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| Europe |
| StrategyPage: The Europeans Win Some |
| 2007-02-14 |
| European opposition to American efforts in Iraq is expressed in many little ways. For example, American transports flying badly wounded U.S. troops back to the United States, often ask European air controllers for a more direct flight path through European air space. This is in order to get the wounded soldier or marine to the American hospital more quickly. This is particularly useful when the aircraft have been turned into a flying ECU (Emergency Care Unit), and doctors are actually treating the seriously wounded in flight. The European air controllers rarely allow the direct flight. It would mean some more work for them, but saying "no" is another way to stick it to those bastards who removed Saddam Hussein from power, and continue to fight Iraqis who want to destroy democracy in Iraq. When the American medical flight reaches American air space, air controllers are quick to give the transports the shortest possible route to its destination. Some of these medical flights are non-stop from Iraq to Texas, where there are several major military hospitals. I assume this means the Casevac flights are flying through Turkey or Jordan/Israel, though the Mediterranean and Gibraltar then across the Atlantic vs. Turkey/Europe/Polar route. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #7 When the bottom falls out for the Euroweenies, and they call for help, our phone should be off the hook. And, if we do decide to help them, the price will be that they will become submit to our control of their countries and government. |
| Posted by: Omolurt Elmeaper6990 2007-02-14 19:49 |
| #6 On hospital ships: an evac to a hospital ship might take longer than an evac to Germany, given the logistics. The military has become very efficient at moving serious casualties to Balad. They then load up a C-17 or C-141 and off they go. For a hospital ship in the Gulf you'd need to use helicopters -- slow, less efficient, and you'd have to transit through either Basra or Kuwait City. I also agree with CL: some salt required here. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2007-02-14 18:35 |
| #5 Sprinkle some salt on this one. |
| Posted by: Classical_Liberal 2007-02-14 16:25 |
| #4 And another nail in the coffin of the Euroweinies. The US will not come help them out of their own shit a third time. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-02-14 16:19 |
| #3 P.S. If this story is true, what an incredibly petty and shitty thing to do. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-02-14 15:57 |
| #2 Hospital ships would become choice targets of every jihadi with a death wish. Something about slaughtering the helpless gives allah a woodie. Wounded are stabilized in combat hospitals and flown out as soon as possible for further treatment. Less time in the air means fewer complications, pain and stress for the wounded. During the Afghan campaign, media reports had casualties evacuated to Landstuhl Germany. That may still be the case with Landstuhl taking the Afghan (still a long flight) and European allied casualties with US hospitals taking Iraq casualties. Walter Reed most likely taking the majority. Those going to Texas are treated at Brooke Army Med Center, the premier burn center in the world. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-02-14 15:56 |
| #1 This might sound naive, but why not have a couple of hospital ships parked in the gulf to take care of the troops and then they can be flown to the US when they are out of danger? And what happened to the German airbase/hospital? If we aren't using that why do we have any assets in Europe still. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2007-02-14 14:14 |