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DUSTOFF

DUSTOFF UNARMED HELICOPTER AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION DUSTOFF Steve Vermillion Call Sign Dustoff 40 Vietnam Tour Dates Jan 69 to Jan 70 Combat Missions 1451 Combat Hours 1127 Patients Evac’d 2410 DUSTOFF Tonight’s Presentation Background on Dustoff

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DUSTOFF

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  1. DUSTOFF UNARMED HELICOPTER AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION

  2. DUSTOFF Steve Vermillion Call Sign Dustoff 40 Vietnam Tour Dates Jan 69 to Jan 70 Combat Missions 1451 Combat Hours 1127 Patients Evac’d 2410

  3. DUSTOFF Tonight’s Presentation • Background on Dustoff • Night Non-Secure Hoist Mission • Cockpit Voice Recording of the Briefed Hoist Mission

  4. DUSTOFF BACKGROUND First use of helicopters--Korea--January 1951 OH-13 OH-23

  5. DUSTOFF BACKGROUND • Restricted to: • those that could not be reached by ground ambulance • travel over rough roads would worsen the soldier’s condition • need to reach medical facility faster than by ground • No in flight treatment of the wounded. • Lessons learned in Korea set the stage for Vietnam

  6. DUSTOFF BACKGROUND • 57th Medical Detachment (HA) deployed to Vietnam in 1962 • Equipped with 5 UH-1A’s • Located in Nha Trang • The 57th Med was viewed with skepticism • Major Kelly era--kicked it up a notch (1964) • Dustoff call-sign originated in 1964 • Additional air ambulance detachments deployed to support combat forces. • The 45th Med Co (AA) arrived in country-Sept 1967

  7. DUSTOFFMay 1962-March 1973 • 900,000 patients evacuated • 496,473 Dustoff Missions were flown • Average time between wounding and hospitalization--less than one hour. • Average mission time was 55 minutes • Standard missions averaged an enemy hit every 311 trips • Hoist missions averaged an enemy hit every 44 trips • 8000 hoist missions were flown • Hoist mission considered 7 times more dangerous than a standard mission.

  8. DUSTOFF • About 1400 Commissioned / Warrant officers served as air ambulance pilots • 40 aviators were killed by hostile fire • Another 180 were wounded or injured by hostile fire • 48 were killed and about 200 were injured as a result of non-hostile crashes • Slightly more than 1/3 became casualties. • 214 aviators and crewmen died flying air ambulance helicopters • Danger factor was 3.3 times higher than any other helicopter mission

  9. DUSTOFF HOIST MISSION “HOVERING IS FOR PILOTS WHO LOVE TO FLY BUT HAVE NO WHERE TO GO”

  10. Difficulties of a Hoist Mission • Extremely Vulnerable to Enemy Fire • Hovering Out of Ground Effect • Center of Gravity Limitations • Density Altitude • Crew Coordination • Illumination

  11. JUNGLE PENETRATOR

  12. DUSTOFF Critical Aspects of a Hoist Mission  Highest Risk Point Cable Cut Switch When the soldier is suspended on the cable.

  13. DUSTOFF NIGHT HOIST MISSION BRIEF “Anyone can do the job when thing are going right. In this business we play for keeps. Ernest K. Gann

  14. Mission: • Night Hoist FSB Mace • Location: • YS 559 999 • Wounded: • 2 US Critical • 2 US Frag AZ 147’ MO 11,800’ • Artillery—Xuan Loc • Enemy Situation • Unknown YS 559 999

  15. DUSTOFF RPG-7 1.5 lbs. of C-4 7/32” ball bearings 60 degree arc--50 meters RPG--Rocket Propelled Grenade 40 MM Range 500 M (Stationary Target) M-18 Claymore Mine

  16. DUSTOFF Decision Time !! No Compromise! No Rationalization! No Hesitation! • ETAs for gunships • Company policy • Command pressure • True enemy situation Fly The Mission!

  17. DUSTOFF Pay and Allowances—September 1969 Rank: WO1: Basic Pay $378.90 Flight Pay: $100.00 Hazard Pay: $ 65.00 Subsistence: $ 47.00 Total Monthly Salary: $591.78 Annual Salary: $7,101.36

  18. Wind Enemy

  19. Wind Enemy

  20. Wind Enemy

  21. Wind Enemy

  22. Wind Enemy

  23. Wind Enemy

  24. Wind Enemy

  25. Wind Enemy

  26. DUSTOFF

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