Posted on 01/12/2014 3:05:59 AM PST by huldah1776
BRITISH troops have been put at risk in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of vital American helicopter rescue teams.
US Pave Hawk choppers have been an important element of the air medical response in Helmand due to their winch capabilities.
In the past six years the aircraft, which operate out of Camp Bastion, Britain’s main military base in the country, have saved more than 2,400 lives.
But they have been pulled out of the war zone a year earlier than expected and a senior military source says they have not been adequately replaced.
The insider said loss of the Pave Hawks could cost lives as UK commanders do not have a helicopter that can safely winch Our Boys to safety from minefields.
The mole said: “In the past, if soldiers have been stranded in a minefield we have relied on the Pave Hawk to get them out.
“We have Chinooks with winch capabilities now but the downdraft of a Chinook is immense and could set off mines, putting lives at risk.
“The Pave Hawks have not been replaced so we cannot winch soldiers out of dangerous situations.”
“In the past, if soldiers have been stranded in a minefield we have relied on the Pave Hawk to get them out” Mole
The importance of the Pave Hawks was highlighted when they were called in to save British paratroopers from a minefield in Kajaki Dam, Helmand, in 2006. The men were trapped and an attempt to rescue them with an RAF Chinook backfired when it set off a blast as it tried to land.
Corporal Mark Wright, 27, was seriously injured when he was hit by mine fragments yet still directed his men.
US Pave Hawks managed to winch him and the others out of danger but Cpl Wright later died. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross.
After the incident a report called for a smaller battlefield helicopter to be deployed with a winch on all future operations.
Lynx helicopters flown by the Brits were fitted with winches but could not operate in hot conditions – so the US stepped in to provide cover.
A senior British officer said the loss of the Pave Hawks from Bastion was significant.
He said: “We have used Lynx to airlift people in the past but only very early in the morning when the air temperature is still low.
“The departure of the Pave Hawks put us back to where we were in 2006 with no capability to winch.”
The Ministry of Defence said despite the withdrawal of Pave Hawks, the safety of British troops had not been compromised.
Four American airmen were killed last Tuesday when a Pave Hawk based at RAF Lakenheath crashed near Salthouse, Norfolk.
Ditto!
FTA:
that these four Navy SEALs were inserted into these mountains to try to get eyes on an insurgent leader named Ahmad Shah, and they did not have enough backup, and they were put into a treacherous area that they and the U.S. military knew precious little about.
I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding. After all, it’s not like we have a president who hates the British and insults them at every opportunity, is it?
forgot about that, too. Unmotivating our allies along with our own.
More proof that Obama hates the Brits.
>> It is clear the state owned and ran media will only cover ...
The MSM is the Country’s greatest threat.
Bump!
The US media lives, and will continue to live, in a fantasy world until the real world once more bites them in the ass. Then for about six months, you might see some reality in the MSM, which will slowly morph back into agonizing over the fate of the poor killer wales at Sea World, forced to do tricks for humans.
I’m appalled. Just googled US Pave Hawks, and all the American media mention is the crash of one in Norfolk.
It is about time that patriotic Americans start a publicity campaign in every city with a major newspaper and radio talk show, to tell the people just how Obama is betraying our allies.
Letters to the editor can be an effective way of getting into print a mini-story, one that the paper might have missed or deliberately ignored.
Within the last week and a half, a friend of mine and myself have had two such letters published in an unfriendly and a friendly newspaper in DC.
Both were educational and for the interested reader, they might have opened a few eyes and brain cells.
The same for talk shows, one of our most effective means of reaching millions of people across America.
The same with “book talks”, author presentations, and group meetings with guest speakers. I’ve just seen a friend do over 300 such talks in 3 months (both as a book tour and as a political analysis tour), speaking before thousands of people who, in turn, tell others about his books and what he said.
This has made it into national columns, radio talk shows, and before Tea Party regional organizations (they are uniting, folks).
The effect has been galvanizing on many who are now spreading out their organizational and personal reaches to make more people aware of what is going on.
Any FR vet should try to get their veterans organizations to support PAVE aircraft for the British soldiers in Afghanistan.
The sheer negative publicity about Obama/Hagel’s betrayal of our allies could have a positive effect.
Let’s hit our domestic traitors and enemies right where it hurts, in their political balls.
Their betrayal of our allies in a time of war is a national shame and we must “SHAME” the Obama regime into doing the right thing for the first time in their traitorous existence.
NAM, 1970.
Active Duty/Retiree ping.
Interesting idea...
You would think that conservatives would have gotten into media by now. Could call it “Declaration Independent Media.”
Must be they’re making the mistake of going to journalism school, and didn’t believe those stories about the brainwashing machine. But there is Drudge, and Rush, et al., who have more journalistic ability in their toes than the MSM has in its whole vile, slithery entirety.
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