Behind enemy lines: Cpl Richard "Scooter" Wakelin aboard Patriot 46 in Afghanistan.
"I said, 'Mate, it's very simple. When they call, we go. There's 60-odd blokes up there who need us. We put them in there and we need to get them out.'"
Posted on 10/20/2007 4:29:45 PM PDT by naturalman1975
TWO Australian helicopter crews braved fearsome Taliban fire to rescue dozens of commandos trapped behind enemy lines in Afghanistan.
The Chinook chopper pilots and airmen flew through "a hailstorm" of Taliban bullets and rocket-propelled grenades to get to their comrades, but are yet to be recognised for their courage.
Ignoring calls to abort their mission, two army helicopters braved the enemy fire to extract dozens of coalition special forces soldiers from a major battle.
Details of the high-risk, "kill-or-capture" mission in early July last year have been kept secret by the Australian Defence Force until now.
Information about the operation was released by Special Operations Command, but only scant details were provided about the role of the Chinooks.
Their courageous crews have not received any medals.
Sgt Lee Maloney, loadmaster of the second chopper, Patriot 46, called "Courage" by its crew, described the scene at the enemy compound west of Kandahar as a "Rotary meeting of the Taliban".
"There was meant to be 20 militia within 30 minutes. Pig's a---! There was more than 100 within five minutes," Sgt Maloney said.
After successfully deploying the 60-man US and Afghan special forces assault teams, the Chinooks flew to a secret base nearby to wait for the call to retrieve their human cargoes.
Commander of the mission, Lt-Col Kevin Humphreys, who flew the lead chopper, Patriot 47, listened to the battle unfold on his radio.
"The Taliban had a massive amount of men in and around (the area), and basically the guys got inside and then turned it into the OK Corral," Lt-Col Humphreys said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
"I said, 'Mate, it's very simple. When they call, we go. There's 60-odd blokes up there who need us. We put them in there and we need to get them out.'"
"Okay, guys, let's get to the fines. Ahmed, you got written up in the New York Times. That'll be ten bucks."
Somebody said on here we should form a treaty with our allies. I agree with that.
Well, Australia and the US are already bound in a treaty - ANZUS.
Prime Minister John Howard was in the US on September 11th 2001, as part of ceremonies to mark 50 years of that treaty. It was activated by him for the first time on the 12th September, 2001, in response to the attacks.
Could you give me a link or tell me more about it? I wouldn’t want to trust Wikipedia.
God Bless the Australians! They are truly there when the chips are down.
Our closest allies, really, and the only ones who understand why we fought the British way back when.
I have visited Australia, and if a younger lass, would emigrate there in a heartbeat. I hope they can keep it clean and conservative, but I do worry.
“Lie”beralism seems to be a global pandemic, alas!
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/1952/2.html
Excellent thread !
Ignoring calls to abort their mission, two army helicopters braved the enemy fire to extract dozens of coalition special forces soldiers from a major battle.
Roger that .. Sometimes just doing the right thing is nowhere to be found in some damn policy .
After reading that, I mean a treaty as in when we and our allies leave the UN.
And John F*n Kerry got a Silver Star for what?
Something that would get me suspended for a day or two.
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