Army Combat Medical Badge for Medevac crews

I'm just posting this. don't hold an opinion one way or the other -
Greg

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Vietnam War veteran seeks recognition for medevac comrades


By LARA JAKES JORDAN, ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) - A retired medical evacuation pilot who helped rescue
more than 2,000 wounded soldiers during the Vietnam War asked
lawmakers Tuesday to make his fellow Dustoff crew members eligible for
the Army's Combat Medical Badge.Thousands of helicopter ambulance crew
members in Vietnam, organized in medical evacuation units that were
known by the radio call sign Dustoff, were credited with pulling
hundreds of thousands of wounded soldiers out of battle, often at
great risk to themselves. Since they were not specifically assigned to
ground combat units, Dustoff crew members were denied the combat badge
under Army regulations.

Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer John Travers of Harrisburg, Pa.,
told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee about fellow crew members
who risked their lives every day to save wounded soldiers."Typical of
them was Kevin Donaughue, a medic who I personally watched jump from
my aircraft, under extremely intense fire, and run through a mine
field to retrieve a wounded soldier and bring him back to our
aircraft, all while AK-47 rounds exploded around him," Travers
testified.The Army's reluctance to award the badge to Dustoff crew
"can only be described as a slap in the face by the Army we served so
loyally," Travers said.Travers flew 955 missions in Vietnam between
1970-71 and helped rescue 2,045 wounded soldiers.Lt. Gen. John M.
LeMoyne, the Army's deputy chief of staff, said Dustoff crew members
were not required to work for at least 30 consecutive days in daily
battle with ground infantry, which disqualifies them for the combat
badge. The Army reviewed and upheld that policy in 1987 and as
recently as last February, he said."Since inception, the intent of the
Department of the Army regarding this requirement has been that
medical personnel must be personally present and under fire in order
to be eligible for the awarding of the badge," said LeMoyne, who also
served in Vietnam.He added: "My emotions are with you."Senate
Veterans' Affairs Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., repeatedly challenged
LeMoyne to defend the policy, telling the general: "I think you have
your toughest assignment today."Specter said he plans to introduce
legislation that would force the Pentagon to make Dustoff crew
eligible for the Combat Medical Badge."This is something the Congress
of the United States ought to decide," Specter said. "And then the
commander in chief will have to decide if he agrees with Congress."

http://newsobserver.com/24hour/natio...-6689305c.html

Why can't combat engineers get the CIB? It's in their TO&E that they are
organized for infantry as required. Since they do just about everything
they do with the infantry and for the infantry, why aren't they eligible for
the CIB?

I'll tell you why they aren't - because they're not infantry. Just like
dustoff crews and pilots aren't combat medics and therefore they shouldn't
get the CMB.

--
If you get what you want, what's to stop you
from asking for more?

"Greg Linscott" wrote in message
news:1854be55.0307311035.546db7ed@posting.google.c om...
> I'm just posting this. don't hold an opinion one way or the other -
> Greg
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Vietnam War veteran seeks recognition for medevac comrades
>
>
> By LARA JAKES JORDAN, ASSOCIATED PRESS
>
> WASHINGTON (AP) - A retired medical evacuation pilot who helped rescue
> more than 2,000 wounded soldiers during the Vietnam War asked
> lawmakers Tuesday to make his fellow Dustoff crew members eligible for
> the Army's Combat Medical Badge.Thousands of helicopter ambulance crew
> members in Vietnam, organized in medical evacuation units that were
> known by the radio call sign Dustoff, were credited with pulling
> hundreds of thousands of wounded soldiers out of battle, often at
> great risk to themselves. Since they were not specifically assigned to
> ground combat units, Dustoff crew members were denied the combat badge
> under Army regulations.
>
> Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer John Travers of Harrisburg, Pa.,
> told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee about fellow crew members
> who risked their lives every day to save wounded soldiers."Typical of
> them was Kevin Donaughue, a medic who I personally watched jump from
> my aircraft, under extremely intense fire, and run through a mine
> field to retrieve a wounded soldier and bring him back to our
> aircraft, all while AK-47 rounds exploded around him," Travers
> testified.The Army's reluctance to award the badge to Dustoff crew
> "can only be described as a slap in the face by the Army we served so
> loyally," Travers said.Travers flew 955 missions in Vietnam between
> 1970-71 and helped rescue 2,045 wounded soldiers.Lt. Gen. John M.
> LeMoyne, the Army's deputy chief of staff, said Dustoff crew members
> were not required to work for at least 30 consecutive days in daily
> battle with ground infantry, which disqualifies them for the combat
> badge. The Army reviewed and upheld that policy in 1987 and as
> recently as last February, he said."Since inception, the intent of the
> Department of the Army regarding this requirement has been that
> medical personnel must be personally present and under fire in order
> to be eligible for the awarding of the badge," said LeMoyne, who also
> served in Vietnam.He added: "My emotions are with you."Senate
> Veterans' Affairs Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., repeatedly challenged
> LeMoyne to defend the policy, telling the general: "I think you have
> your toughest assignment today."Specter said he plans to introduce
> legislation that would force the Pentagon to make Dustoff crew
> eligible for the Combat Medical Badge."This is something the Congress
> of the United States ought to decide," Specter said. "And then the
> commander in chief will have to decide if he agrees with Congress."
>
> http://newsobserver.com/24hour/natio...-6689305c.html

"meport" wrote in message news:<8zTWa.4235$WM4.4196@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.n et>...
> Why can't combat engineers get the CIB? It's in their TO&E that they are
> organized for infantry as required. Since they do just about everything
> they do with the infantry and for the infantry, why aren't they eligible for
> the CIB?
>
> I'll tell you why they aren't - because they're not infantry

Nope, we weren't. We knew how to use long handled shovels and got
carried around in trucks. And we aren't pissing and moaning about not
getting medals.

Engineer
Whose greatest accomplishment was getting his ass home in one piece.