| COL Robert “Bob” Mitchell’s 31 years of selfless service are marked with outstanding leadership and significant doctrinal and inventive contributions to the DUSTOFF legacy. His combat deployment as a Medical Evacuation Battalion Commander in Iraq was historic and a tremendous display of leadership resulting in his unit receiving the prestigious Parker Award for the best Combat Support Aviation Battalion in the Army. The Battalion provided exceedingly complex mission of providing air and ground evacuation to more than 140,000 U.S. and Coalition Forces. Bob spearheaded a huge strategic win for DUSTOFF Aviators by securing General Support Aviation Battalion command eligibility. His role was pivotal in receiving approval for the Critical Care Flight Paramedic Program contributing to the lowest died-of-wounds rate in the history of modern warfare. As a Master Aviator he holds multiple military and civilian FAA ratings while accruing 6,000 flight hours, 500 combat flight hours and personally certifying more than 1,000 pilots. Bob Mitchell was inducted into the DUSTOFF Hall of Fame on 5 May 2018. |