These seven U.S. Army flight medics, along with SPC Stacey Dill, all assigned to Co. C, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, received the first Combat Medic Badges (CMB) awarded to medical evacuation crews for their actions during combat operations in northern Iraq while flying in support of Task Force Iron, 1st Armored Division. The seven awardees are based out of Fort Riley, Kan. and deployed to Iraq with the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division during the fall of 2007. The Combat Medic Badge recognizes the unique service and selfless sacrifices of medical personnel while in contact with enemy or under fire.
This is the first time flight medics have received the Combat Medic Badges. Previously, medical personnel serving in division-level medical companies, ground ambulance and medical clearing companies, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH), Combat Support Hospital (CSH) and aero-medical evacuation units were not eligible for the Combat Medic Badge. According to Army regulations, flight medics could not receive the Combat Medic Badge.
The battles of today have no distinct lines, as any area can become a combat zone without warning. This type of warfare has dramatically altered the traditional support role of medevac companies, placing their medical personnel into more multiple direct combat situations than any previous American conflict. Flight medics are willing to go anywhere anytime to do the hard work. When they get the call, they don’t know what they are getting into. All they know is that they are going to save lives. These flight medics go into some very tough conditions and can face conditions ten times tougher than medics on the ground.
Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, their commanding general, stated, "What makes this so special is the fact that these flight crews treat patients in the air and, to this day, these medics and medics like them have never lost a patient in flight.” The general wrote a letter to Lt. Gen. Michael Rochelle, deputy Army chief of staff G-1, to see if Army regulations could be changed to allow flight medics to receive the Combat Medic Badge. This led to a change to current Army regulations that now allow the Combat Medic Badge to be awarded to flight medics.
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