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HC-130 and crew taken hostage


wysongj
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That really pisses me off that it was not reported back in 2006.....what is so secret ablut flying a humanitarian mission...so what if it happened to be Darfor. Also why in hell didnt they get real air support after the first hour that they were on the ground. And then for their commander to not report the full details to higher really should not go unpunished.

lAnd for the 3 star to downgrade to an achievement medal....what a joke!

As for the PTSD and depression...if all this had been reported there would be no trouble verifying their disability. I see guys every day at the VA hospital that are trying to prove their VN service but because they were TDY there is very little record of their service in VN.

Another word for all you active dty folks....document ALL your TDY keep orders, trip travel vouchers. Names and home states of the buddies you work with. Some day 15-20 or even 35 years from now when you come down with the hoochcoochies...that was from service in who knows where you will have proff that you were there. Also a list of old friends and their home states will help in keeping in touch and also verifying what you are trying to prove. Oh yea...thanks for serving.

Muff

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Also, save your pictures. Like Muff says, save everything that can help you prove that you were in a combat zone. A friend's widow is now receiving over $900.00 a month because after years of being turned down, we were able to prove 'boots on the ground' through friends testimonials and pictures. God knows she deserves it.

Pat Wylie

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Wow

Chris really screwed the pooch on this one, wonder what the hell happened to him, he was always a pretty good guy but then again people change; OR he could be some other POS general ossifers fall guy too. Often the truth isnt what actually comes to light.

And WTF is up with the zeros getting bronze stars and the smelly little E's getting a commendation medal with valor? A international incident like this really warrants more than a crappy little commendation medal. Kinda like the commendation medal Mr Meth, ex SMSgt AB George Parsons gave me when I left ABQ as a MSgt, threw that thing in the garbage and I can bet the E's feel just as pissed about a worthless commendation medal in this situation.

As for the crew, I am really glad they got out of it okay, its really bad that some of them ended up with a brain screw over it. Just really glad they are finally getting SOME kind of recognition for it. Personally I would have recommended taxing through the soldiers with all four weed eaters going.

Dan

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Sounded to me like somebody was doing a personal favor for someone for brownie points. Hence the reason for not getting air support, no reporting actual events, and the crew being told no flights had gone out. A simple fly in to pick up a VIP hubby so he could be with the wife. Also noticed this guy wasn't even there when they got there and had been gone five days! Yep, somebody got caught doing a favor and their buddies had to CYA everybody at the cost of these poor guys. What about the SRA that physically held the crew entrance door closed? How hard would it have been to catch a round through that thin 18 ga sheet metal? Sounds as though the whole crew should have gotten Bronze Stars. But, like in Nam, it was usually the zeros that got the medals, some didn't even go on the missions!

Really sad what happened to this whole crew and the people responsible got away scott free. Although they were disappointed in the down grades, you can rest assured it didn't affect their love for our country.

A salute to the whole crew.

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And WTF is up with the zeros getting bronze stars and the smelly little E's getting a commendation medal with valor? A international incident like this really warrants more than a crappy little commendation medal.

Dan

And for the maintainers...nothing. I know the maintainers that were on that mission and they received nothing.

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I was having a good day until I read this........ Just WTF is an Air Force Achievement Medal for Valor anyway? It's a joke!

When the UAV operator's were getting Air Medal's it ruined my appreciation for my own Air Medal's. I sure am glad that I am retired, and don't have to put up with this kind of B.S..

I am embarrased for the crew. A damn shame! The Air Force Achievement Medal is nothing more than a glorified merit badge for an adult!

Kurt

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And for the maintainers...nothing. I know the maintainers that were on that mission and they received nothing.

That's SOP nowadays. When I was a FCC, I was listed as crew for about the first three missions I flew, then some Colonel said that Maintainers would not be listed as aircrew and we would be listed as PAX. I got twice as many missions needed for an Aerial Achievement medal, but can't get one since I'm listed as a passenger on all my orders.

Seems like the Air Force has really put taking care of people on the back burner the past ten years. I have friends still in who have the same issues.

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Harrowing story. Pretty poor handling of the aircrew after the mission. I still don't get why CSAR assets are back under ACC. Seems to me they are better suited to be under AFSOC. Nice that their medals were downgraded...unbelievable...

Edited by APG85
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Besides the unbeleivable handling, or mishandling, of this entire fiasco, it has brought up some questions in my mind.

First, in MSgt Widener's commendation to accompany his "medal," his job is described as an "HC-130P Airborne Mission System Specialist." Is that now the official job description of a flight engineer?

Only one of the two loadmasters mentioned in the article was awarded the acheivement medal. Why? The female load, SRA Kimberly Vanhaaten, probably faced a more terrifying outcome, along with the female FCC, than the rest of the hostages

After a while, I got tired of reading the commendations, but one trend caught my eye -- most of those "medals" awarded were sometimes the 5th or 6th oak leaf cluster. I didn't have that many oak leaf clusters on my good conduct medal after 23 years of service!

I flew into El-Fashir many times with St. Lucia Airways back in late 1985, flying famine releif missions for Oxfam and Caritas. They were always daylight operations, so I would assume the airfield lighting was either nonexistant or, like most airfields in the third world, o/s (out of service). After that harrowing experience, the crew still flew out of there a little after 8:00 PM, landed and refuelled at Khartoum and still flew back to their home station. I can just imagine the conversations in the cockpit!

OK, enough of my rants -- although there's a lot more I could get off my chest about this whole screw-up. Acknowledgement of the maintenance troops and the ANG security? Nada. Acheivement medal, my ass!!! If it had been me, I would've tossed it in the trash can on my way out of the awards ceremony.

Don R.

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And for the maintainers...nothing. I know the maintainers that were on that mission and they received nothing.

All three maintainers (including the one who is now deceased) are getting medals. I know this for a fact. But I have not even received mine yet. Gen North signed their medals.

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  • 7 months later...

We changed from RO to AMSS when the Air Force merged the 1A4X1 (AMSS - think airborne radar and computer techs from AWACS/JSTARS) into the 1A3X1 (Airborne Comm and Electronics Specialists) career field a few years back.

I know Maj Woosley from when he was a Capt and I was just a snotty SrA/SSgt at Moody. Smart guy, cool head. I've heard of PJ Widner before. Sounds like the unit was from the 79th RQS out at DM.

As a rescue guy, I can't believe I hadn't heard this story, but I was doin the AETC thing at Kirtland back then.

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