CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2007 – “Medevac! Medevac! 2nd Up.” As the call comes over the radio, the living room of the pilots, crew chiefs and medics of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, springs to life.

Soldiers scramble to grab their gear and run to the Black Hawk helicopters that will carry them to the site where a patient waits for a lift to 25th Combat Surgical Hospital, in Baghdad.

Speed is key to these medical evacuation soldiers whose sole mission is to transfer patients to medical facilities at Baghdad and Balad.

“Time is the most important (element),” said Chief Warrant Officer Travis Powell, a pilot in Co. C. “We take pride in trying to be the fastest aircraft off the ground.”

The medevac company is allotted 15 minutes from the initial call to when the aircraft is off the ground, but for Co. C the time from the call to “wheels up” is less than 10 minutes said Sgt. Reid Carpenter, a flight medic with Co. C. Patients are usually picked up within 40 minutes depending on the pick-up site, Carpenter said. (continue reading…)

FORT HOOD, Texas, Nov. 28, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met with soldiers and family members here yesterday to present Purple Heart medals and get a first-hand look at issues and concerns he usually sees only on paper.

Gates began his morning by joining soldiers for breakfast at the Eagle’s Nest, a 4th Infantry Division dining facility. Over scrambled eggs, bacon and grits, Gates discussed Army issues with the soldiers.

After breakfast, the secretary met with 30 Army spouses representing the 4th Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 13th Sustainment Command and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment to hear their issues and concerns. The spouses were selected for the meeting based on their active roles in their units’ family readiness groups, Col. Diane Battaglia, 3rd Corps public affairs officer, said. (continue reading…)

Greetings, I just finished setting up the new Gold Star Dads “American Patriot Forum.”

It has a good selection of topics ranging from Family and Sibling Support and Grief Counseling to Political discussions and even general topics such as Sports and Fishing.

For the time being it will use its own login-in system but I will combine all of the Community functions as soon as I get all the bugs out. It might help me later if you use your same registration info as you did for the American Patriot News but if you don’t have that info or you are no longer using that old email, just register as a new account and I will sort it out later.

I encourage you to stop by and check it out. I am looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Michael