Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “History of the Medevac — How Air Ambulances Changed War” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/history-of-medevac-air-ambulances/.
History of the Medevac — How Air Ambulances Changed War
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Kravi
Alpha
I have a MEDEVAC nightmare from when I was in the Army National Guard. I was a SGT. E-5 in a combat MP Co., leading two gun jeeps (M151A1, 1/4 T) on a patrol across a big open field during an FTX on Ft. Hunter Liggett. The other jeep hit a concealed ditch sending the M60 gunner over the front of the Jeep and breaking his leg.
I was forced to face my greatest fear and weakness, LandNav. I was horrible at it and now I had to call Ft. Ord, request a MEDEVAC for my trooper and try to come up with grid coordinates to guide them to our location. They dispatched the MEDEVAC (UH-1 Iroquois) and told me the pilot would make radio contact for coordinates when he entered the airspace over Ft. Hunter Liggett.
Long story short, he called and I gave the coordinates but he couldn't find me. I noticed a Helicopter along the ridgeline a mile or so away from our location and told him where we were in relationship to him. He had me pop smoke in a clearing for him and was able to finally find us. He was able to set in okay. But trimmed some oak trees lifting out. The flight crew was a little irritated with me. They wanted to know who was responsible for tying two trees to the guys leg (our improvised splint). The crew chief said they could barely get him in the helicopter with those things
I was forced to face my greatest fear and weakness, LandNav. I was horrible at it and now I had to call Ft. Ord, request a MEDEVAC for my trooper and try to come up with grid coordinates to guide them to our location. They dispatched the MEDEVAC (UH-1 Iroquois) and told me the pilot would make radio contact for coordinates when he entered the airspace over Ft. Hunter Liggett.
Long story short, he called and I gave the coordinates but he couldn't find me. I noticed a Helicopter along the ridgeline a mile or so away from our location and told him where we were in relationship to him. He had me pop smoke in a clearing for him and was able to finally find us. He was able to set in okay. But trimmed some oak trees lifting out. The flight crew was a little irritated with me. They wanted to know who was responsible for tying two trees to the guys leg (our improvised splint). The crew chief said they could barely get him in the helicopter with those things
The Night Rider
Professional
Did you correct your deficiencies?I have a MEDEVAC nightmare from when I was in the Army National Guard. I was a SGT. E-5 in a combat MP Co., leading two gun jeeps (M151A1, 1/4 T) on a patrol across a big open field during an FTX on Ft. Hunter Liggett. The other jeep hit a concealed ditch sending the M60 gunner over the front of the Jeep and breaking his leg.
I was forced to face my greatest fear and weakness, LandNav. I was horrible at it and now I had to call Ft. Ord, request a MEDEVAC for my trooper and try to come up with grid coordinates to guide them to our location. They dispatched the MEDEVAC (UH-1 Iroquois) and told me the pilot would make radio contact for coordinates when he entered the airspace over Ft. Hunter Liggett.
Long story short, he called and I gave the coordinates but he couldn't find me. I noticed a Helicopter along the ridgeline a mile or so away from our location and told him where we were in relationship to him. He had me pop smoke in a clearing for him and was able to finally find us. He was able to set in okay. But trimmed some oak trees lifting out. The flight crew was a little irritated with me. They wanted to know who was responsible for tying two trees to the guys leg (our improvised splint). The crew chief said they could barely get him in the helicopter with those things
The Night Rider
Professional
I was assigned to a forward support Battalion at Fort Carson. I never had to call an Air Evac but we sent a guy back to main post by Air because of a suspected heart attack.
The Night Rider
Professional
Kravi
Alpha
Haha yeah. I was kind of encouraged to in a colorful one way conversation with Top! I was given the Map Reading and Land Navigation FM and instructed to intimately reacquaint myself with it.
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The Night Rider
Professional
I can't bitch. I'm good at land nav but I just "got it" when they taught us at my first Duty Station. It not like I put any effort into it.
I still go out in the mountains with a topo map and a Silva Orienteering Compass and route find and plot my location.
Kravi
Alpha
It's really an invaluable skill. Technology can fail at the most inopportune times
Cedric
Custom
I've learned and taught land nav with the lensatic compass for years, but always kept my Silva from my Boy Scout days. It's a great compass.
The Night Rider
Professional
I never served in a Combat Support Hospital, which is what MASH units evolved into.
I was assigned to the medical company of a Forward Support Battalion at Fort Carson.
We were the step between the Battalion aid station and the Combat Support Hospital.
Anyway, I said all that to say this, whenever we had a (Training) mass casualty event we did not have doctors doing triage (Actually we didn't have doctors at all, we had Physician's Assistants).
We had a Dentist and 3 91Bs doing triage. The Physicians Assistants were treating patients in the tent.
So it's weird to me to see all the surgeons and nurses who should be in the OR prepping out there on the helicopter pad doing triage.
Kravi
Alpha
I know now they teach Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) to all the troops. My son was airborne infantry. They all had to learn it. Triage is part of that training, as well as Stop the Bleed, Chest Seals, Nasal/Oral airways, etc. It must help save lives by stabilizing traumatic injury before transfer.
I took the civilian equivalent, Tactical Emergency, Casualty Care (TECC) as part of my first responder training.