Courtesy Photo | An HH-60M medevac helicopter fights through a dust storm on approach to Contingency...... read more read more
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CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE COBRA, Iraq - Despite fierce 50-knot winds and blowing dust, an HH-60M medevac helicopter crew circled Contingency Operating Site Cobra, focused on the importance of their mission—evacuating an injured soldier to medical care.
After a soldier from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division suffered serious injuries April 4, medics at the COS Cobra aid station quickly realized the dust storm raging outside would turn a routine medevac mission into an extraordinary flight.
As with any other day, air ambulance crews from Company C, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment waited for calls.
“The initial call was just like running [civilian emergency medical services]; you’re always on call waiting for the phone to go off saying someone needs help somewhere,” said Staff Sgt. Richard Maye, a crew medic from Moriah, N.Y.
The medevac crew serves in the Vermont National Guard, and many work in civilian careers related to rotary wing aircraft.
“I’m an oddity in the guard,” Maye joked. “During the [drill] weekend and deployment I’m a medic, but during the week I’m a federal technician. I turn wrenches on the birds.”
One of the two crew chiefs, Staff Sgt. Clinton Wilson of Fairhaven, Mass., is a federal helicopter technician while the other chief, Sgt. Ron Irwin, is a toolmaker for General Electric aircraft engines.
The pilot in command, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Carlton Fuller, from Barre, Vermont, is a civil engineer. Co-pilot Chief Warrant Officer 4 Philip Small, who hails from Burlington, Vt., works as a full-time guardsman.
Fuller’s crew and other members of medevac platoon, Company C are currently stationed at remote COS Cobra after moving from Joint Base Balad, April 15, to help provide rapid assistance in the event of an emergency.
When medics at COS Cobra called in the medevac request, the team immediately jumped into action.
“It was dusty,” Fuller said with a wry laugh.
“If it had been any worse that day, we wouldn’t have been legally allowed to take off,” said Wilson.
Less than 15 minutes after the call, the crew lifted off into the brown skies over northern Iraq and battled the winds as they headed for COS Cobra.
“We were all happy to be on the ground, but at that point we were concentrating on getting the patient on board,” said Wilson after the landing.
Once the patient was loaded, Fuller and Small lifted the helicopter into the storm once again.
“It got a little exciting until we leveled off,” said Wilson.
After safely transporting the patient to the JBB hospital, the crew members said they were proud to brave the storm to help a fellow soldier.
The injured soldier subsequently returned to the U.S. and is currently recovering.
“It’s a common feeling in the medevac community,” explained Wilson. “It’s nice to do the mission that you train for; you look forward to doing them, but at the same time it means someone else is hurt. When you actually do the mission, it’s fulfilling.”
Maye said even when the weather goes bad, medevac crews still fulfill their duties.
“We did our job. When people are hurt, we go get them,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 05.10.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2011 10:53 |
| Story ID: | 71760 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE COBRA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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