bobdina
09-24-2009, 01:35 PM
On the night of June 30, 2007, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kevin Purtee and co-pilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 Allen Crist turned their Apache gunship into a medevac.
Crist gave up his seat to a soldier who had been shot in the face.
No big deal. Until you consider that the Apache only seats two, and Crist had to strap himself to the outside of the aircraft for the trip.
They had heard stories of guys dying on the battlefield for want of a medevac.
“Not again. Not if we could help it,” said Purtee, of the Texas Army National Guard.
The two were flying their last combat mission in Iraq when they heard a soldier had been wounded in Ramadi and U.S. forces couldn’t get a medevac.
Purtee suggested dropping off Crist at the scene to pick up the wounded soldier, but needing to go back and find him was a risk of its own.
“He said, ‘No. However,’ — and he didn’t say ‘dumbass,’ but he meant it — ‘However, dumbass, I can strap on to the helicopter,’” Purtee recalled.
Crist said he felt it would just be easier if he went with Purtee and the wounded soldier and took care of him after they landed until the medics arrived.
“We’d been there for a year; we knew that if ever needed to do that … we’d do it if we had to,” Purtee said.
“As helicopter pilots, we’re always briefed: You’re the first one on the scene; if there’s any way to get somebody out, that’s the way to do it,” said Crist, of the Missouri National Guard.
While his training had included briefs on how to strap himself to the outside of the aircraft if necessary, he had never actually done it.
When they landed at the scene, Crist and two soldiers helped the wounded man into the helicopter.
For Purtee, the scariest moment happened when the wounded soldier kicked the control stick while getting into the aircraft.
“That causes the rotor blades to go down in the front, and they went very low and they could have knocked my night vision system off.
“And so I had visions of knocking that off and being stranded out there or tearing the helicopter up having it doing God knows how much damage and having to have someone come recover it,” Purtee said.
Crist strapped the wounded soldier in as best he could and then he hooked himself to the outside of the aircraft, sat down on the left wing, slapped the canopy glass and they took off.
“Kevin is a great pilot and he flew it real expediently but gentle, and I would [compare] it … riding a motorcycle if you’re wearing a full helmet, it was kind of the same feeling,” Crist said.
Fortunately, it was a calm night, allowing Crist to enjoy an unimpeded view of the night sky from outside the aircraft.
Meanwhile, Purtee was hoping Crist was strapped on tight.
“He was strapped on, so the worst that would happen, he’d dangle a little bit,” Purtee joked. “He’s a tough kid. That’d be OK.”
The flight lasted about five minutes, and an ambulance arrived about five minutes after they landed. The wounded soldier survived. Purtee and Crist were the first crew to perform a casualty evacuation of a nonaircrew member, Purtee said.
Both men were awarded by the Distinguished Flying Cross for their actions.
While some may view what they did as extraordinary, the two look at it as part of their job to help troops on the ground, Crist said.
“The people who are the real deal in Iraq and Afghanistan are those guys on the ground who go outside the wire, kicking in doors and riding in Humvees and knowing that when you roll out the gate, you may get shot in the face tonight. You don’t know. It’s a possibility.
“Those guys are the heroes,” Purtee said. “They’re the studs. We’re there to support and we’re proud and humbled and honored to help those guys any way we can.”
Crist gave up his seat to a soldier who had been shot in the face.
No big deal. Until you consider that the Apache only seats two, and Crist had to strap himself to the outside of the aircraft for the trip.
They had heard stories of guys dying on the battlefield for want of a medevac.
“Not again. Not if we could help it,” said Purtee, of the Texas Army National Guard.
The two were flying their last combat mission in Iraq when they heard a soldier had been wounded in Ramadi and U.S. forces couldn’t get a medevac.
Purtee suggested dropping off Crist at the scene to pick up the wounded soldier, but needing to go back and find him was a risk of its own.
“He said, ‘No. However,’ — and he didn’t say ‘dumbass,’ but he meant it — ‘However, dumbass, I can strap on to the helicopter,’” Purtee recalled.
Crist said he felt it would just be easier if he went with Purtee and the wounded soldier and took care of him after they landed until the medics arrived.
“We’d been there for a year; we knew that if ever needed to do that … we’d do it if we had to,” Purtee said.
“As helicopter pilots, we’re always briefed: You’re the first one on the scene; if there’s any way to get somebody out, that’s the way to do it,” said Crist, of the Missouri National Guard.
While his training had included briefs on how to strap himself to the outside of the aircraft if necessary, he had never actually done it.
When they landed at the scene, Crist and two soldiers helped the wounded man into the helicopter.
For Purtee, the scariest moment happened when the wounded soldier kicked the control stick while getting into the aircraft.
“That causes the rotor blades to go down in the front, and they went very low and they could have knocked my night vision system off.
“And so I had visions of knocking that off and being stranded out there or tearing the helicopter up having it doing God knows how much damage and having to have someone come recover it,” Purtee said.
Crist strapped the wounded soldier in as best he could and then he hooked himself to the outside of the aircraft, sat down on the left wing, slapped the canopy glass and they took off.
“Kevin is a great pilot and he flew it real expediently but gentle, and I would [compare] it … riding a motorcycle if you’re wearing a full helmet, it was kind of the same feeling,” Crist said.
Fortunately, it was a calm night, allowing Crist to enjoy an unimpeded view of the night sky from outside the aircraft.
Meanwhile, Purtee was hoping Crist was strapped on tight.
“He was strapped on, so the worst that would happen, he’d dangle a little bit,” Purtee joked. “He’s a tough kid. That’d be OK.”
The flight lasted about five minutes, and an ambulance arrived about five minutes after they landed. The wounded soldier survived. Purtee and Crist were the first crew to perform a casualty evacuation of a nonaircrew member, Purtee said.
Both men were awarded by the Distinguished Flying Cross for their actions.
While some may view what they did as extraordinary, the two look at it as part of their job to help troops on the ground, Crist said.
“The people who are the real deal in Iraq and Afghanistan are those guys on the ground who go outside the wire, kicking in doors and riding in Humvees and knowing that when you roll out the gate, you may get shot in the face tonight. You don’t know. It’s a possibility.
“Those guys are the heroes,” Purtee said. “They’re the studs. We’re there to support and we’re proud and humbled and honored to help those guys any way we can.”