MEDEVAC Links

Dispatches

MEDEVAC Links

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27 January 2012

The MEDEVAC issue continues to grow. There have been many articles and it's becoming difficult to keep up. The Joint Chiefs of Staff is preparing something for Congress. My guess based on conversations is that JCS will try deflection and will not solve the issue. SecDef has done nothing, to my knowledge. And so this is set to become an election issue.

This list below is not comprehensive but can be a helpful resource.

Please listen to my interview with Dennis Miller.

LINKS
Op-eds by James Simpson

American Thinker
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/01/incomprehensibly_stupid_army_regulation_killing_americans_in_afghanistan.html

http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/02/no_sex_many_lies_one_videotape_and_a_soldiers_unnecessary_death.html

Breitbart Big Peace
http://bigpeace.com/jmsimpson/2012/01/09/incomprehensibly-stupid-army-regulation-killing-americans-in-afghanistan/

Examiner.com—D.C. Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/independent-in-washington-dc/incomprehensibly-stupid-army-regulation-killing-americans-afghanistan?cid=PROD-redesign-right-next

Washington Times
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jan/16/bureaucracy-killing-us-troops-in-afghanistan/

http://times247.com/articles/army-s-medevac-chopper-policy-in-need-of-revision

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Army Times
Article in the Army Times about Congressman Todd Akin's (R-MI) letter to Sec Def Panetta:
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/01/military-lawmaker-arm-medevac-helos-to-save-more-lives-011712/

Navy Times
Article in the Navy Times about Congressman Todd Akin's (R-MI) letter to Sec Def Panetta
http://www.navytimes.com/mobile/index.php?storyUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.navytimes.com%2Fnews%2F2012%2F01%2Fmilitary-lawmaker-arm-medevac-helos-to-save-more-lives-011712%2F

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Dispatches by Michael Yon
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/

18 Feb 2012
A Hypothetical Interview General Martin Dempsey: (Fiction)
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/a-hypothetical-interview-general-martin-dempsey-fiction.htm

15 Feb 2012
Department of Army Monitoring MEDEVAC Articles
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/department-of-army-monitoring-medevac-articles.htm

14 Feb 2012
Tippity Top General Lies to Congressman (in writing)
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/tippity-top-general-lies-to-congressman-in-writing.htm

11 Feb 2012
A Matter of Trust
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/a-matter-of-trust.htm

05 Feb 2012
Contempt of and for Congress?
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/contempt-of-and-for-congress.htm

03 Feb 2012
Crucifixion of Common Sense
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/crucifixion-of-common-sense.htm

02 Feb 2012
The Army MEDEVAC Scandal: Report of Conspiracy
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/the-army-medevac-scandal-report-of-conspiracy.htm

31 Jan 2012
Important Letter from Gold Star Mother
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/important-letter-from-gold-star-mother.htm

30 Jan 2012
13 Military Pilots Rebuke the Joint Chiefs of Staff
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/13-military-pilots-rebuke-the-joint-chiefs-of-staff.htm

28 Jan 2012
British Army Officer on US Army Medevac
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/british-army-officer-on-us-army-medevac.htm

26 Jan 2012
Comments by Dustoff pilots
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/thoughts-from-a-dustoff-pilot.htm

23 Jan 2012
E-mail exchange with JCS concerning document from Joint Chiefs of Staff
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/messages-from-joint-chiefs-of-staff.htm

20 Jan 2012
CBS interview with LTG John F. Campbell
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/cbs-video-of-medevac-issue.htm

19 Jan 2012
Contact with staffer at Congressman Todd Akin’s office
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/jcs-curiouser-and-curiouser.htm

19 Jan 2012
JCS letter to the House Armed Services Committee (HASC)
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/joint-chiefs-of-staff-bogus-report-to-congress.htm

17 Jan 2012
Congressman Todd Akin’s (R-MI) letter to SEC DEF Leon Panetta about the JCS document and RED AIR
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/congressman-akin-medevac-letter-to-secdef.htm

17 Jan 2012
Danger For Senators and Representatives Army Deceptions May Cause Embarrassment
Letter to Senator Jon Kyle (R-AZ) regarding RED AIR dispatch of 12 Oct 2011
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/danger-for-senators-and-representatives.htm

16 Jan 2012
Progress on Removing Dustoff Red Crosses
Posting of an Alaska Op-ed on RED AIR
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/progress-on-removing-dustoff-red-crosses.htm

10 Jan 2011 (sic)
MEDEVAC/CASEVAC links
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/medevac/casevac-links.htm

9 Jan 2012
Take me to your Leader (if you have one); CENTCOM passes buck back to Army
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/take-me-to-your-leader-if-you-have-one.htm

9 Jan 2012
Link to Breitbart Big Peace Blog, piece by Bill Tuttle: A Pilot’s Perspective on Michael Yon’s Medevac Debate
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/delta-force-commander-former-on-dustoff-medevac.htm

3 Jan 2012
Passing the MEDEVAC Buck to CENTCOM, response by SEC of the Army John McHugh to Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA)
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/passing-the-medevac-buck.htm

30 Dec 2011
DELTA Force Commander (Former) on DUSTOFF MEDEVAC
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/delta-force-commander-former-on-dustoff-medevac.htm

09 Dec 2011
Embarrassed Army
https://www.michaelyon-online.com/embarrassed-army.htm

23 Nov 2011
Crusader Copters
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/crusadercopters.htm

22 Nov 2011
Mark of the Beast: Evil Symbols in Afghanistan
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/mark-of-the-beast-evil-symbols-in-afghanistan.htm

14 Nov 2011
Marked for Destruction
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/marked-for-destruction.htm

10 Nov 2011
Leadership: More than a Word
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/leadership-more-than-a-word.htm

8 Nov 2011
Question for Congressman Pompeo: What is your Position?
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/question-for-congressman-pompeo-what-is-your-position.htm

7 nov 2011
Report to Congress: Army called to Report on MEDEVAC Failure in Afghanistan
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/congressional-report.htm

6 Nov 2011
Fool’s Gold & Troop’s Blood
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/fools-gold-troops-blood.htm

27 Oct 2011
Dustoff Traction
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/dustoff-traction.htm

26 Oct 2011
Machine Guns on Dustoffs
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/machine-guns-on-dustoffs.htm

24 Oct 2011
Golden Seconds: Open Letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and President Barack Obama
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/golden-seconds.htm

12 Oct 2011
RED AIR—America’s medevac Failure
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/red-air-americas-medevac-failure.htm

14 Sept 2009
Pedros, USAF SAR in Afghanistan
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/pedros.htm

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CBS NEWS
CBS News interview with LTG John F. Campbell regarding RED AIR and the Army's policy:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57362374/did-military-rules-cost-a-soldier-his-life/?tag=mncol%3Blst%3B1

MEDEVAC Photo Essay by Nicole Sobreki
Photographs by Nicole Sobecki of an Army medevac unit in Afghanistan. Photo 3 shows the interior of a UH60A medevac helicopter. The gunners would sit in the two seats behind the sitting Marine that face outward toward the windows just behind the pilots. This configuration belies the Army's argument that he UH60 would suffer degraded performance and cause the removal of two litters from the helo were two .50 caliber machine guns to be mounted on the fuselage.
http://www.nicholesobecki.com/#/dustoff--us-army-medevac/NS_AF_113010_Medevac14_002

U.S. Army
The U.S. Army's Public Affairs Office response to the criticism of the Army's medevac policy:
http://www.army.mil/article/72250/Army_statement_on_MEDEVAC_issue/

Larry Wood
14 Jan 2012
Frontiersman (Wasilla, Alaska) Medevac policy is costing lives
http://www.frontiersman.com/opinions/columnists/medevac-policy-is-costing-lives/article_3bf39468-3f52-11e1-8999-0019bb2963f4.html

24 Jan 2012
Examiner.com, Is Army medevac policy killing our wounded troops?
http://www.examiner.com/alaska-gubernatorial-in-anchorage/is-army-medevac-policy-killing-our-wounded-troops

Stars and Stripes
26 Jan 2012
Controversial debate brewing: Should Army medevacs be armed?
http://www.stripes.com/news/army/controversial-debate-brewing-should-army-medevacs-be-armed-1.166840

New York Post
01 Feb 2012
Hurry, wait ... and die Army rules stalling Medevacs
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/hurry_wait_and_die_wyLvNsCxiZKASR4ePF3VyK

The Post and Courier
Use of armed medevac choppers debated
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/feb/14/use-of-armed-medevac-choppers-debated/

Right Truth
Should the U.S. arm medevac helicopters?
http://righttruth.typepad.com/right_truth/2012/02/should-the-us-arm-medevac-helicopters.html

News Day
Soldier's death sparks debate over arming medevacs
http://www.newsday.com/news/soldier-s-death-sparks-debate-over-arming-medevacs-1.3526254

Boston.com
Soldier’s death sparks debate over arming medevacs
http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-13/news/31055865_1_medevac-pilots-escort-aircraft

MailOnline
'He'd still be here': Mother's agony as soldier dies after unarmed rescue team was delayed an hour waiting for cover
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2102305/Chazray-Clark-death-Mothers-agony-soldier-dies-rescue-team-delayed-waiting-armed-cover.html

Associated Press
Should U.S. arm medevacs in Afghanistan?
http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/should-u-s-arm-medevacs-in-afghanistan-28327981.html

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Comments

+3 # Medevac title page date — Mr. Johan Morgen 2012-01-27 10:32

As information, your Medevac page is dated February 27, 2012.

You are getting a little ahead of yourself. ;-)

Sincerely,

Johann Morgen

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+3 # Keep up the good work — Larry 2012-01-27 10:34

Michael,
Keep up the good work keeping this issue high on the list. To all those higher ups who continue to kick the can down the road, malarkey! You be safe out there!

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+3 # Mr. Morgen — Michael Yon Author 2012-01-27 11:00

Actually it was dated correctly as 27 February. I was in my time machine when I wrote it. ;) (Thank you.)

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+3 # Thanks for the links! — jamescgonzales 2012-01-27 12:00

Thanks for listing these. It makes it a lot easier to find and forward them to folks.

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+3 # An Election Issue? — Al Reasin 2012-01-27 18:55

With the letters going out and the questions being asked by me and others, the DOD civilian leadership cannot be ignorant of the problem; one that has apparently existed prior to this Administration. The MSM is ignoring it for some reason. Maybe because they worry this will show the lack of concern the Obama Administration has for the military which overrides the possible condemnation that could be heaped on the Bush administration.

With this being an issue even during the Iraqi war, where my son was for 27 months, this veteran, who is active politically and keeps in touch with military personnel, had never heard of the problem until Michael exposed it.

Thank you Michael.

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0 # RE: An Election Issue? — Gary 2012-01-29 01:26

"Even" during the Iraq war? Hasn't this been an issue since the first medevac helicopter flew in combat in the Korean war (or whenever)?

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+1 # RE: RE: An Election Issue? — Al Reasin 2012-01-29 17:48

You are correct, I went by what I remembered from Michael's dispatches

The Sikorsky Model S-55, military H-19 Chickasaw with a red cross was used in the Korean War and it had a red cross. http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_h19chickasaw.php

In Vietnam, the medevac Hueys were known by their radio call sign "Dustoff" for the dirt they kicked up as they took the wounded to safety. Later variants, such as the UH-1H, could carry three stretcher patients and a trained medic inside the cabin. Most served in the Army, although both the Navy and Marines used their Hueys for similar tasks.
Although almost never armed, Dustoff Hueys sometimes dropped off supplies and even ammunition to troops in the field—what one pilot referred to as "preventive medicine." They frequently came under fire and many were shot down—the large red crosses on their sides did not provide them with immunity. Dustoff pilots often earned reputations for immense bravery, risking themselves and their aircraft to remove wounded soldiers during intense fire fights, and resulted in the awarding of several Medals of Honor to pilots and crewmen.

http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/helicopter%20history/M.A.S.H.%20Medevac%20Helicopters.htm

Interesting, if true, that in Vietnam they were sometimes armed (which service, but Dustoff was the army term) and dropped off ammo. Thus one can say that when the Army removed the medics' red cross, they may have also used red cross labeled helicopters for more than wounded evac. If so that placed Dustoff helicopters at risk for violating the "rules of war".

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