Task Force Gunfighters rewarded for medevac
A team from US Task Force Gunfighters was recently honoured for an evacuation that they completed on 21 September in Khost Province, Afghanistan.
US Forces Afghanistan has reported that a team from US Task Force Gunfighters was recently honoured for an evacuation that they completed on 21 September in Khost Province, Afghanistan.
Task Force Gunfighters is comprised of 1st Combat Aviation Brigade pilots, crews, and teams from the 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. It conducts attack, assault and medical evacuations in support of Train, Advise, and Assist Command – East, Special Operating Forces, and Afghanistan National Defence Security Forces (ANDSF).
Captain Cody Sneed and his UH-60 Blackhawk flight crew were called to action after an ANDSF team was pinned down by enemy machinegun fire. One of the ANDSF soldiers received a gun wound to the head and so needed to be medically evacuated.
“We were executing a patient transfer when we were dynamically re-tasked to respond to an urgent nine-line MEDEVAC request,” recalled Sneed. The crew quickly completed the patient transfer, landing at FOB Dahlke to refuel the helicopter. After taking to the air again, the team pinpointed the location after picking up radio traffic from the 1-1 ARB Attack Weapons Team (AWT) that was then directly supporting the ANDSF ground forces.
“The pilots were taking the information and the radios were going crazy,” said Sgt Michael Charles, crew chief. “Staff Sgt Thompson (flight paramedic) was prepping all the medical gear that he might need for the patient.”
Whilst under enemy tracer fire, the helicopter manoeuvred above the designated medevac site. As ground forces and the supporting Apache helicopters cleared the landing site, the Blackhawk hovered at an altitude of around 10,000 ft, waiting to move in. The intended pick-up zone was changed three times before finally it was safe for the medevac chopper to land.
“We landed in a riverbed,” said Thompson. “The patient had been shot in the head. It was a very fast transfer to our aircraft and we departed immediately for Chapman Theater Hospital.”
“Staff Sgt Thompson and Sgt Charles worked seamlessly together to start lifesaving interventions for the 10 to 15 minutes flight to the hospital,” added Sneed. “Undoubtedly, this saved that soldier’s life.”
Sneed, Charles and Thompson were each presented with the Air Medal for their achievements on 18 December 2016 by Gen. Mark Milley, chief of staff of the US Army, and Sgt Major of the Army Daniel Dailey.