Same Mission; Different Place

[Ray Norton]

If you want to relive a medevac or a firefight, read this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/world/asia/20marja.html?scp=1&sq=Marine%20Patrol%20long%20hot&st=cse

From the article:

“Hey, this guy is going to die if we don’t medevac him,” the corporal said. “His guts are hanging out.”

(For Slick: I have requested permission from the New York Times to post the article. If approved, I would like to do so.)

[Ray Norton]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/world/asia/13medevac.html?th&emc=th

I have some real issues with this:

When I was back in school at Quantico in the early 70's the Army made a presentation to our class on how to conduct a medevac by helicopter:

* One "ship." They do not have aircraft.
* A big red cross painted on the side. The bad guys by law cannot shoot at it.

As all of us in that class were 'nam vets (Jim Jones, future CMC, was a fellow student), we laughed out loud at such a ridiculous procedure.

Now, if you read the link they have not learned a darn thing. You will find the army "red cross" helo calling for Cobra support while sitting in the zone taking fire. Heck, we know the way to run it is to show up in the first place with a flight of two armed transports and two "guns."

As the folk song goes: "When will they ever learn. When will they ever learn."