodynamic stability as that of a forklift dropped from a bomber. “Now we’re close to the ground (although my stomach is still at 500 feet), and Pam is completing my training by having me hover the helicopter. RULE FIVE OF HELICOPTER PILOTING: You can’t hover the helicopter. U.S. Army and National Guard leaders accept models of the HH-60M MEDEVAC helicopter during a delivery ceremony on August 13, 2008. The idea is to hang over one spot on the ground. I am hovering over an area approximately the size of Australia. I am swooping around sideways and backward like a crazed bumblebee. If I were trying to rescue a person from the roof of a 100-story burning building, the person would realize that it would be safer to simply jump. At times I think I am hovering upside-down. Even Pam looks nervous. So I am very happy when we finally get back on the ground. Pam tells me I did great, and she’d be glad to take me up again. I tell her that sounds like a fun idea. RULE SIX OF HELICOPTER PILOTING: Sometimes you have to lie. Fall/Winter 2008 Tom Nicolett, Sikorsky Director of National Guard Business Development, presents a banner to Major Gen. Mike Dubie, the Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard. The banner was signed by Sikorsky employees who designed and built the HH-60M helicopter. PAGE 15 Sikorsky Aircraft Supports Co. A, 5-159th Aviation “Ghostriders” Submitted to Sikorsky Frontlines, 3rd Quarter, 2008, by Mike Mudd, Government Business Development T he first two HH-60L MEDEVAC helicopters were delivered June 7, 2008, to A Company, 5-159th Aviation Regiment “Ghostriders,” stationed in Clearwater, Florida. Four additional aircraft are expected to be delivered in the near future. Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, the Commanding General and Chief of the Army Reserve, hosted the delivery ceremony, which was attended by U.S. Rep. C.W. “Bill” Young of the 10th Congressional District of Florida, as well as several former pilots from the last Army Reserve MEDEVAC unit, deactivated some 20 years ago. Lt. Gen. Stultz and Young were instrumental in the allocation of these helicopters to the 5-159th Aviation Regiment and in the overall expansion of MEDEVAC capability in the Army Reserve. As a follow-up to the delivery event, Lt. Gen. Stultz visited Sikorsky headquarters in Stratford, Connecticut, on June 10 to tour the facility and receive an update on the BLACK HAWK helicopter program. Lt. Gen. Stultz spent most of his time touring the HH-60M and UH60M helicopter production lines. Stultz interacted with and complimented the production team on its dedication and support to the Army Soldiers from A Company “Ghostriders” proudly stand by one of the new HH-60L MEDEVAC helicopters delivered to the Clearwater Aviation Support Facility in Clearwater, Florida. Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz (right) views a new UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter along with Sikorsky Test Pilot Vince Vannoorbeeck and Doug Shidler, Vice President for Army Programs (left). PAGE 16 The DUSTOFFer New Mexico National Guard Black Hawk Crew Rescues Dolly Flood Victims Reprinted from Sikorsky Frontlines, 3rd Quarter, 2008. W hen Tropical Storm Dolly hit New Mexico on July 27, 2008, it brought heavy rains, severe flooding and damage, but the 1/171st General Aviation Support Battalion New Mexico Army National Guard was ready to spring into action. The Guard responded to a call to rescue a group of stranded campers and to rescue personnel from rising flood waters in Ruidoso, New Mexico. The crew of Lobo 599, Capt. Daniel Purcell, PI CW2 Chuck Boehler, Flight Medic SFC Greg Homes, and Crew Chief SSG Ian Weiger, with its UH-60A BLACK HAWK helicopter, rescued 57 women, children, and elderly adults. Their missions included 32 night rescues requiring night vision goggles. That day the crew set a new state record for the most hoist rescues using night vision goggles. The following day, the crew hoisted 49 more victims to safety. During the two days of flying rescue missions, the Lobo 599 crew rescued 106 victims, once again setting a state record. In August, Sikorsky proudly recognized each member of the Lobo 599 crew with a Winged S Rescue Award for using Sikorsky aircraft in humanitarian efforts. To learn more about the Winged S Rescue Award or complete an application, visit the Customer Awards page on the Sikorsky Web site www.sikorsky.com. 2008 DUSTOFF Association Mike Novosel Scholarship The DUSTOFF Association Scholarship is administered for the DUSTOFF Association by the AAAA (Army Aviation Association of America). The DUSTOFF Association Memorial Scholarship is open to DUSTOFF Association members, spouses, children, and grandchildren of DUSTOFF Association members. Each year we have had several high quality candidates who compete for our Scholarship. This year’s winner is Matthew Dobbertien, son of CDR and Mrs. Mark Dobbertien. Along with the $1,000 scholarship from the DUSTOFF/AAAA Heritage Scholarship Fund comes an additional $1,500 from the Mike Novosel Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Our congratulations go out to this fine young man in his pursuit of a degree in engineering. Matthew wrote us a letter thanking us for our support. Dear Scholarship Committee, Thank you so much for the scholarship award you have given me. I cannot express how much I appreciate your generosity and kindness. Without your Fall/Winter 2008 aid, my pursuit of an undergraduate degree in engineering would not be possible. It gives me hope and brings a smile to my face when people like you are so willing to help someone who you do not even know personally. It is truly a tribute to your character and the altruism of the organization as a whole. I am humbled to receive such a distinguished award and to be considered qualified for such a great honor. Again, I thank you for your generosity, and I wish you the best in all that you do. Humbly Yours, Matt Dobbertien His father added a note: Dear DUSTOFFers The entire Dobbertien Family thanks you and the Mike Novosel Chapter of the Viet Nam Veterans of Harrisburg, PA, for your generous award. We could not continue to educate our four boys without your help. Best wishes always! bers of both the DUSTOFF Association and the Army Aviation Association of America (Quad-A). Information about applying is on our website at: http:// dustoff.org/Scholarship/default.htm. —DUSTOFFer— Mark and the Dobbertiens Remember, applications must be received by 1 May of each year and applicants or their parents must be memPAGE 17 DUSTOFF Reunion Start Planning Now for #30! We’ll dance the night away . . . The Tailpipes will play . . . We’ll honor our heroes . . . We’ll make new friends . . . PAGE 18 We’ll reconnect with our buddies . . . The DUSTOFFer Top of the Schoolhouse by 1SG Michael Stoddard I t has been a great six months since the last time I was able to update you on USASAM. We have welcomed back COL Carnazza, who has just recently graduated the War College and assumed duty as the Assistant Dean for USASAM. It is truly great to get this dedicated professional back into the fight, and the DUSTOFF community will benefit from his presence here at Ft. Rucker. I am also pleased to announce that we have a continued a tradition of excellence by maintaining the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence Instructor of the Quarter, SSG Jordan (3rd Quarter) and SFC Gatton (4th Quarter), and shown the Aviation community the outstanding, dedicated, professionals we have in the Flight Medic community. USASAM has also been a place for promotion potential, as SFC Burbach and SFC Robinson were selected for promotion to Master Sergeant. I personally want to thank and congratulate these NCOs, who truly represent the best the DUSTOFF community has to offer. The Joint Enroute Care Course (JECC), which is considered to be the follow-on course for Flight Medics, has been undergoing change. The JECC has just been approved to go into the Interservice Training Review Organization (ITRO) process that will involve the Army, Navy, and Air Force to review the current curriculum and approve it for all services to be trained on. The ITRO process is key in ensuring USASAM stays current and relevant in training Nurses and Flight Medics in post-surgical care, which equates to being a combat multiplier for commanders. I still would like to see our student population of Flight Medics increase; this is vital to the ultimate success of this course. This course trains providers and Flight Medics to work as a team by understanding capabilities and limitations and work in a confined space of a MEDEVAC platform for the care Fall/Winter 2008 of a post-surgical Warfighter. I would highly encourage Commanders to take into serious consideration allowing Flight Medics to attend the JECC. The Warrior Track has introduced the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device (ROBD) to the Aviation Community. The ROBD is used for Senior Aviators who have met requirements for The true benefit of this training is that an aviator can run through more than one senario, and it utilizes a lot less staff. . . . their initial exposure in the Hypobaric Chamber. The ROBD provides Senior Aviators the ability to experience hypoxia signs and symptoms while actually flying a computer-generated program. This highlights the effects hypoxia has on an aviator and the dangers associated with not properly recognizing and correcting hypoxia. The true benefit of this training is that an aviator can run through more then one scenario, and it utilizes a lot less staff to execute training. The ROBD was just highlighted at the ALSE conference and is available for MTT. For questions in reference to the ROBD, please contact MAJ Mendenhall at 334-255-7409 or michael. mendenhall @amedd.army.mil. The Flight Medic course has changed in the last year. The Flight Medic course is in the pipeline of training Navy Search and Rescue Corpsman and is used to award the NEC 8401. With the addition of required training for Navy Search and Rescue Corpsman, we have seen an influx of Navy students going from five to nine seats a class. This is truly a sign of changing times, and we very much appreciate the work our Navy brothers and sisters are doing in the DUSTOFF community. The course curriculum is also changing from Basic Trauma Life Sup- port to International Trauma Life Support, and we have added Navy Search and Rescue equipment familiarization, as well as hand and arm signal familiarization. I want to commend SFC Bucklin, Flight Medic Course Director, HMC Dominguez, SSG Hildebrandt, and SSG Ocon for making the seamless transition of these changes and the continued professional excellence and dedication to duty that is instilled in all our Flight Medic graduates. I would like to recognize the Distinguished Honor graduate, SGT Christopher Skidmore from the Oregon National Guard, and the Honor Graduate, SSG Matthew Harmon of the Wyoming National guard, from Class 08-04. I would like to personally thank CSM Mike Kelley, who blessed the USASAM Staff and Class 08-04 as the guest speaker. In closing, this will be my last article as the First Sergeant for USASAM. I am moving on to Ft. Hood, Texas, where I will serve as the First Sergeant for C.CO 2-227th (OLD 571st). I have truly been blessed with this assignment to USASAM, and I cannot begin to put into words the complete appreciation I have for the dedicated, professional Officers, NCOs, and Civilians with whom I have had the pleasure to serve over the last two years. I just want to say THANK YOU, and it has been truly a great experience serving with each and every one of you. I want thank all those who continue day in and day out to live the legacy and continue to develop the road ahead for the community I truly love, which is known as DUSTOFF! Dedicated Unhesitating Service to our Fighting Forces . . . not a saying but a Promise made. DUSTOFF . . . ATW —DUSTOFFer— PAGE 19 From the Consultant by COL Bob Mitchell As the new Aviation Consultant to the Surgeon General, I want to take this opportunity to personally thank the former Consultant, COL Dave MacDonald, for his extraordinary 25 years of devoted service to the United States Army and the Army Medical Department. I know he is enjoying his retirement ranch in Tennessee as we speak. I am confident that we will see this combat-warrior on the DUSTOFF Hall of Fame someday. One of the hot topics circulating within the DUSTOFF community was the future of the 67J Aeromedical Evacuation Officer. There is no doubt that Aviation Branch wants the 67J community to branch transfer if not for the only reason being a downward slide in the retention rates of their Captains and Majors. Earlier this month, I formed a Tiger-Team that met at HRC in Alexandria to specifically examine several courses of action on the future of the 67J. We looked hard at the pros and cons of integrating into Aviation Branch; however, the team came to an agreement that retaining AMEDD influence and creating more strategic aviation positions at the O5 and O6 level would enhance the relevancy of the 67J for the future. The team identified several key aviation positions for enhanced career development at the O5 and O6 level that ultimately will provide strategic vision for the future of Medevac. Ultimately, the Corps Chief (MG Rubenstein) will have to concur with the recommendations, followed by a re-write of DA PAM 600-4. Medical Evacuation Proponency continues to staff the proposed organizational change of the Medevac Company. Clearly, the structure is inadequate for the current and future fight. Numerous Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) reports indicate that the lack of aircraft (15 vs 12), flight medics (12 assigned 68WFs not adequate for 24-hour sustained operations), and an E-7 Platoon Sergeant place this unit at risk in order to conduct its doctrinal mission. Additionally, Medical Evacuation Proponency Directorate was chartered as the lead agency for the MEDEVAC Requirements Working Group (MRWG) to determine MEDEVAC aircraft-specific requirements and develop appropriate requirements documents for the UH-60 MEDEVAC aircraft in support of the “A” to “L” model cascade to the Reserve Component (RC). These identified aircraft requirements will ensure that the legacy Medevac fleet will be functional and relevant in future war fights. Finally, I will be traveling to Afghanistan in November as part of a CALL team to look specifically at Medevac operations in country. I’m optimistic that some of the issues that have VCSA and SecArmy visibility will be addressed with recommended courses of action. DUSTOFF —DUSTOFFer— Why Aviators Prefer Aircraft Over Women Forwarded by infamous DUSTOFFer Colbert Flanery, some “apparently obvious” comparisons on relationships • Aircraft will kill you quickly; a woman takes her time. • Aircraft can be turned on by the flick of a switch. • Aircraft don’t get mad if you do a “touch and go.” • Aircraft don’t object to a pre-flight inspection. • Aircraft come with a manual to explain their operation. • Aircraft have strict weight and balance limitations. • Aircraft don’t come with in-laws. • Aircraft don’t care how many others you’ve flown before. • Aircraft and pilots arrive at the same time. • Aircraft don’t mind if you look at other models. • Aircraft expect to be tied down. • Aircraft don’t comment on your skills. • However, when aircraft go silent, just like women, it’s usually not a good thing. PAGE 20 The DUSTOFFer Nominate Your Hero for the DUSTOFF Hall of Fame DUSTOFFers, don’t let our legacy go untold. The Hall of Fame honors those who exhibited our ethics and standards in their actions and their New Entries on the Flight Manifest SFC Darren Bartoe SSG John Meeks 2LT Michael Brisson SSG Bryan Miles CW4 Michael Carson CW4 Doug Miller SGT Adam Connaughton MSG (R) Thomas Miller CDR Mark Dobbertien MAJ Bran Ninness SSG Lisa Engelmeier CPT Richard Palmer Jr. Mr. Brian Fisher SGT Justin Petrutis SGT Johnnie Franks SFC Vernon Rasmusson SGT Wayne Gordon CW2 John Russell COL Jeffrey Haugh SGT William Sellier tab at the left of the opening page for information. LTC Joe Howard SSG Joel Wagner III It’s OUR Hall of Fame; let’s make it complete. WO1 Owen Kelsch SPC Christopher Webster SP5 Glenn Knight SFC Ralph Wilson III contributions to DUSTOFF. Do your homework. Find out about that man or woman who made a difference in your career by his or her inspiration. Research your hero and nominate them. Deadline is May 1. Details are on the dustoff.org homepage. Click on the Hall of Fame SGT Thomas McNamara How to Contribute Articles to The DUSTOFFer The DUSTOFFer would like to publish your article. If you have a recollection of a particular DUSTOFF or MAST mission, please share it with our members. If your unit has been involved in an outstanding rescue mission or worthwhile program, please submit your essay about it to The DUSTOFFer. Don’t worry about not being the best writer. We will edit your material professionally. Send photographs with your article or attach them to your e-mail. Send typed, double-spaced hard copy to the address below, or e-mail your article to [email protected] or [email protected]. Please send your submissions to: The DUSTOFFer P. O. Box 8091 San Antonio, TX 78208 Fall/Winter 2008 Treasurer’s Report as of 31 Oct 08 Interest Income Membership Dues Donations Sales Income Scholarchip Income Total Income $119.85 $1,950.00 $200.00 $1,883.64 $1,500.00 $5,653.49 Newsletter Publishing Operating Expenses Scholarship Expenses Sales Expenses Total Expenses $856.36 $422.73 $1,500.00 $3,816.63 $6,622.22 Store Inventory (retail value) $31,202.00 Bank Balances Checking Savings Passbook $33,287.56 $9,940.22 $375.33 PAGE 21 30th Annual DUSTOFF Association Reunion February 20–22, 2009 Schedule of Events Friday, 20 February 2009 1200–1900 — Registration 0900–1000 — Registration for Chuck Mateer Golf Classic (Fort Sam Houston Golf Course) 1000–1500 — Chuck Mateer Golf Classic (Fort Sam Houston Golf Course) 1400–1800 — Hospitality Room open 1900–2200 — Reunion Mixer 2200–0200 — Hospitality Room open Saturday, 21 February 2009 0900–1000 — Professional Meeting 1000–1100 — Business Meeting 1100–1300 — Spouses’ Luncheon—Citrus Restaurant 1430–1600 — Hall of Fame Induction, Rescue of the Year, and Crewmembers of the Year Awards—AMEDD Museum, Fort Sam Houston 1500–1800 — Hospitality Room open 1800–1900 — Cash bar at Banquet 1900–2200 — Banquet: Welcome Invocation Dinner Entertainment/Dancing 2200–0200 — Hospitality Room open Sunday, 22 February 20098 0900–1000 — DUSTOFF Memorial Service—Holiday Inn Riverwalk You may register online using your credit card at <http://dustoff.org/reunion/registrationform.htm>. You may reserve your room at the Holiday Inn Riverwalk at <http://events.ichotelsgroup/DPRD7DBQU9/SATRW>. PAGE 22 The DUSTOFFer 30th Annual DUSTOFF Association Reunion February 20–22, 2009 Registration Form Member’s name __________________________________ Spouse’s name ___________________________________ Home address ____________________________________________________________________________________ Military address _______________________________________ e-mail address ______________________________ Dues: Totals Life Member Dues $100 (one-time payment) (Enlisted—$50) $ __________ Member/Spouse $30/person _____ persons $ __________ Non-member/Spouse Single-day Registration $35/person $15/person _____ persons ______persons $ __________ $___________ Late Fee (if after 31 Jan 09) $15/person ______persons $___________ Reunion Registration: You may register online using your credit card at <http://dustoff.org/reunion/registrationform.htm>. Hotel Reservations: Call the Holiday Inn–Riverwalk at 800-445-8475 or local (210) 224-2500 to reserve your room. Mention you are with the DUSTOFF Association to get the special rate of $129/night. You may book your hotel room online at <http://events.ichotelsgroup.com/DPRD-7DBQU9/SATRW>. The Group Code is “DUS” These rates apply for February 19–23, 2009. If you would like to stay longer at that rate, call Dan Gower, 210-379-3985, and he’ll try to arrange it with the hotel. Chuck Mateer Golf Classic: Ft. Sam Houston Club Member $20/person _____ persons $ __________ Non-member Military $32/person _____ persons $ __________ Non-member Civilian $37/person _____ persons $ __________ $33/person _____ persons $ __________ $25/person _____ persons $ __________ Beef $33/person _____ persons $ __________ Chicken $33/person _____ persons $ __________ Friday Night: Mixer Buffet Spouses’ Luncheon: Citrus Restaurant Saturday Night Banquet: Please send registration form and check to: F ALL /W INTER 2008 DUSTOFF Association P. O. Box 8091 Wainwright Station San Antonio, TX PAGE 23 DUSTOFF Association P. O. Box 8091 San Antonio, TX 78208-0091 Presort STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 3017 San Antonio, TX Address service requested DUSTOFF Association Membership Application/Change of Address q I want to join the Association as a Life Member Officers and Civilians E-9 and below q Check here if change of address, or e-mail change to [email protected] $100.00 One-time fee $ 50.00 One-time fee Rank ____ Last name ___________________ First name ___________________ M.I. _____ Mailing address ________________________________________________________________ E-mail _________________________ Spouse’s name _______________________________ Home phone __________________________ Work phone___________________________ Send check or money order, payable to DUSTOFF Association, to: DUSTOFF Association P. O. Box 8091 Wainwright Station San Antonio, TX 78208 You may register online using your credit card at <http://dustoff.org>. PAGE 24 The DUSTOFFer