Courtesy Photo | A UH-60 assigned to Company F, 1-169th General Support Aviation Battalion arriving at...... read more read more
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The soldiers of Company F, 1st Battalion, 169th General Support Aviation Battalion, a New York Army National Guard unit whose helicopters performed 471 life-saving missions in Afghanistan will be recognized for their service on Saturday at the Army Aviation Support Facility at Rochester International Airport.
WHO: Thirty-nine members of Company F 1-169th General Support Aviation Battalion and their family members.
WHAT: An Army National Guard Freedom Salute Ceremony in which the soldiers will receive flags and other awards in recognition of their service in Afghanistan from November 2012 to August 2013.
WHEN: 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013.
WHERE: Army Aviation Support Facility, 76 Patriot Way, Rochester.
Coverage Opportunities:
Reporters will be able to interview soldiers and their families about the deployment to Afghanistan. Visual and still imagery opportunities will include the presentation of awards.
For access to this secure military facility members of the press must contact Staff Sgt. Kellie Buchanan at 585-259-1745.
BACKGROUND:
Company F, 1st Battalion, 169th General Support Aviation Battalion is an air ambulance company which flies UH-60 helicopters configured to carry wounded soldiers from the battlefield to a Combat Surgical Hospital or other treatment facility. This is known as a "dustoff" in military slang.
Forty-three soldiers assigned to the company mobilized for deployment to Afghanistan in September 2012 and trained at Fort Hood, Texas, before deploying.
Soldiers from the states of Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Missouri were assigned to the unit to round out the total strength to 101 members. For this reason Company F units went by the radio call sign of "Jigsaw" because National Guard troops from four states came together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to form a unified whole.
The unit deployed to Afghanistan in November 20212 and assigned to operation in the area known as Regional Command Southwest as part of the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade. The company was controlled tactically by the United States Marine Corps and was stationed in four forward operating bases in the Helmand area.
During their 10-month deployment the units soldiers conducted 471 missions during which they transported 527 American, coalition and Afghan soldiers and Afghan civilians.
The medics assigned to Company F were the first to provide blood infusions in flight to wounded soldiers and civilians in the region.
Previous to the unit's deployment, blood products were only used at larger bases.
This lifesaving measure ensured multiple badly injured civilians and coalition partners arrived at the next level of care alive.
This procedure was nicknamed "Vampire" and the unit completed more than 40 "Vampire" missions in flight. The unit responded to six mass casualty incidents, one totaling 83 patients.
Throughout the deployment, the crew chiefs of the unit performed maintenance on 15 UH-60 helicopters and allowed the aircrews to fly more than 1,600 hours during the lifesaving medevac missions.
| Date Taken: | 12.06.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2013 12:48 |
| Story ID: | 117851 |
| Location: | ROCHESTER, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 274 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
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