|
2006-07-03 Iraq
|
|
No Medical Recovery Outside Of Iraq FOBs ??
|
 | Read the whole exchange at the link. This just can't be allowed. |
The 4/1 SPPT Team was traveling back from Salman Pak to Camp Rustamiyah along EFP alley (RTE Pluto South) on Sunday May 14th about 5:15pm in a 3 vehicle convoy. About 3 miles from Camp Rustamiyah, the first Humvee was hit by a massive roadside bomb called an EFP. The bomb blew the HUMVEE into the air and created a giant cloud of debris, dirt and pavement.
We stopped as fast as we could and when the smoke cleared enough, we could see the first HUMVEE had been completely blown off the road and was lying upside down in a ditch. To make matters worse it was also on fire. The rest of the team tried to free the driver and vehicle commander from the wreckage but the frame of the HUMVEE was bent and the door would not open. The two soldiers in the front were trapped inside the burning vehicle and died.
We could only pray that they were already dead from the EFP blast and did not burn to death. We tried to pull the front doors off with a winch and a tow strap, but the burning ammunition inside the wreck started to explode and the entire vehicle caught fire and blew up. The gunner was pulled from the wreckage and was severely wounded with shrapnel wounds from the spalling.
Continued from Page 4
The Medic with the SPTT Team was able to start working on the gunner to save his life and we gave the interpreter aid as best as we could. A MEDIVAC was immediately called for the litter urgent and critical soldier and the QRF rolled from the FOB. About 10 minutes later the tanks and HUMVEES of the QRF got there and secured the area. What happened at this point is what we need your help with.
The MEDIVAC was denied because we could not guarantee the LZ was not hot. Even with the QRF securing the area, the MEDIVAC was not launched. We were told we had to transport the severely wounded soldier and interpreter back to the FOB, have the aid station stabilize them and the MEDIVAC would then fly to the FOB to pick them up. To complicate matters the QRF did not have an ambulance with them, because the medical until will not roll any of the 20 odd HUMVEE and M113 combat ambulances with the QRF because it is too dangerous outside the FOB.
We had to put the soldier in a HUMVEE and drive him to the FOB, where the chicken shit medics were waiting inside the FOB gate to transport him, via ambulance to the TMC. Thank God this soldier is still alive and on his way to Landstuhl. The two soldiers were eventually pulled from the wreckage after a HEMMIT with a tank pump unit put out the fire that engulfed the wrecked HUMVEE. It took the HEMMIT almost an hour to get to the site, 3 miles away from the FOB, because the KBR contracted Fire Department and EMT unit refused to leave the FOB, because their contract states they will ONLY work within the protection of the FOB.
Their brand new fire engines and rescue vehicles were waiting inside the gate when we finally towed the wrecked HUMVEE back. By the time the HEMMIT arrived, both soldiers were burned beyond recognition. to the point where their own wives could not recognize them. Last night at 1:00am in the morning, we loaded the body bags on a helicopter to BIOP and to start their trip home
When we asked why the MEDIVAC would not land on a secured LZ to MEDIVAC the critically wounded soldier, we were told the policy is that we cannot afford to lose a Blackhawk and crew flying into potentially hostile LZ. We work in Salman Pak, which is almost an hour southeast of Baghdad. If a soldier is wounded, we are expected to self evac him back to Rustamiyah because it is too dangerous to send a MEDIVAC, Ambulance or M113 combat medic vehicle (even if it is with the QRF).
From he time we landed in Kuwait and after we arrived in Iraq, we were given MEDIVAC procedure cards and even given a MEDIVAC Freq . We were told that all we had to do is call and follow the procedures on the card and a MEDIVAC would be launched. This is BOGUS! ALL Soldiers need to know that unless they are at a FOB, the MEDIVAC will not be launched.
Fire departments, EMT, combat medic vehicles, field ambulances all have orders not to leave the FOB because it is too: "dangerous." The reality is if you are wounded, you are SOL until your own unit puts you into a HUMVEE and you get back to the FOB.
Please help us contact [deleted] about this policy. 4th ID is telling us that "this is just the way things are." That, "these things happen." We need your help before this is swept under the rug. 
|
Posted by Anonymoose 2006-07-03 00:00||
||
Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07]
Top
|
|
Posted by gromky 2006-07-03 00:37||
2006-07-03 00:37||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-07-03 02:43||
2006-07-03 02:43||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by grb 2006-07-03 03:29||
2006-07-03 03:29||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by trailing wife 2006-07-03 06:57||
2006-07-03 06:57||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Hupinemble Flaiger2203 2006-07-03 09:18||
2006-07-03 09:18||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Xbalanke 2006-07-03 12:40||
2006-07-03 12:40||
Front Page
Top
|
|
Posted by Broadhead6 2006-07-03 16:41||
2006-07-03 16:41||
Front Page
Top
|
|
15:19 M. Murcek
15:16 Penguin_of_the_Sanhedrin
15:13 Penguin_of_the_Desert
15:09 Bobby
15:09 Grom the Reflective
15:00 Glenmore
14:55 One Eyed Protector of the Texans6023
14:51 Raj
14:50 swksvolFF
14:41 49 Pan
14:41 swksvolFF
14:27 Jefe101
14:25 Airandee
14:24 Airandee
14:13 swksvolFF
14:13 M. Murcek
13:58 Glenmore
13:56 Glenmore
13:53 M. Murcek
13:49 Glenmore
13:45 trailing wife
13:44 Abu Uluque
13:40 M. Murcek
13:36 DarthVader
|
