Posted on 09/06/2005 8:57:38 PM PDT by Uncle Joe Cannon
Leave it to the NYT to focus on blaming the administration as opposed to the story.
As squids, they follow the same OPNAV that allows for deviation to flight rules etc for emergencies. If I had fragged them, I'd have been pissed that they had done this without calling in and allowing me to adjust the schedule. It's possible there were no missions assigned to rescue efforts and a good helo coord would have shifted these guys on to it and given the log mission to someone else.
Going to the press is a BS move IMO. If the press found out about it, then the PAO should have been the lead forward.
And yes, I would rather get chewed for doing something like this than to see it happen and leave it undone. They're LTs, they can take the crap.
I remember a lot of "stupid" in the military. They have their share same as any other organization.
Cookies...
After reading many of the posts on this thread, it is obvious we have many "lifers" posting.
"Initiative" was stopping and picking up a couple of folks. "Running off and doing your own thing to the detriment of THEIR mission" was making a day of it.
I only take orders from God and my wife.
(not necessarily in that order)...
The mission comes first.
The asshat who reprimanded these hard chargers should be taken out and horsewhipped.
These guys accomplished their original mission and then used some initiative to help people who needed help.
God bless THEM and damn the desk sitting jerk who chided them.
What I wonder is how this ever got public?
And I think you are right, they probably got a slap on the wrist with one hand and a pat on the back with the other.
That's a negative ghostrider, the pattern is full.
It might have been one of those "wink win, nod nod" reprimands.
Typical of the new york slimes to cover a story like this, even if it is true or not.
And other rescuers sent to help those people wasted time, energy, gasoline, etc. It was foolish. When soldiers do not trust their orders, the military instantly becomes useless. Billions in materiel gets commandeered by the closest soldier (some without a high school diploma), and quickly, nothing is available for coherent, organized efforts... kinda like the looting in NOLA.
Bingo...
And how many of those died saving others...I bet the save-es are grateful they CMH'ers did what they did...
In this case...Everybody made it...
The cost..."fuel"...
JimRob, don't know if you've seen this yet.
Also pinging and saying "hey" to Aeronaut. Sending this to my dad for additional BS detection sensoring. ;-)
I don;t think the deviation was a violation of any flight rules here either...
Obviously it burned a little more go go juice... But hell, their fuel state was probably well on the plus side anyway...
But if it made them a little late back to the barn...
opps...Muh bad...
I think the secret here is to find out the source...Who squawked???
We already know its a non-story, and the reason why it was printed...So if we find out that source, it'll be another one of those "Air National Guard" type things...
I was never an "airdale", I was "fleet", so most of this was pretty easy to debunk...
I don't believe anything that appears in the NYTimes.
If the Naval Helicopter had NOT picked up evacuees, I could just see the NYT headline:
"Naval helicopter ignores those needing evacuation from housetops!"
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