We Really Can Do This
That’s the Humanitarian Service Medal. It counts for promotion like any other “Service” medal. The mission to Haiti will rate its reward to those who participate in the operation.
I assumed that the Air Force Special Operations Command people at the local Hurlburt Field had been sent to re-open the airport, and AFSOC has a press release confirming it: Special Tactic Airmen provide humanitarian relief to Haiti.
The BBC has more coverage on the military response: US rushes troops to Haiti earthquake zone.
I’m happy to see that the USS Bataan is leading the amphibious group. The Bataan is the vessel that followed Katrina in the Gulf and was ready to immediately supply New Orleans with assistance, but Rumsfeld refused to allow it for days.
When you see what the US military can and will do to merit their HSMs in Port au Prince, think about the difference they would have made if Rumsfeld had sent them to NOLA, a thousand miles closer.
4 comments
Good news. 🙂
Yes, I felt VERY sad for the crew of Batann after the Katrina debacle. I’ve been there, and I know how good you feel when you get the rare chance to actually help, especially when it’s your own Country that needs you so badly! And then, to have that rug pulled out from under you… If my Gov had tried to do that to us, I can assure you Bryan, seriously, my team (and probably others) would have gone to Canberra very quickly, armed, angry and demanding answers, and they would have had maybe 1 minute to explain or change their mind. And I am not joking (I think you know enough about Aussie *service personnel* to know what I mean. Considering that the three teams survived in Cambodia pretty much on our own for about a year, the security forces around the PM and his crew would not have posed any obstacles. 🙂
Sorry… that *REALLY* pissed me off (Katrina). Glad the Bataan crew finally have a chance to do some good. I’d be curious to find out how many of the crew after Katrina re-upped or resigned.
Seriously my friend, even though I have lived in the USA, and know many Americans, I still do not understand why many more people are not screaming for Rumsfeld & Cheney’s heads on a pole! Disgusts me mightily I have to say. And the fact that a lot of dumb Aussies allowed Howard to get away with his crap for so long p*sses me off also, and are now just happy to let him take the money and run… Morons!! The World has far too many self-interested, self-absorbed morons IMNSHO!
There were a lot of guys from Special Ops bitching about the entire thing and the way their capabilities were overlooked by the Pentagon. They took it personally when someone said that it “wasn’t safe” for military aircraft to fly in New Orleans because of reports of gunfire. How insulting can you get to crews who train to pick up people from hot landing zones during all out wars to say they are “afraid” to fly because of ground fire?! If there had been any ground fire, it wouldn’t have lasted beyond the first pass of a Special Ops mission.
These guys live for this stuff and: it’s warm, no one’s shooting, people are happy to see them, people say thanks – what’s not to like?
Yeah, the Bataan earned this mission, The Navy was really pissed about Katrina and being limited to reconstruction on the military bases when the civilian areas needed so much more help, and there was no one to provide it.
I assumed they are already seeing whose combat engineers are able to get there the fastest, because there are repairs needed to the airport and heavy equipment and construction people needed to clear the roads and search the rubble.
There were a lot of people held in by stop-loss orders after Katrina, who would probably have re-upped, even with two wars going on.
Community service is one of the best ways you can get squared away with the military after you screw up. The brass really like it and it helps community relations a lot, especially if you have a problem with guys getting drunk and rowdy at local bars.
Maybe we should send Rumsfeld to Haiti …. with no water, no housing and no hope?
Just for old times sake, you know…
.-= last blog ..The banksters still don’t get it =-.
He should be taught the real meaning of “unknown unknowns”. It might clarify his thinking.