Blurry screen alert!.
*g*
Posted on 02/29/2004 6:30:12 PM PST by armymarinemom
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Ready to fly on five minutes' notice, V Corps’ 159th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) has been flying its lifesaving missions in Iraq for nearly a year.
Back home in Germany the company falls under the 421st Medical Battalion in Wiesbaden and 30th Medical Brigade in Heidelberg. But in Iraq, “we’re a general support asset and not usually attached to a specific unit,” said Capt. Joseph C. Alexander, a forward support medical evacuation team leader and pilot.
“It’s based on your mission and where you’re located. Medevacs are divided into teams, and a team may go to support a particular unit as needed. A team is usually made up of three aircraft, but that also varies as needed.”
The company’s 15 Black Hawk helicopters are outfitted with a carousel that holds up to six litters, and can carry another four seated patients in urgent situations. Each flies with a pilot, a co-pilot, a medic and a crew chief.
“Throughout the war, teams were sent out all over the country to support units, but now we are centrally located on Baghdad International Airport,” said Alexander. “We provide air assistance in medical emergencies, because an air evacuation can be so much faster, and that increases the chances of survival.”
Patients are flown to the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad or to one of about eight Forward Surgical Teams located around the city. The crews, who say they have flown more 5,000 patients on 3,200 missions while in Baghdad, like to tag themselves with the unofficial medevac title of "Dustoff." They call it an acronym for “Dedicated, Unhesitating Service To Our Fighting Forces.”
“All these guys believe it,” said Capt. Todd D. Farrell.
“We’re the busiest medevac unit since Vietnam,” claimed 1st Lt. Thomas K. Powell, a team leader and pilot.
“Up to a month ago we were still flying 15-16 missions a day; 29 was the most in one day,” said Farrell.
“We got a call one night to pick up a Soldier who’d been shot in downtown Baghdad,” said Powell, describing one memorable flight. “An Iraqi man had just walked up to him and shot him right in the face. We were off the ground in five minutes and headed to the site.
“I couldn’t believe how tight the landing zone was; a narrow street with tall buildings all around and power lines. I asked the ground force by radio if we could land in a vacant lot just a short way off. The Soldier who responded was crying, ‘Dustoff, we need you down here now. My buddy is dying.’ We took off our night goggles because there was too much street light to use them and landed straight down on the street median,” said Powell.
“My medic jumped out and disappeared into the darkness. He came back with the Soldier, loaded him in and we were off."
Powell said the crew's medic and crew chief performed first aid while the aircraft raced the victim to the hospital. The team dropped him off, but later got word that he had died.
“A couple hours later, about 1 a.m., we got a call to pick up an Iraqi man shot in the chest. It doesn’t matter who it is, we respond just as fast. We ran out, spun up and were off to the scene when the radio called, ‘This is the guy who shot our kid.’ The Soldier’s unit had tracked the man, positively IDed him and tried to take him in.” A fight ensued and the Iraqi was shot.
“We put him on the same litter as our Soldier a few hours earlier, and the medic performed CPR on him with the same intensity as he did for ours. And we saved his life. Three or four times we’ve picked up a wounded Soldier and the Iraqi who shot him together,” said Powell.
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Some days the medics come back saying they hate their job, but then they’re back at work the next day with the same intensity," the pilot added. I’ve looked back there sometimes and I don’t know how they do it. Now I just keep my eyes forward and fly.”
This unit was stationed at Talil the first two weeks of the war and moved forward once Baghdad International was secured. They responded to 80% of the calls out of BIAP and were often seen in news footage during runs such as the UN headquarters bombing.
Hooah, we have one out of harms way at least for a few months.
armymarinemom, I knew your son was back in Germany, am sorry to have missed this terrific thread announcing the good news a month back.
Belated thanks to your son, and his awesome military 'hometeam'.
Blurry screen alert!.
*g*
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