by Master Sgt. Paul Flipse
920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
1/7/2015 - PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- In
the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, in the
same exhibit hall with Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis and the
Wright Brothers' 1903 flyer, under a case of protective glass, stands a
massive silver cup, lined in gold, atop a three-tiered mahogany
pedestal.
The pedestal is adorned with dozens of small, silver medallions
inscribed with the names of U.S. Air Force Airmen in recognition of
their surpassing acts of valor, bravery and patriotism--names like Capt.
Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager, pioneer of supersonic flight; World War I
ace fighter pilot Capt. Edward "Eddie" Rickenbacker; and Lt. James H.
"Jimmy" Doolittle, who planned and led the pivotal, maiden air attack on
Japan during World War II, among many others.
Since 1912, the Mackay Trophy has been given annually in honor of the
most meritorious flight of the year by an Air Force Airman, Airmen or
organization. It is the oldest and most esteemed award of its kind in
Air Force history.
And in November, the names of three 920th Rescue Wing pararescuemen,
along with twelve Airmen from the 8th Special Operations Squadron at
Hurlburt Field, Florida, were added to the Mackay Trophy in recognition
of their actions during a mission that took place Dec. 21, 2013 in South
Sudan.
Tech. Sgt. Jason D. Broline, Tech. Sgt. Daniel C. Warren and Staff Sgt.
Lee R. Von Hack-Prestinary were part of the crews of Rooster 73, 74 and
75--three CV-22 Ospreys sent by the U.S. State Department to evacuate
the American Embassy and other U.S. citizens from in and around the town
of Bor in South Sudan, which was quickly destabilizing into civil war.
Upon reaching a U.N. airfield at Bor, all three aircraft took heavy
surface-to-air fire. Four Rooster 73 crewmembers were critically wounded
during the attack, and all three Ospreys sustained major damage. Yet
the nearest location from which to safely meet medical support aircraft
was at the Ugandan coastal city of Entebbe--roughly 450 miles due south
of Bor.
The aircraft had been badly damaged. According to the battle damage
assessment performed by flight crews following the attack, the Ospreys
had sustained, "...flight control failures, hydraulic failures and
punctured fuel tanks resulting in massive uncontrollable fuel leaks, and
damage to multiple essential structural components."
It would be an incredible achievement for the aircrews just to keep the
crippled planes flying. But it would be another thing entirely to make
it to Entebbe in time to save the lives of the wounded crewmembers, who
were deteriorating quickly.
To make things worse, the wounded were onboard Rooster 73, and the 920th
pararescuemen were on Rooster 74, with no possibility of landing until
Entebbe.
Cut off from the wounded but determined to help, Broline, Warren and Von
Hack-Prestinary began looking for unconventional methods. What they
found was an ingenious solution that resulted in every single crewmember
returning home alive.
Their solution: a "flying blood bank."
Time would be critical, they reasoned, once they finally touched down in
Entebbe. The wounded needed blood desperately, and any delay could
result in death for any or all of them.
So, the reservists got on the radio and retrieved the blood types of the
wounded troops, after which they began drawing blood from matching
healthy aircrew members.
As a result, they were able to transfuse fresh, lifesaving blood to the
wounded mere moments after touching down at the medical rendezvous point
at Entebbe.
At the ceremony honoring this year's Mackay Trophy recipients, Air Force
Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III praised the aircrew members of
Rooster 73, 74 and 75, and spoke of the impact of their actions upon the
Air Force in full.
"Their dedication to duty, professionalism, bravery, courage and
airmanship was on display during the aerial flight supporting a
non-combatant evacuation order in the vicinity of Bor, South Sudan,"
said General Welsh. "The distinctive accomplishments of Rooster 73
Flight reflect greatly on the caliber of our United States Air Force
Airmen."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment