Dust Off! - Someone You Should Know Follow Up
Thursday, April 15, 2010
"No compromise. No rationalization. No hesitation. Fly the mission. Now!" - Major Charles Kelly, the third commander of the 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) in Viet Nam where the call sign "Dust Off" became the universal name for medevacs. Major Kelly later was killed flying a dustoff mission.
RE: US Army SSG Matthew Kinney - Someone You Should Know
RE: Medevac View of the Battle of Wanat - The Art of Saving Lives
Over at Soldiers Angels Germany is a video of a flight medic that Jimbo, Laughing Wolf, Subsunk and I were able to spend some time with. We talked with his wonderful wife who didn't really know what her husband had done until his Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross ceremonies. He is now assigned at Mother Rucker - teaching what he knows about flight medic duties in combat to the new guys. [And he hates it. Wishes he was back in Afghanistan.]
This is the man that will come for you, no matter if you are in a world of shit.
SSG Matthew Kinney, awarded many medals for valor, is now the DustOff Association Flight Medic of the Year. For those of you with valor awards, you know that being recognized by your peers who've been there and done that is perhaps the greatest award you can ever get...except perhaps for getting thanked by the man who's life you saved.
Matthew Kinney has all the above...many times over.
Make sure that you watch this video (be sure to read the Silver Star citation below) and say a prayer of thanks for and raise a glass to SSG Matthew Kinney.
Related:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVYgsYiE2yU
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59145
http://soldiersangelsgermany.blogspot.com/2009/03/flight-medic-ssg-matthew-kinney-awarded.html
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/02/army_silver_star_022809w/