Articles from past editions of The DUSTOFFer
COL Enrique (Rick) Ortiz Jr.Greetings DUSTOFF Family! This article marks a bittersweet milestone – this will be my last DUSTOFFer article as the 67J Consultant. My greatest reflection is that it has truly been a distinct honor to serve our 67J Dustoff community over the last four years. What I learned in my tenure is …
God does not subtract from man’s allotted time the hours spent while flying, but He exacts harsh penalties for those who do not learn to land properly. The difference between fear and terror: fear is when your calculations show you may not have enough fuel to make it to your destination. Terror is when you …
I am certain most pilots have experienced strange things happening during their flying days, so let me share one of mine. In April of 1964, we took five Huey helicopters from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Needles, California to support the largest military training exercise since WWII, something called “Operation Desert Strike.” The maneuver area …
MECCD Director—COL Steve BarnesGreetings from the Wiregrass to the entire Aeromedical Evacuation Enterprise at-large! First Up, allow me to thank each and every one of you in the DUSTOFF formation. What you do in support of your fellow Soldier in the noble mission of the MEDEVAC is vastly important and appreciated. Throughout this year, the …
Reprint from Jordan Times Thursday, July 17, 2003 BAGHDAD (AFP) — The largest ongoing US medevac operation since the Vietnam war is in full swing in Iraq as a company of Blackhawk helicopter pilots, crew chiefs and medics race across Iraqi skies — and against time — to bring aid to friend and foe. Fighting …
US medevac teams in Iraq face biggest challenge since Vietnam Read More »
Pilots Highlight Evolution of Army’s Sacred Medevac DutyJennifer Benitz, Assistant EditorThis article originally appeared in ARMY magazine, Vol. 69, No. 11, November 2019.Copyright 2019 by the Association of the United States Army, all rights reserved. From Korea and Vietnam to Afghanistan and Iraq, Army medical evacuation crews have gone above and beyond for wounded Soldiers …
By Robert B. Robeson, LTC, USA (Ret) “…I think I should say one word, too, a special word, about the Dust Offs—the Med-Evacs. This was a great group of men. All those who flew them, all those who did it. Courage above and beyond the call of duty was sort of routine to them. It …
An update from the Aviation Consultant to the Surgeon General, COL Enrique Ortiz.
Mideast Stars and StripesDecember 7, 2008 By Michael Gisick, Stars and Stripes JALALABAD, Afghanistan — A few minutes earlier they were standing in line for breakfast at the crowded chow hall, reconstituted eggs puddled on the griddle, coffee warming the Styrofoam in their hands. Then the walkie-talkies clipped to their pockets started talking to them. …
Medevac Units Fly In The Thick Of Battle To Retrieve Casualties Read More »
A reprint from 2003 DUSTOFFer Newsletter My name is Craig Richardson and I am an Army Helicopter Instructor Pilot. Currently I serve with the 507th Medical Evacuation Company (MEDEVAC) in Fort Hood Texas. Recently I was deployed to Kuwait for Operation Iraqi Freedom. This story actually is a compilation of three major events culminating into …