Five Injured Soldiers Delivered To Safety
Working with the injured is difficult, but when you encounter enemy gunfire while trying to rescue injured and hurt soldiers, then it becomes even more difficult. Medical Air evacuation crews working with Operation Task Force Marne braved enemy gunfire to evacuate five injured soldiers January 18th.
Medevac soldiers working with Company C, Second Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, and 3rd Infantry division were notified after a Stryker patrol was attacked. Soldiers with the 25th infantry division were injured and required air evacuation.
The medical black hawk helicopters traveled to the area only to find that the ground where the soldiers were being attacked was not clear to land. It was unknown if there were any IED explosive, so the helicopters could not land.
The helicopters finally circled the road, and landed in a nearby field. It was not possible to contact the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade Apache team, despite repeated attempts. Pilot Captain Samuel Fricks landed his helicopter in the field. Fricks is also Company C Operations Officer.
His medic for his helicopter, Staff Sergeant Robert Congdon jumped out and went to the injured soldiers, returning with three of them.
“I ran over, grabbed the wounded, and ran back with McQuown,” said Sgt Congdon. Staff Sgt Aughe McQuown was also a crewmember on the responding Black Hawk medical helicopter.
As soon at the two NCO’s returned to the helicopter it began to come under fire.
The crewmembers ran back and forth, dodging bullets, until they had the injured loaded and they flew off to the hospital. After the two black hawk helicopters took to the air, Apache aircraft came in and laid down a heavy barrage.
