Published: April 28, 2009 09:22 pm      

Medevac facility named in honor of fallen East Texan

JOIN BASE BALAD, Iraq — A military medical evacuation compound has been dedicated in memory of a local soldier who was killed in Iraq last October.

Originally scheduled for 10 a.m. April 20, the ceremony to officially name the Pickard Medical Evacuation Compound was delayed when two UH-60 Black Hawk MEDEVAC helicopters arrived with five U.S. soldiers wounded during a suicide vest bomb attack in Baqubah minutes earlier.

The naming ceremony for the new $15 million MEDEVAC compound began as the twin UH-60s, belonging to C Company, 2-149 General Support Aviation Battalion, lifted back off.

The new facility was dedicated by the Texas-based C Company, “Alamo DustOff,” in the memory of a C Company patient who died of his wounds early in their deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08-10.

Pfc. Heath K. Pickard, 21, of Palestine, Texas, died Oct. 16 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he received indirect fire in Baquba, Iraq. He was assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He was posthumously promoted to specialist.

The ceremony began with an invocation by Chaplain (Maj.) John Berry, Headquarters, 2-149 GSAB.

Col. R. Clay Brock, Jr., commander of Task Force 34, put the events of Oct. 16 in perspective as part of a larger issue.

“The challenges we have at some of the [Forward Operating Bases] and [Contingency Operating bases] out there; they’re not set up to take some of these airplanes when we come in at night,” Brock said. “They don't have quite the lighting system that we need. They don’t have landing systems, and it makes it very challenging.

“Most Combat Aviation Brigades will not send their MEDEVAC units into that because of the risk to the crew. One of the techniques that we looked at was to try to take the best-of-the-best of the pilots within Charlie Company, 2-149, and put these guys and gals together, and try to overcome this hurdle.”

Chief Warrant Officer David Torres, one of the pilots that day, explained that after much deliberation “it was determined that the two pilots of the two ships would come together, along with our medics, and would respond to the mission as a single ship. We felt that was the safest option to where we could go out there and hopefully get some medical attention to those wounded soldiers.”

Maj. Carlos Tamez, C Company, 2-149 GSAB commander testified, “Since that day forward, I have witnessed Alamo DustOff in intense devotion, complete ownership of the mission and a willingness to assume personal risk to ultimately save the lives of wounded soldiers. Spc. Pickard made the ultimate sacrifice ... he will be forever a reminder of that commitment. This is why this soldier is so very special to us. What he and his buddies encountered on that day set in motion, and created a rotor wash, that was felt throughout the Iraqi theater.

“We often remind ourselves that the MEDEVAC mission is in place to directly support brave soldiers who, day-in and day-out, take the fight to the enemy. The response to this particular urgent mission solidified the commitment that MEDEVAC has, and that is to launch under extraordinary peril to fulfill a promise that we will not rest ’til we have your wounded.”

The infantry Soldiers of 1-5 Inf. Regt. showed their appreciation for the aviation mission.

“Guys who are going into those missions, kicking in those doors, going on those combat patrols day in and day out know very well that if they are injured, their chances of survival are absolutely astronomical because of the ‘grade A’ ... MEDEVAC community. I’ve always looked at them as the infantry in the sky, because they are absolutely undaunted in the endeavor of their mission, accomplishing and getting to the point on the battlefield where they can best take care of our wounded,” said Lt. Col. Shawn Reed, commander, 1-5 Inf. Regt.

“We recognize the job that you do and we are grateful for that. It is because of you that our warriors are allowed to return back to the fight, so that we can bring the fight to the enemy,” said Capt. Terry Brown, commander C Company, 1-5 Inf. Regt.

Brown was also impressed as this support unit honored his combat unit. “This memorial is a great thing. The fact that it was presented here in front of my troops, it just lets them know that there are people out there fighting alongside with us, they care about the things that we do, and they also share the same grief and remember our soldiers as well. So it is definitely an excellent thing to have other units out there honoring our unit.”

Capt. Cicconetti, 1st Platoon leader, C Company, 1-5 Inf. Regt. was closest to Spc. Pickard and shared with the group his thoughts.

“We all loved Spc. Pickard for the unique guy he was. He was eager, eager to succeed, eager to help, and eager to fight. Those who were part of Oct. 16 know this first hand. It was one of those personality traits that distinguished him from everyone else. His impulse to constantly help others. That’s exactly who Spc. Heath Pickard was and that’s how we are going to remember him. He was a hero, a father, a friend. We are proud of you. We are proud to have served with you and we are proud to honor you. We love you, buddy.”

The benediction was given by Chaplain (Maj.) John Berry.

The new Pickard MEDEVAC Compound, located between four helipads and the 332nd Combat Support Hospital, includes on-site housing and dining facilities for the C Company aircrews and staff which allows for quick and efficient 24-hour MEDEVAC mission support.

The Pickard MEDEVAC Compound also includes temporary housing (two bunk houses) for first-up and chase crews as well as second-up and chase crews, an operations building, a ready-up building, a tactical operations building, an aviation life support equipment building, a flight gear building, aviation hangars, three maintenance back shops, medical and non-medical supply buildings, a classroom, a gym, latrines and showers, an administrative and logistical operations center, and a conference room. Additional staff housing is expected to arrive soon.

C Company, 2-149 General Support Aviation Battalion, is an element of aviation Task Force 34, Multi-National Corps — Iraq’s corps combat aviation brigade. C Company provides general aeromedical evacuation support to all United States and coalition forces in MND–N from Balad and Forward Operating Base Normandy. This responsibility included: corps-level aeromedical evacuation support in support of MNC–I medical priorities and objectives including; Multi-National Division - Baghdad Level III patient transfers, emergency resupply of Class VIII (blood), patient transfers to facilitate the medical movement of contingency aeromedical staging facility patients, patient transfers to facilitate the medical movement of host nation patients, and the emergency movement of medical personnel, equipment and biological. C Company flew over 1,190 patients, including 86 urgent patients and 25 urgent surgical patients. C Company completed 772 missions with 1,290 flight hours, 869 hours at night under night vision goggle systems.