Combat Medevac Badge

 

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This page is provided (in no particular order of importance) to keep the DUSTOFF community up-to-speed with the events taking place to get the Combat Medevac Badge approved for air ambulance crewmembers. Information last updated on 06 Feb 2008.     The CMB provisions in the original House and Senate versions of the 2008 defense bill did not make it into the final law.   Combat Medevac Badge. Section 557 of the House version would have required the services to design, procure, and issue a combat medevac badge to members of the Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps who served in combat on or after June 25, 1950, as a pilot or crew member of a helicopter medical evacuation ambulance and who meets the requirements for the award of that badge.   House Passes Combat Medevac Badge Proposal WASHINGTON, May 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. House has approved a proposal that would create a military award for medical rescue helicopter crews. The Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News said Friday by successfully passing through the House, the Combat Medevac Badge proposal took a significant step toward an official award for the nation's brave Medevac crews. The House the proposal is part of the National Defense Authorization Act adopted Thursday. Medical evacuation teams currently are ineligible to receive the Combat Medical Badge or the Combat Infantryman Badge due to statutory omission, a situation Rep. Tim Holden, D-Pa., finds unacceptable. "Medevac pilots and crews have performed heroically during times of military conflict," Holden said. "This award would acknowledge their service to our country." The measure now heads for the Senate.   Additional information at these locations:   http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnews/2007/05/medevac_badge_advances_in_cong.html   http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1179541503301610.xml&coll=1     Our Association signed on to help champion the recognition of our brave crews. That fight has taken its toll on those in the middle of it. The fight stalled out last year when the House passed a part of the Defense Appropriations Bill – and the Senate failed to ratify it. In the meantime, one great champion has died (Mike Novosel) and the author and energy behind it has been stricken with a “bad” form of Lymphoma (JT Travers). JT is on the mend – but still has large medical challenges remaining from the chemotherapy. Dan Gower was told, but has not been able to confirm, of passage of another bill in the House to require the Army to design and award a Combat Aeromedical Badge for our crewmembers. He has looked but been unable to find that action. If anyone has additional information, please E-MAIL Dan.   Copy of letter that went to Chairman of both US House and Senate as well as Minority Ranking member of Armed Services Committee. December 8, 2005 The Honorable John Warner The Honorable Carl Levin Chairman Ranking Member Committee on Armed Services Committee on Armed Services United States Senate United States Senate 228 Russell Building 228 Russell Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Duncan Hunter The Honorable Ike Skelton Chairman Ranking Member Committee on Armed Services Committee on Armed Services U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives 2120 Rayburn HOB 2120 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Colleagues: Congratulations on House and Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense Authorization bill. You all worked diligently to shepherd through the House and Senate bi-partisan legislation with many important provisions benefiting our troops. As you proceed to conference, we recommend your close attention to language included in the House-passed bill (Section 566 - Establishment of Combat Medevac Badge) which recognizes the combat service of helicopter medical evacuation ambulance pilots and crews - crews that served in extraordinarily hazardous circumstances in Korea, Vietnam, and subsequently. We urge retention of this provision which provides for the creation of a new “Combat Medevac Badge” to be awarded to such crews, commonly referred to as “Dustoff” crews, in recognition of their service. These heroic Americans have served with distinction in combat situations while providing medical assistance. Dustoff crews flew nearly a half-million missions and evacuated more than 900,000 military personnel and Vietnamese civilians between 1962 and 1973. The names of 214 Dustoff pilots and crewmen who made the ultimate sacrifice are etched on the Wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. We urge you to join us in properly recognizing helicopter medical evacuation pilots and crew members by retaining the House-passed language that creates the Combat Medevac Badge. Thank you for your attention to this important item. We commend you on your efforts to date and look forward to working with you in the coming weeks in support of passage of the Defense Authorization bill. Sincerely, Arlen Specter Tim Holden United States Senate U.S. House of Representatives John E. Sununu Richard Durbin United States Senate United States Senate Joseph R. Pitts Bill Shuster U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives   Rob Simmons Carolyn McCarthy U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Paul E. Gillmor James P. McGovern U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Phil Gingrey U.S. House of Representatives   Check out the nice article in The Huntsville Times, Tuesday, October 25, 2005, by REBECCA SALLEE by clicking HERE.   Monday, October 3, 2005 Vietnam Vet Leads Push For Combat Aeromedical Badge By Steve Liewer, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, Sunday, October 2, 2005 John Travers is a man on a mission. No less than the 955 times he flew Army rescue helicopters in Vietnam, Travers today heads a Vietnam Veterans of America chapter in Harrisburg, Pa., and is fighting to force the Army to recognize flight medics. The effort started 2½ years ago in a barroom conversation among some Pennsylvania vets. It led to hearings in July 2003 before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to make flight medics eligible for the Combat Medical Badge, currently awarded to front-line combat medics who come under fire while doing their jobs. According to Army regulations, flight medics may not receive it. Statistics from Vietnam show how dangerous the job is, Travers said. He said the small medical evacuation community lost more than 250 pilots, crew chiefs and medics in the war — a fatality rate of about 40 percent. “The kids today are doing the same things we did,” he said. “We think this is long past overdue.” Opposed by the Army, the legislation died. Lt. Gen. John LeMoyne, then the service’s senior personnel officer, testified that flight medics don’t deserve the award because they don’t face the same kind of risks infantry medics do. “The primary difference is that the medevac pilot will go home at night or sometime during the day,” LeMoyne said. “Your combat medic in the field will not. He will never get a hot shower, he will never get a hot meal, he will never have clean sheets, and he will never go to a club.” This year, Travers’ group changed its tactics. It gathered bipartisan support in the House of Representatives for a bill creating a new Combat Aeromedical Badge that could be awarded to all medevac crews that came under fire — back as far as the Korean War. “Creating this badge is a good compromise,” Travers said. “You preserve the CMB for what it stood for, but you recognize these crews.” “These guys deserve an award that’s in a class all by itself,” said Spc. Benjamin Waugh, 25, who served as a ground medic in Iraq early in the war and now is a flight medic with the 45th Medical Company in Germany. “They’ve got a big red cross [on their helicopters] and no weapons.” The bill easily passed the House 380-39 last May as an amendment to the annual Defense Authorization Bill, but the Senate hasn’t acted on it. A House-Senate conference committee will meet in the next two months to iron out differences. “We aren’t asking for the world,” Travers said. “This impacts a lot of people. We’ve got to get this done.” Combat Medical Badge a point of contention for medics GIs who fly in to treat wounded not eligible for award By Steve Liewer, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, Sunday, October 2, 2005 Minutes after the radio squawked a call for help from a bombed convoy near Baghdad, Sgt. Kai Yarwood scrambled aboard “Medicine Man 27,” a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter marked with a big red cross. On this morning of April 11, 2004, Medicine Man 27 and a sister ship, Medicine Man 68, reached the stricken convoy from their base at Camp Taji near the Iraqi capital in less than seven minutes. The two birds landed next to a shattered Humvee, hit by a roadside bomb at one end of a highway bridge. Yarwood and Sgt. Dale Hlavacek, then both flight medics with the 45th Medical Company from Katterbach, Germany, rushed out to help four grunts badly cut up by shrapnel. Yarwood had barely started bandaging the bloody wounds when someone shouted about incoming fire. Moments later, the unarmed Black Hawks soared off like spooked crows, leaving the medics behind. “I was 50 feet from the end of the bridge, where the fight was still going on,” recalled Yarwood, 32, of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. “I could have run back to the aircraft and taken off, but I stayed and helped.” While infantrymen blasted away, the medics hooked up IVs, gave oxygen, wrapped bandages and hustled the four injured men onto litters. The suppressive fire worked, and the Black Hawks soon swooped in to pick up the medics and their patients. Yarwood’s actions earned him an Air Medal. But like hundreds of battle-hardened Army medics in Iraq, he will not be wearing the Combat Medical Badge, the ultimate symbol of courage under fire for soldiers who do his job. “These guys were under fire during a medical mission,” said Maj. Anthony Meador, Yarwood’s company commander. “Why can’t we put them in for a CMB?” Because, since its creation in the dying days of World War II, the CMB has been reserved for medics serving alongside infantry troops. Army regulations exclude combat medics from aviation units, forward support battalions, military police and air and ground ambulance companies from earning the CMB. In an old-style war where armies seized territory along well-defined fronts, those types of medics would have served far behind the lines and rarely seen combat. But rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs have turned every street, highway and air lane in Iraq or Afghanistan into a hostile-fire zone. There’s no such thing as a safe trip. “Being out on the road is just about the most dangerous place to be,” said Capt. Matthew Curlee, 36, who commanded the 557th Medical Company, a ground-ambulance unit from Wiesbaden, Germany, last year in Tikrit. “Now, there are no [front] lines.” Flying isn’t necessarily safer. “We come in, we’re like a loud, sitting target,” Yarwood said. “We can get taken out with one [rocket-propelled grenade].” The eligibility restrictions for the CMB and its companion, the Combat Infantry Badge, have stirred anger in the Army. Stars and Stripes has received several letters debating the medals. Some soldiers say the honors should be open to anyone exposed to enemy fire, while others argue doing so would cheapen the awards. The ruckus prompted the Pentagon earlier this year to create the Combat Action Badge, a new award open to servicemembers from any military branch who come under fire in a combat zone. Army medics can earn it, too, but they still covet the CMB. “Nothing against the CAB,” said Capt. Chris McLean, commander of the 1st Infantry Division’s 299th Forward Support Battalion, “but [medics] want the CMB.” Gradually but grudgingly, the Army has widened the ranks of medics who can earn the CMB. After the Persian Gulf War, medics assigned to ground cavalry and armor units also could earn it. Last summer, medics serving with field artillery or engineer units were made eligible, too. ‘It’s not precisely the same risk’ There’s a wide cultural gap between front-line troops and those who rarely venture outside the wire at comfy, sprawling bases like Speicher in Tikrit or Anaconda in Balad. “You can tell the differences between the medics that POG all the time and the combat medics,” said Staff Sgt. Robert Weppelman, 33, a front-line medic last year with the 1st ID’s Task Force 1-7 at Camp Summerall, Iraq, using Army slang for rear-echelon troops. “We follow the grunts. If they’re in combat, we are, too.” That’s why the Army restricts the CIB and CMB to infantrymen and their medics. Lt. Gen. John LeMoyne, then the Army’s senior personnel officer, said as much at a 2003 hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs when he argued against making flight medics like Yarwood eligible for the CMB. “It is not precisely the same risk,” LeMoyne testified. “That ground medic assigned to that infantry unit is there every day for a year, shivering, freezing, hungry and scared, 24 hours a day.” Unlike with the CIB, there is no difference in the job description between medics who can earn the medical badge and those who can’t — only in the unit of assignment. Sgt. Michael Hubbard of the 118th Military Police Company served at Camp Kalsu, Iraq, until early this year, patrolling the main supply routes south of Baghdad. He earned a CMB for an earlier tour of Afghanistan, with the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan. This time around, he’s not eligible, although his base was mortared hundreds of times and he has treated countless casualties. “If somebody’s working with an MP company patrolling all day, that’s basically like [being] infantry,” he said. “If you’re hit by an IED or incoming mortars, you’re right there ... doing the same job.” Medics of all stripes agree that the CMB should never become a “being there” award as the Bronze Star Medal has become for officers. They agree the key factor in awarding the CMB should be whether the medic performed under fire, not what unit he or she belongs to. “Any medic in this room could do a splint,” said Sgt. Matthew Kimber, 33, another TF 1-7 medic. “But not many could do one with bullets flying all around.” First Lt. Chad Cole, 34, a physician’s assistant, commanded the medics of TF 1-7 in Iraq, which was composed primarily of soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment from Schweinfurt, Germany. He served as an enlisted medic during the first Gulf War. He thought the Army cheapened the medical badge by awarding it too freely. “You had people who stayed in Saudi Arabia who qualified,” Cole said. “It was pretty much given away. It lost its luster.” Getting the badge anyway Some female medics sense a whiff of sexism in the current rules. Spc. Sadie Harrison, 23, of the 557th Medical Company, spent more than half of her yearlong deployment attached to TF 1-7. Her ambulance once got hit by a roadside bomb, and she has treated patients under fire countless times. Technically, she’s ineligible because women aren’t allowed to serve in combat units. But Cole nominated her for the CMB, and eventually she got it. “My unit said, ‘You won’t be able to wear it. You don’t qualify,’ ” Harrison said. “I’m sure it has a lot to do with [sexism], but nobody has the [guts] to say that.” It does seem that some medics from ineligible units are finding a way to get the CMB, anyway. The former 1st ID commander, Maj. Gen. John Batiste, approved CMBs for eight medics (including Harrison) who served with 1st ID units. McLean, of the 1st ID’s 299th FSB, has submitted 31 of his support medics for the award. Four have received them; the rest are awaiting a decision. What isn’t in dispute is that a lot of medics have done a hard job in dangerous conditions. Their commanders fear they won’t get the recognition they’ve got coming. “They go out there, they put their lives in danger,” said Col. Edwin Moore, who commanded the Army Reserve’s 429th Medical Evacuation Battalion last year in Iraq. “People need to start giving my medics some ribbons, ’cause my medics deserve it.” H.R. 1815, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, establishes a combat badge for helicopter medical evacuation ambulance (Medevac) pilots and crews passed the House by a vote of 390-39 on March 25, 2005. Current law provides for two honor recognitions: the Combat Medical Badge and the Combat Infantryman Badge. The basic eligibility standards for both awards were crafted during World War II, before helicopters entered the field of battle for rescue and medical evacuation purposes. Non-Medevac pilots and co-pilots who have flown aircraft since the Korean War have long been recognized with a Combat Badge. However, because of an omission in the statute, Medevac crews that operate rescue helicopters have never been eligible for the same recognition. H.R. 1815 corrects this omission by allowing individuals who have served since 1950 in combat as pilots or crewmembers of Medevac units to be eligible for the Combat Medevac Badge. The Senate must now act on H.R. 1815 for it to become law. I encourage you to contact your Senators to share your views on this issue. House Passes Combat Aeromedic Badge Bill COMBAT AEROMEDIC BADGE  URGENT ALERT!!!!!  FROM JOHN TRAVERS PRESIDENT VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA CAPITAL CHAPTER 542 HARRISBURG, PA  U. S. Congressmen Tim Holden (D-PA) and Joseph Pitts (R-PA), sponsors of HB1308 directing the Army to create a new Combat Aeromedic Badge for DUSTOFF crewmembers from Korea to today, have succeeded in having that language inserted into HR1815, the Defense Department Authorization bill.  The bill is scheduled to pass the House of Representatives May 25, 2005!  The two Congressmen approached Congressman Geoff Davis (R-KY) for support and the three then approached Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee with an amendment which was put into the bill in committee with all members voting in favor.  Congressman Davis, a freshman, served as a helicopter pilot in the Army.  NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION!!!!! CALL, WRITE, OR E-MAIL YOUR UNITED STATES SENATORS---TELL THEM YOU WANT THEM TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP IN SEEING THAT THIS LANGUAGE IS PRESERVED IN THE FINAL BILL SENT TO THE PRESIDENT. THIS IS AN ACID TEST!!   IT IS SIMPLE FOR THEM TO PRESSURE THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE THAT WILL PUT TOGETHER THE FINAL BILL TO KEEP THIS LANGUAGE IN PLACE!!!  YOU CAN FIND YOUR TWO U.S. SENATORS BY GOING TO WWW.SENATE.GOV  PLEASE DO THIS RIGHT NOW!!  THEN, REMEMBER TO THANK CONGRESSMEN HOLDEN, PITTS, GEOFF DAVIS, AND CHAIRMAN DUNCAN HUNTER FOR THEIR COURAGEOUS ACTIONS ON BEHALF OF ALL DUSTOFF CREWMEMBERS, INCLUDING THE 213 ON THE WALL AND THOSE WHO PERISHED IN DESERT STORM AND IRAQI FREEDOM.  JOHN TRAVERS—717-514-3397 traversjt@netzero.com  MICHAEL McLAUGHLIN---717-574-9600  mcmclaughlin@comcast.net  VICTORY IN THIS LONG FIGHT IS AT HAND!!! Unofficial Combat Aeromedic Badge Ceremony Note to Family Members - The Combat Aeromedic Badges laid at the Wall will be mailed free to any family members who were not at the ceremony. So far 7 badges have been mailed to mothers and kids of those honored in DC. All the family member needs to do is contact John Travers by E-MAIL and once we verify your request we will ship the badge.   Several members of the Vietnam Veterans of America hosted a ceremony at the Vietnam War Memorial Wall, on May 3, 2005. The ceremony, attended by about 150 persons, was dedicated to the 215 fallen crewmembers of the U.S. Army Medical Helicopter Ambulance units. An unofficial Combat Aeromedic Badge was presented at each soldier’s panel and later forwarded to their families.  Congressman Holden Gingrey Pitts speaks at ceremony. Plaque at the Vietnam Memorial. Mike Novosel and Fred Castleberry Art Hapner presents second badge for DUSTOFF Association. 214 Badges laid at the names of our fallen crewmembers. Mike Novosel and CPT Davis (POW). Three crewmembers of one crew. At the conclusion of the ceremony a large plaque with the Combat Aeromedic Badge on it and the inscription "IN HONOR OF THOSE WHO GAVE THE FINAL FULL MEASURE  OF DEVOTION"  and in large letters--"BECAUSE THEY EARNED IT"-- was presented to a representative of DUSTOFF. On the plaque are the names, sorted by war, of those members of DUSTOFF who died during Desert Storm and Iraq. Supplemental Information/Articles: http://story.news.yahoo.com/photo/050503/480/dchg10305031826 Congress Considers Medevac Medal COMBAT AEROMEDICAL BADGE We need support from all 50 states. We are requesting your help in getting Senate support for SB 612 and House support for HB 1308 which would direct the Secretary of the Army to award the Combat Medic Badge (CMB), or create and award a new badge, the Combat Aeromedical Badge (CAB) to members of medical helicopter ambulance evacuation crewmembers who have served in combat since June 25, 1950, from Korea through Vietnam to Afghanistan and Iraq.    Please contact your US Senator.  CLICK HERE FOR SAMPLE LETTER. Please contact your  US Representative. CLICK HERE FOR SAMPLE LETTER. In Comments section fill in your request  with Sample Letters or feel free to write your own.  Now is the time for the current DUSTOFF crewmembers to sign on to their senator's and representative's Web site - and let them know they support awarding of the CMB as requested in this letter from Senator Specter. Can't remember when support for a cause relative to Veterans was taken on so readily and completely by a member of Congress.   If you'd like enter our unofficial poll on who should received the CMB, click the button below. In The Shadow Of The Blade has a very nice pictorial coverage of the testimony on the Hill in support of the CMB at: http://www.intheshadowoftheblade.com/whatsnew.htm   The following was provided by Doug Moore. In a note to me this morning, John Travers was way too modest to take credit, so I hope he doesn't mind me expounding a little about the hearings from my perspective. Art Hapner was there too, so perhaps he can fill in any holes I leave. First of all, I was amazed at the amount of work that John and his small task force have done to date and they will need all of our help in the future. I can't imagine the number of hours they have spent hunched over a computer and planning; much less their personal expense in terms of time, gas, and shoe leather lining up the political side of the house for an exceedingly complicated effort like this. At a meeting in the Silver Spring Hilton on Monday evening, it was apparent that John and his group have been working hard on the senate staffers who were present. They, in turn, had Senator Specter and Senator Murray ably prepared for the hearings that took place the next day. Pat Fries and his folks from "In the Shadow of the Blade" were at that meeting too and they have done us a tremendous service. The hearing began about 1500 on Tuesday, 29 July in the Russell Senate Office Building. There were three presenters representing Dust Off and LTG John LeMoyne, Army G-1, representing the Army. I have attached their testimony for your reading. It is in Microsoft Word format, so if any of you have difficulty opening it, let me know and I will send it some other way or you can go to the following Web site: http://veterans.senate.gov/hearings.htm and then click on the "hearings" tab and look for the testimony on the combat medical badge. The session began with a short, but powerful film clip about Dust Off provided by Pat Fries from his "In the Shadow of the Blade" project and there were tears being wiped in several places around the meeting room. Mike Novosel led off and was extraordinarily impressive as usual. Senator Specter seemed to enjoy Mike and set things up a couple of times to allow Mike an opportunity to counter the G-1's comments. John Travers was second and his testimony drove right to the heart of the issue. It was obvious that Senator Specter knew him as a constituent and the senator's chief of staff kept feeding information to him as John talked. Fred Castleberry was the last presenter for our side and he is a true hero for those of you who haven't met him. When you read his testimony, you'll understand what I mean. I noticed people wiping their eyes as Fred talked from a perspective that few people know, that of a 21 year old grunt lying on the ground in the jungle near Trang Bang with much of his body blown off and knowing for sure that he was going to die there in the early morning hours. Fred said heard the Huey's blades first and they sounded like Angel's wings coming after him and finally he saw the spotlight and watched as bullets struck the Dust Off, but they kept coming. If the combat medic badge gets approved, we owe a lion's share of the credit to a great American by the name of Fred Castleberry. LTG LeMoyne was last and I want to be kind to him because I understand he was there to carry the Army's position and since we were denied a similar request in 1965, again in 1987, and finally in February of 2003, I expected him to say the same, tired old things. In his defense, I understand he said something privately, almost as an apology, to Mike and Fred that he had to sustain the Army position and I can understand that, but he came across in the hearing as a real jerk in my estimation. Art Hapner may have a different opinion and should weigh in if I get too far off base. General LeMoyne gave a history of the combat medical badge and how it is tied to the CIB. That's understandable, but in the question and answer period, I felt he was demeaning to us because he was asked several times to distinguish between our medics and those in the infantry units. He kept saying something about Dust Off crews always going back and sleeping in their own beds at night and having hot showers available rather than sharing the hardships of the infantry. After hearing it several times, Senator Specter picked up on that theme too and asked Mike what he thought of the general's comments. Mike was kind to the general and responded by saying he flew an average of more than four hours a day for his entire tour and that he spent a lot of time sleeping under a helicopter on standby. The general went back to the issue of being assigned to an infantry unit and Senator Specter asked why the distinction between being assigned and Dust Off. Finally, he said something to the effect, "I think we have a distinction here that doesn't make sense. It seems to be an injustice." Senator Specter said he understood Dust Off always went to where the firefight was located and he was shocked when he first learned they did not get recognized by being awarded the Combat Medical Badge. He then asked Senator Murray for her comments and she responded by saying, "Well, I didn't understand much about this before, but after reading about it and hearing this testimony, I plan to work with Senator Specter to resolve the issue." Finally, Senator Specter seemed to offer General LeMoyne an opportunity to bend a little on the Army's position, but the general continued on his bed and hot shower theme. Senator Specter cut things off by saying something to the effect, "General LeMoyne, you're a better soldier than the case you've presented here today. I think we ought to turn this issue over to the Congress instead of to the Army. I intend to introduce legislation and then we'll let the Commander in Chief decide what needs to be done." As I told John, I was a pessimist when I first heard of his effort, but I see a glimmer of hope now and it is all because of the initiative and hard work of a guy named John Travers. We owe him our thanks at Traversjt@CS.com. STATEMENT OF CWO JOHN TRAVERS, (USA, RET.), FORMER DUSTOFF PILOT, BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE ON THE U.S. ARMY’S POLICY ON THE AWARD OF THE COMBAT MEDIC BADGE JULY 29, 2003 Good afternoon Senator Specter and members of the committee. It is an honor to come before you today to speak on behalf of not only all those who served in DUSTOFF, but also the literally hundreds of thousands of men who are alive today because of DUSTOFF medics. It is also an honor to lead such a righteous fight with the support and assistance of some of the most sincere people a person can ever know: the people who are here with us today - and I take this brief moment to thank them publicly, on behalf of every DUSTOFF medic that ever was. Thank you very much, all of you. I had the very great privilege to serve as a DUSTOFF pilot during the Vietnam War with the bravest group of men I have ever known. Typical of them was Kevin Donaughue, a medic who I personally watched jump from my aircraft, under extremely intense fire, and run through a mine field to retrieve a wounded solider and bring him back to our aircraft, all while AK 47 rounds exploded around him. That picture still plays in my mind over 30 years later, and will never diminish. No rational man would have done what Kevin did that day; I witnessed what love of your fellow solider can inspire a man to do. You must understand this was not a singular occurrence, but rather a daily ritual that gained the admiration and love of those on the ground for the call sign “DUSTOFF.” It is those experiences that drove me to start this campaign to right an injustice that has gone on too long. I believe as God is my judge that the if the authors of the Combat Medic Regulation had known that in the future there would be wars with non-linear battle lines, where helicopters would become the means to rescue wounded soldiers from the battle field, they would have put DUSTOFF medics at the top of the list of defined recipients. I am constantly frustrated by the irony of our Army allowing a 58-year-old regulation to remain intact when all of its battle doctrine has been updated to reflect the modern waging of war. I suggest that when one reduces this fight to that - its simplest level -- it just doesn’t make any sense, does it? Those of us who served our country as DUSTOFF crewmembers in Vietnam did so to the best of our ability. When we came home to an unaccepting America, there were no parades and few words of appreciation, but we learned to accept that because we knew we had made a difference to our fellow soldiers, and that it was the ultimate difference, the difference between life and death. We went on with our lives and asked for very little, if anything. And the experience made us a very close-knit family. Ironically, as the years have passed we have seen what can only be described as a slap in the face by the Army we served so loyally. After the Desert Storm War the Chief of Staff of the Army waived the requirement for the combat medic badge and awarded it to medics in armor and ground cavalry units; in fact, over 3000 CMB’s were awarded for a 100 hour war. Now let me be perfectly clear on this: I am glad the medics of Desert Storm received these awards, but cannot help but question why the DUSTOFF medics of Vietnam -- who did their duty for a year, day in and day out, under fire - are not qualified? The numbers speak for themselves, and the Gulf War pales by comparison: in Vietnam DUSTOFF flew thousands and thousands of missions, and saved hundreds of thousands lives. Is it any wonder so many Vietnam vets feel abandoned and forgotten by the very institutions they pledged to defend with their lives? On a black piece of granite just a few short blocks from here appear the names of 55 of our brother DUSTOFF medics and over 200 DUSTOFF crew members, pilots and crew chiefs included. Perhaps those within the Army who oppose this award should take a walk some lunch hour along that WALL and then tell me DUSTOFF medics did not earn the Combat Medic Badge; I would be happy to meet them there - face to face - to discuss and, if necessary, debate that notion. I suspect those who oppose this award have never been to that Wall, which is one of the reasons we brought it here today, in the form of the etchings of those 55 names. We who are before you today ask no favors, nor anything for ourselves. But we have earned the right to demand the Army do what is morally correct. Every day my medics grow older; indeed, some have already died unrecognized and unrewarded by a bureaucracy that has all the inertia of the coffins they have been buried in. I humbly, respectfully and fervently beg this Committee to do whatever has to be done to correct this, since the Army seems unable to itself. Thank you for your time and patience. STATEMENT OF FRED CASTLEBERRY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE ON THE U.S. ARMY’S POLICY ON THE AWARD OF THE COMBAT MEDIC BADGE JULY 29, 2003 Good afternoon Senator Specter, and all the members of the Committee: Please know that I am extremely honored to be here. In 1965, while stationed at Ft. Lee, VA, I visited our Nation's Capitol. At that time, I never dreamed I would some day visit here on Capitol Hill. However, once I heard the details about this hearing, I knew I had to be here. I thank you for the privilege to testify before a committee as important as this one. The Fred Castleberry that went to Viet Nam was much different from the one that came home. The injuries that my body suffered are plain to see. I lost my right arm and left leg and the partial use of my other arm and leg. However, I'm not here to talk about Fred Castleberry any more than I have to; what I am here to talk about is the fact that I am here at all, and how I got out of a very bloody jungle on the day I turned 21. Prior to going to Viet Nam I was a Drill Sergeant. I tried to prepare the recruits for what they would face in war. But like anyone else who has never been in combat, I truly did not have a clue. There is no manual that can prepare you for the paralyzing fear that grips you when bullets go whizzing by your head. There is no veteran's account that can accurately describe what it's like to watch the life drain from someone who just moments before was so young and full of life. In combat everywhere you look there is death and destruction. Unfortunately it was my job to be part of that strange world. One day during a firefight I went into a tunnel after an enemy solider. When I came out of the tunnel, I noticed this helicopter coming in. For some reason I knelt on the ground and watched this DUSTOFF crew come in and pick up the wounded and fly off. I remember thinking, why bother. Like I said, I was wounded on my 21st birthday, hit by a rocket-propelled grenade that left pieces of me --literally- all over the battle field. I fully accepted the fact that my life was going to end that predawn morning. As I was telling my loved ones goodbye, the ground medics told me I was being medevaced. I told them that they were crazy, the site was too hot. For the rest of my life I will never forget the whopping sound of the Huey's blades and the sight of that spotlight clearing the tree line. As the Huey got closer I could see sparks flying everywhere as countless small arms rounds hit the helicopter. I remember thinking, there is no way any of those guys will make it. I honestly thought the helicopter would be shot down and we would all die. But somehow, through all the gun fire, they got in. I remember seeing these beautiful angels pick me up and take me aboard. I remember the pinging of bullets ripping through the skin of the Huey and hearing the crew excitedly, yet calming, talking to one another and then I saw this face above me. This face had blood all over it and it was saying to me, "Buddy, stay with me. Hey Buddy, you're going to be all right." Over and over again I would drift in and out of conciseness and all I can recall is this bloody face telling me I was going to make it. When I came to a nurse asked me if I felt like company. Something happened that will live with me the rest of my life, the DUSTOFF crew was in the hospital with me. The guys that saved my life, the young boys that rescued me, themselves had been wounded. The blood on the air medics face was not mine. It was his. A bullet had gone through his cheek, but rather than tend to his own wounds, he kept me alive. There are no words to tell you how I feel about DUSTOFF. You can hear and read all the stories you want, but nothing replaces having gone through what I did. These young fellows went into the path of all those bullets to save my life, someone they didn't even know. I cannot think of one reason why a DUSTOFF crew would put their lives on the line time and time again, other than what one of the crew members told me when I asked. "That's our job." We in the Infantry, when we come under fire we can hug the ground a little closer. A DUSTOFF crew when they come under fire has nothing but air to hug. You want to know what heroes look like, look at a DUSTOFF crew. I visited the Wall today for the first time. The only reason my name is not on that sacred site is a DUSTOFF crew risked all their lives to save mine. Think of the thousands of lives that have been saved over the years because DUSTOFF crews were, "Doing their job." I will probably never know the names of the DUSTOFF crew that saved my life, but I can honor them today by joining my voice with Mike Novosel and John Travers, and ask this Committee to make sure the DUSTOFF crews are awarded the Combat Medic Badge. Thank you for your time. STATEMENT OF CWO MICHAEL J. NOVOSEL (USA, Ret.) MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT AND FORMER DUSTOFF PILOT BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE ON THE U.S. ARMY’S POLICY ON THE AWARD OF THE COMBAT MEDIC BADGE JULY 29, 2003 Good afternoon Senator Specter, members of the Committee and Honored Guests: My name is Michael J. Novosel; I am a retired Air Force and Army Aviator. I was a military aviator in three wars and saw combat in two. Thirty-two years ago the parent body of this Committee, the Congress of the United States, bestowed upon me the honor that has defined so much of my life; the Congressional Medal of Honor. My war time service ranges from the airfields of Tinian and the Marianas, flying B-29s in the Second World War to the rice paddies of Viet Nam, flying Hueys on Medevac (DUSTOFF) missions. During those many years I witnessed the best and the worst of human kind. One cannot be exposed to years of war and combat without being aware of the dedication, selflessness and bravery of those who do the fighting and dying. Without a doubt, some of the most heroic people were the DUSTOFF Crewmen and Medics who rode with me in my Medevac helicopters in Viet Nam. I was honored for my efforts while commanding of the air ambulances, but those young men behind me, caring for the wounded, and saving lives, were the real heroes. To appreciate the sacrifices they made, one has to understand the magnitude and intensity of the task. These Medics, armed with stethoscopes, blood and I.V.s rather than guns and ammunition, managed to save hundreds of thousands of lives. Their operating table was the litter; sometimes the flight deck awash in blood. They kept men with traumatic amputations, sucking chest wounds, bullet riddled bodies alive; finding the collapsed vein to give them the sorely needed transfusions. Mouth to mouth resuscitation was often administered regardless of race or nationality. They knew their responsibilities; giving life saving medical treatment to the men in their care until they were delivered to hospitals for more advanced treatment. They were under intense physical and mental pressure. When they flew they put their lives on the line to save others, and fifty-one of them did not return. Many were killed while tending to the wounded; others died in crashes caused by attempts at rescue under impossible weather conditions. They are memorialized on the black marble wall down by the Reflecting Pool, along with 58,000 others. But what sets them apart, at least to those who served with and knew them, is the singular sense of mission that they displayed. Yet their efforts have not been recognized; they have not received the honor they so richly deserve. For years American soldiers who carried a gun into battle were authorized to wear the Combat Infantryman's Badge. Eventually it was decided that those equally heroic men who went into battle without a gun, but with a medical bag, would be authorized to wear the Combat Medic's Badge. However, the Medic's badge award criteria is written in language, which precludes DUSTOFF medics from being eligible for the award. Overly strict interpretation of the regulation produces this dichotomy. The regulation requires the Medic to be "assigned to an infantry" unit. Had the regulation read, "assigned to or supporting an infantry" unit there would be no problem with the award of the CMB. DUSTOFF regularly works with infantry units, but its personnel are assigned to aviation units, not infantry units. The regulation covering the award of the CMB was written at a time when DUSTOFF did not exist. Those who administer the regulation have not adjusted their interpretation of it to coincide with the realities of the changing nature of war. DUSTOFF is a product of that change. Its personnel pioneered and developed the concept of aeromedical evacuation. In Viet Nam they regularly went into the thick of battle to rescue wounded soldiers. DUSTOFF crews did this, knowing they would be subjected to enemy fire, yet the medic jumped off the helicopter, got to the wounded and proceeded to load the casualties. It was not uncommon to see bullets hitting the rice paddies while the medic tended to the wounded, but he did not waver. I witnessed the heroism of my medics as they performed their duties. I cannot recall a single instance of a DUSTOFF medic seeking refuge from enemy fire, shirking his duty or ignoring the plight of his brothers. I do recall, however, a continued commitment to the mission; easing the pain of the wounded, relieving them of the trauma of battle, rescuing people and saving lives. My DUSTOFF crew and I flew the mission of 2 October 1969 expecting no reward, but the Army and the Congress presented me with the Medal of Honor. I am aware that the Army writes the regulations; that Congress does not. Therefore, I ask this Committee and this Congress to honor the DUSTOFF Medics and direct the Department of the Army to change that regulation, and make them eligible for the CMB. No group of individuals can be more worthy of that badge. I further ask that the Army expedite the matter and plan to present the awards by November 11 --Veterans Day. It would be a magnanimous gesture for the Department of Army representative to posthumously award the first Combat Medic Badges to those 51 brave men who are memorialized on the Wall, and lost their lives saving others. I thank you for your time and attention. I will make myself available to any questions the Committee might have for me. Michael J. Novosel, MOH CW4, USA, (Ret) 24 July 2003 STATEMENT BY LIEUTENANT GENERAL JOHN M. LE MOYNE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, G1 UNITED STATES ARMY BEFORE SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE FIRST SESSION, 108TH CONGRESS COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE (CMB) TO AEROMEDICAL CREW MEMBERS WHO SERVED DURING THE VIETNAM CONFLICT JULY 29, 2003 NOT FOR PUBLICATION UNTIL RELEASED BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERAN’S AFFAIRS RECORD STATEMENT OF DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, G1 LTG JOHN M. LE MOYNE Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Committee, on behalf of the outstanding soldiers of the United States Army past and present, thank you for this opportunity to appear before this committee today to give you an overview of The Army’s procedure awarding the Combat Medical Badge. As a Vietnam Veteran and a soldier now serving during another war, I want to express my deepest gratitude for those men and women who served so nobly during the Vietnam Conflict. I want to thank you, as a committee, for keeping the needs and concerns of not just these veterans but all veterans at the forefront of America’s consciousness. Most importantly, I want to express my deep gratitude for your Congressional support and assistance, which has assured continuing major successes and achievements for all Veterans. In the 1950’s, the United States began to send troops to Vietnam, during the following 25-year period, the ensuing war would evoke some of the strongest emotions in United States history. Almost 3 million men and women were sent thousands of miles to fight for what we continue to fight for today, freedom. In total it is estimated that over 2.5 million people on both sides lost their lives. In this war, as in wars before and after the combat medic served along side his infantry counterparts. The Army has a long history of recognizing its heroes by presenting awards and decorations. Today, I would like to specifically discuss with you the Army’s Combat Medical Badge (CMB), the original intent and our current policy of awarding this prestigious badge not just to soldiers, but eligible sailors, airmen and marines. History Originally established as the Medical Badge, the Combat Medical Badge was created by the War Department on 1 March 1945. It could be awarded to officers, warrant officers, and enlisted men of the Medical Department assigned or attached to the medical detachment of infantry regiments, and infantry battalions. Its evolution stemmed from a requirement to recognize medical aidmen who shared the same hazards and hardships of ground combat on a daily basis with the infantry soldier. Though established almost a year and a half after the Combat Infantryman’s Badge CIB, it could be awarded retroactively to December 7, 1941 to fully qualified personnel. Like the CIB, the Regimental Commander was the lowest level at which the CMB could be approved and it also carried with it a separate provision for enlisted badge holders to receive a $10 per month pay stipend. Additionally, the CMB could be awarded to Medical Department personnel assigned or attached to Infantry units of Allied Forces when the duties performed were identical with those performed by medical personnel assigned or attached to U.S. Forces. The CMB could also be awarded to U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force medical personnel provided they met all the requirements of Army medics. Effective 20 December 1989, special forces personnel possessing Military Occupational Specialty 18D (Special Operations Medical Sergeant) became qualified to receive the CMB provided they were otherwise qualified. Also, in 1991, the Chief of Staff, Army authorized a limited expansion of CMB eligibility to include medical personnel assigned or attached to armor and ground cavalry units provided they met all other qualifying criteria. This expansion was retroactive to 17 January 1991 to cover the period of Operation DESERT STORM. Intent The CMB was created as a "companion" badge to the CIB with criteria for its award intended to parallel that of the CIB. It was designed to provide recognition to the field medic who accompanies the infantryman into battle and shares with him the experiences unique to the infantry in combat. There was never any intention to award the CMB to all medical personnel who serve in a combat zone or imminent danger area, that is, a division-level medical company supporting a maneuver brigade. As with the CIB, the infantry unit to which the medical personnel are assigned or attached must engage the enemy in active ground combat. Since inception, the intent of the Department of the Army regarding this requirement has been that medical personnel must be personally present and under fire in order to be eligible for the awarding of the badge. So stringent was this requirement during the Vietnam era that recommending officials were required to document the place (in six digit coordinates), time, type, and intensity of fire to which the proposed recipient was exposed. This fact naturally precludes the awarding of the badge to those medical personnel who accompany infantry units into a potential engagement area but do not come under enemy fire. Over the years, there has been some confusion concerning the phrase "...in direct support of an infantry unit...” The CMB is intended for, and awarded to, those medical personnel who accompany the infantryman into combat. The Army has never approved of deviations from this purpose and its restrictive criteria. During the World War II era, medical support for infantry units in combat was provided by the medical detachments and companies of battalions and regiments. These medical personnel and units were termed direct support. This concept lasted until Vietnam. Today, medical personnel are assigned as organic personnel to infantry companies and are regarded as participants as opposed to being categorized as those providing direct medical support. For example medical personnel serving in division-level medical companies, ground ambulance and medical clearing companies, mobile-Army surgical hospital (MASH), combat-support hospital (CSH), and field hospitals, and aeromedical evacuation units are not eligible for the CMB. The sole criteria which qualifies medical personnel for award of the CMB is to be assigned or attached to an infantry unit engaged in active ground combat. Medical personnel other than those medics organic to infantry units may qualify only if they serve as medical personnel accompanying infantrymen. Conceivably, this could occur if an infantry unit lost all its medics and as a temporary or permanent measure, medical personnel were attached to an infantry unit, but remained assigned to a hospital or other non-infantry unit. Specific eligibility requirements: The following medical personnel, assigned or attached by appropriate orders to an infantry unit of brigade, regimental, or smaller size, or to a medical unit of company or smaller size, organic to an infantry unit of brigade or smaller size, during any period the infantry unit is engaged in actual ground combat, are eligible for award of the CMB, provided they are personally present and under fire during such ground combat: (a) Subsequent to December 6, 1941-Army Medical Department (colonels and below), the Navy Medical Department (captains and below), the Air Force Medical Service (colonels and below), assigned or attached to the Army, who have satisfactorily performed medical duties are eligible for the CIB. (b) Subsequent to December 19, 1989-Special Forces personnel possessing military occupational specialty 18D (Special Operations Medical Sergeant) who satisfactorily performed medical duties while assigned or attached to a special forces unit during any period the unit is engaged in actual ground combat, provided they are personally present and under fire. Retroactive awards are not authorized. (c) Subsequent to January 16, 1991-Personnel assigned or attached to armor and ground cavalry units of brigade or smaller size, who satisfactorily perform medical duties while the unit is engaged in actual ground combat, provided they are personally present and under fire were awarded the badge. Retroactive awards are not authorized. (d) Awards will not be made to general or flag officers. Presently, a separate award of the CMB has been authorized for qualified soldiers who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam conflict. However, service in the Republic of Vietnam conflict combined with qualifying service in Laos, the Dominican Republic, Korea on the DMZ, Grenada, Panama and the Persian Gulf War is recognized by one award only regardless of whether a soldier has served one or multiple tours in any of these areas. Republic of Vietnam -Special provisions Subsequent to March 1, 1961, a soldier must have been assigned to a Vietnamese unit engaged in actual ground combat or as a member of a US Army infantry unit of brigade or smaller size, including Special Forces Detachments, serving with a Republic of Vietnam unit engaged in actual ground combat. The Republic of Vietnam unit must have been of regimental size or smaller and either an infantry, ranger, infantry-type unit of the civil guard, infantry-type unit of the self-defense corps, or of the irregular forces. The soldier must have been personally present and under hostile fire while assigned as specified. Laos. In order for a soldier to receive the CMB for service in Laos, he must have been assigned as a member of a White Star Mobile Training team while the team was attached to or working with a unit of regimental (group mobile) or smaller size of Forces Armee du Royaume (FAR), or with irregular-type forces of regimental or smaller size. Also, the soldier could have been a member of MAAG, Laos assigned as an advisor to a region or zone of FAR, or while serving with irregular type forces of regimental or smaller size. Most importantly, the soldier must have been under hostile fire while assigned to those units. In 1987, the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army (OTSG), in concert with the Army’s Military Awards Branch, completed a review of the criteria for award of the CMB to aeromedical pilots. The results of the review confirmed that the criteria should stand as originally intended, to recognize those aidmen who share the same hazards and hardships of ground combat on a daily basis with the infantry soldiers. In February 2003, the OTSG confirmed their 1987 decision, that the criteria should remain unchanged. Medical units, other than infantry who are required to perform temporary, duties similar to some infantry duties are not eligible for the CMB. Other soldiers who fight similar to infantry soldiers are likewise ineligible for Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB). The sole criteria that qualifies medical personnel for award of the CMB is to be assigned or attached to an infantry unit engaged in active ground combat. CONCLUSION The objective of the Department of the Army Military Awards Program is to provide tangible recognition for acts of valor, exceptional service or achievement, special skills or qualifications and acts of heroism not involving actual combat. During the Vietnam conflict more than 2.8 million combat awards were given and 16,083 CMB’s were awarded. As our soldiers, sailors airman and marines have fought and been recognized in the past, we will continue to uphold the same traditions of awarding and recognizing our finest. We are hopeful that your support and assistance will continue as we demonstrate our commitment to taking care of soldiers past and present. Once again thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.