Michael's Dispatches

if it was an HH-60 from the AF, if it didn't have red cross markings, it wasn't a Medevac.

you know the difference between CSAR/PR, CASEVAC, and MEDEVAC. in this write up you're being intentionally disingenuous.

you did a photo essay back about '07-'08 about context. why have you stepped away from your integrity now?

words have meanings, and you know it.

having re-read your essay I can back up and say that while not being disingenuous, you're skirting with it. my reply was based off my first impression of your piece, and required me to go back and parse it, unemotionally. but I think that may have been your intent. to slide one by the shallow readers.

you can do better than that. you have in the past.

Our politicians and the military leadership needs to support the U.S. Troops. Start with the much needed common sense changes to Medevacs.

who are we fighting that follow geneva convention rules??

Practicing "preventive medicine" - Pat Brady, 1964

Correct me if I'm wrong but, even if the chopper showed up with the target - I mean Crusader symbol - I mean cross- painted on it, it still wouldn't be a violation because nobody we're fighting in Afghanistan is signatory to the Geneva Conventions. They just don't apply there, period.

Which still wouldn't make the Army any less criminally stupid for putting those markings on helicopters anywhere, but especially in Afghanistan.

in this photo the chopper in question has a mini-gun on it. So it can't be a medivac. Probably a Pedro

From a published interview with Robert Gates on June 12, 2011:

Q. [Defense News]Do problems have to be tackled more innovatively?

A. [Secretary of Defense Robert Gates] The problem that we face is that in these wars we have become incredibly joint operationally, but we've made very little progress in becoming joint in terms of procurement and acquisition.

There are some examples that the Marine Corps and the Army are working together on some UAVs and there are some other examples, but one of the programs that I killed in '09 was a whole new helicopter program for the Air Force for search and rescue. You know how long it's been since we had a pilot shot down? So the main search and rescue that's going on is in fact MEDEVAC.

You know, the Air Force flew something like 9,700 MEDEVAC missions last year in Afghanistan. So why were they going to build a brand new search-and-rescue helicopter that was really only for the Air Force?"

[end of quote]

In 2009 Gates ordered that USAF Pedro crews be included in the rotation for MEDEVAC missions, even while they maintained a priority purpose for the MUCH rarer pilot rescue scenarios.

So the USAF Pedro units have flown a relatively few actual CSAR missions in Afghanistan, but as of June 2011 they had flown over 9,700 MEDEVAC missions.

Anyone who keeps arguing that Pedros don't fly MEDEVAC missions is beating a dead horse. They do and they fly them without Red Crosses and with mini-guns or .50 caliber machine guns. The artificial distinction that the Army keeps trying to make is a false one that defies reality.

Why the hang-up with fine definition between all the evac roles? Leave the Red Crosses off and let the nearest/quickest/briefed helo do the lift - and, if time permits, and the situation dictates, ammunition on the inbound seems like common sense?.......or is this too simple/obvious for the politicians/hierarchy

I am with Johnie on this one. The only reason I looked at it was the way the question was worded. It led me to believe that my formal collegues "stepped on it." I am aware of Michael's bent on getting MEDEVACS to change their tactics, including their markings, in this war with those who have never signed onto the "convention." Bottom line: I you are in a fair fight; your tactics suck!

I'd like to see you do articles showing how jihadists are following the Geneva Convention . . .
The enemy only acknowledges and follows Sharia law (or they can be killed as apostate).
Our troops need to follow the USMC. International law is only a false front.

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR WORK

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