Posted on 01/04/2005 5:05:11 PM PST by longjack
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| Home > Panorama > Flutkatastrophe in Südostasien |
HELICOPTER-MISSIONS IN ACEH The last hope are the Seahawks From Banda Aceh reports Andreas Lorenz For many people they are the last hope: US-Helicopters that can get to the flood victims by air who, so far, have been cut off from the outside world. The soldiers bring food by the ton into the hardest hit areas. The aid mission is for the Americans a PR-campaign as well.
Lieutenant Gabriel Bullaro banks his Seahawk helicopter carefully over what remains of the city. Then he puts the silver-gray helicoptor with the decal HC-11 down on a small patch of stone. The Rotors blow up a sandstorm. Nonetheless, inhabitants immediately storm the machine, which has four "deuce" playing cards painted on the side. A pair of uniformed Indonesians, guns on their shoulder, keep them from tearing the doors open in order to get to the valuable cargo more quickly.
Click on a picture, to start the slideshow (18 Pictures). In no time at all, three American marines are throwing the out boxes with water, crackers, noodles and other foodstuffs that are stacked up to the roof of the chopper. The Indonesians quickly build a chain, more and more citizens come by to pickup the cartons.
There is a professional coolness on board. One of them identifies himself with his badge on his arm as "Death Cheater", someone who outsmarts death. The windows are open the whole flight, the pilots have put a little doll up on the cockpit console. The U.S. Navy in action in Indonesia's crisis province Aceh in the northern Sumatra: More than 75 times over the last two days it has flown into remote villages still cut off from the outside world, in order to provide the victims with aid materials. The navy pilots take on injured passengers occasionally. International journalists line up impatiently at the airport to get hold of a spot on one of the helicopters. Dashing public information officers ("Call me Smack") make out lists with names, only to immediately throw them out again and then, full of bravado, bark at the reporters. Some have waited two days for the opportunity to see the disaster area from the air.
The twelve U.S. helicopters in use in Aceh are stationed on the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" which lies off Banda Aceh. This is the ship on which U.S. President George W. Bush heralded the end of the Iraq war with the words "mission accomplished" in May 2003. The Americans want to even increase their help in the next several hours. A second aircraft carrier group has set sail for Sumatra. They will supply Chinook cargo helicopters for the area. They are urgently needed. Rescue operations suffered from a heavy setback earlier today, local time. Neither cargo aircraft nor passenger aircraftcould land in Banda Aceh. The cause was a water buffalo that trotted over the runway as a passenger plane touched down. The results of the collision ended up to be relatively light, thank god, but the crashed plane broke down in the middle of the landing strip --with its nose on the asphalt, since the nose wheel was bent. The Heavy equipment necessary to hoist the Boeing 737 off the runway wasn't in place until Tuesday evening, local time. The Bundeswehr also had to fight difficulties. When they wanted to check out the situation yesterday, shortly after their arrival, the German soldiers didn't have a car at their disposal. The planned reconnaissance flight was cancelled, too. It was made up today. Befoehand, the Berlin soldiers had already decided to participate in the rescue operations by seeting up an "air -land rescue center" in Banda Aceh: a small hospital tent equipped with an operating table, X-Ray machine and laboratory. However, an advance team is necessary to do this, also. It should start out in the direction of Sumatra on January 6th. In the meantime, the technical relief organization is waiting for the arrival of nine Iljuschin cargo planes, that have nine Unimogs and two SUV's, plus equipment to condition water. By then, lieutenant Bullaro will have flown quite a bunch of missions with his Seahawk, and will have delivered precious cargo to thousands of tsunami victims.
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The market price for Beef Rendang skyrocketed in Banda Aceh after this incident. Beef Rendang Futures Dealers were behind the incident. :)
The lightning bolts symbolize the speed with which the squadron accomplishes its mission and the capability to carry it out under adverse weather conditions. The lightning also represents the number ELEVEN.
The predominant green and blue colors of the sea and the primary color green also symbolize the squadron’s healthy and vigorous nature.
The nickname "GUNBEARERS" is derived from the title of an ancient warrior whose mission was in support of the front line musketmen and aptly describes the modern mission of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron ELEVEN.
http://www.hc11.navy.mil/History.htm
The presstitutes howl that we aren't getting aid there fast enough, then they try to take up space on the choppers?!
%$#&^*!
Isaiah's prophecies are unfolding right before our very eyes...
The reporter saw fit to include shots of the Mercy setting sail and New Yorkers filling boxes with supplies. It's a very telling silent rebuke.
What do you mean 'bombshell'? As in good or bad?
IN ALL OF THE PICTURES I HAVE SEEN, I ONLY SAW TWO PATCHES OF OUR FLAG. WHY IS IT NOT ON THE HEILOS SO YOU CAN SEE IT A MILE AWAY? WHY IS IT NOT ON OUR TROOPS HELMITS? FOR ALL I KNOW THEY ARE FRENCH.
Want some cheese with your whine? Report to the French disaster aid tent -- if you can find one...
I find the German press to be anti-US Military. Reports out of Iraq, for example, emphasize set-backs, and characterize the US as occupiers.
In this article, and the one from yesterday, the author contrasts the actions of the Americans; flying aid, and the results; the grateful response of the Indonesians who were on the verge of hopelessness; with the burocratic complexities that renders the German detail of just 9 soldiers completely incapable of even helping themselves.
Secondly, he represents the US soldiers as selfless professionals, able to accomplish remarkable logistical actions with little fanfare or desire for recognition.
The behaviour he describes brings back memories of how well our GI's treated the Germans after WW II, Older german have never forgotten the first bread or fruit they received, or the face of the GI who gave it to them.
These articles shut the yapping of the German liberal US-haters down cold, because the author cynically and subtley decscibes the German effort as ridiculous, thus taking apart any response on the liberal's end that the Americans should take a good look at how the liberals would do it, which is their usual response.
As the author describes the events, the Americans, as cool as movie stars, can do the the German liberal endeavors of caring for the down-trodden astronomically better than the German liberals can themselves.
The liberal mantra of you wage war, we care for the down-trodden has been revealed as you can do both, we can't do either.
longjack
That sounds like something that Mark Steyn would say. And that is a great compliment.
Where are the German, French, Italian, and Spanish navies? Don't the Europeans have any airplanes or ships?
The United States spends more on retirement benefits for the military than either the French or the Germans spend on their whole defense budget. And it shows.
We have the U.S.S. Lincoln on station and I've heard that another carrier is being deployed to the area. The Germans have no carriers. The French have one, but it would have to be towed to the area.
Frankly, after watching what is going on over there, and watching the DemocRATs and their media lapdogs complaining about the U.S.'s "slow start", I'm getting ready to kill.
Thank God for our guys in the military. They are just carrying on a very long tradition of caring. It goes back at least to WWII. And Damned the DemocRATs and their media pimps.
BTTT
"...when there is a European reporter who rides with our guys who has the b*lls to put his praise of them in print, I'm going to translate it if I can."
Amen, longjack dude. And thanks!
I'm just asking questions like lots of people should be asking questions. The German soldiers in the article (along with others) are heroic, but the EU needs to be very ashamed of itself for being such poor world citizens. I have heard so many EUrophiles bragging that the EU economy is larger than the United States' and yet they are only able to muster an awkward belly-flop when called to saving these people's lives. This is not a controversial issue like Iraq and if the Europeans think they are ready for prime-time on the world stage, they are sadly mistaken.
Think about it, the US, Australia, and Japan all have committments in Iraq and are somehow able to undertake a major, international relief mission. Australia is tiny compared to the EU, and yet these amazing people stand heads and shoulders above their socialist Euro-counterparts in so many ways! Japan has been a true friend of America and a rock-steady ally. Both countries have known US soldiers in different ways. They remember our historic ties, while too many of the Europeans do not. Those folks should be ashamed.
God bless the US military.
We have our aircraft disguised because they are combat aircraft flying during wartime. The USS Abe Lincoln was on a wartime mission before being diverted.
The French are irrelevant as a "combat" capable force, and are laughable as a nation capable of "war".
SFS
PS: I suggest you try using lower case characters. No one likes to be "YELLED AT!!".
Thank you granny for the ping.
Thank you for the translation longjack.
I love those boxes that say "US AID, From the American people"!
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