HEY BUDDY, CAN YOU SPARE A CHOPPER?
Hey, Buddy Can You Spare A Chopper?
Recently, there was a major earthquake in Northern
South America and a horrendous hurricane hit the Central America area. When I finish eating my lunch, I am going to open up the AW&ST magazine that is sitting here and list all the helos operated by the US military. Then I am going to dig out the AW&ST article describiing how the USA military sent 15 helos to the rescue efforts. They only have 10,000 helos or something - and they could spare fifteen!
From the January 11, 1999 edition of Aviation Week and Space Technology, here is the helicopter inventory of the US military services. (I am not going to list each and every one - just the major models.)
US Air Force - Bell UH1N (62) - Sikorsky (Sik)HH60 (49) - Sik MH53J (40) - Sik MH60G (13)
Air Force Reserve - Sik HH60G (21)
Air Natl Guard - Sik HH60G (17)
Army - Bell AH1 (43) - Bell OH58 (307) - Bell TH67 (135) - Bell UH1 (317) - Boeing AH64 (446) - Boeing CH47 (211) - Sik EH60 (67) - Sik MH60 (60) - Sik UH60 (904)
Army Reserve and Natl Guard - Bell AH1 (347) - Bell OH58 (229) - Bell UH1 (620) - Boeiing AH64 (192) - Boeing CH47 (179) - Sik UH60 (373)
Navy - Bells (150) - Siks (370)
Naval Reserve - Siks (28)
Marines - Bells (240) - Boings (214) - Siks (170)
Marine Reserves - Bells (60) - Boings (26)
Coast Guard - Dassault HU25 (18) - Eurocopter HH65 (94) - Sik HH60 (42)
I will let you add up the numbers. I think I came up with 10,000 helos before. And we sent about ?25 to help out in the rescues. 5,000 people or more died.
On a related note - there was a ?12 hour delay getting a military transport to fly the Fairfax County VA USAR team to the Nairobi Embassy bombing. Seems to me that this a recurring problem. Wasnt there another major delay getting military airlift assistance on another USAR team callout? Was it the Oklahoma City bombing?
(For the September 1999 Turkey and Taiwan earthquakes, the Fairfax US&R Team drove all the way from Virginia to Dover AFB in Delaware to meet their transport aircraft. On their return, they landed at Dulles Airport in Virginia - 10/15/99)
Of course, this is a tradition steeped in history! (How's that for double-talk?) I seem to remember that when Mexico City lost ?10,000 people in a recent earthquake, the USA sent one transport plane loaded up with 1 helo, 2 dogs, and Nancy Reagan. (now was that 3 dogs and 1 helo? - jeez I forget :-)) But that's not important - what is important is that I have typed this up and put it on my web page. Just like it was important for someone to say recently that she loved her husband "with great compassion" - exactly how else would you love someone? Of course the guy she "loves" is the guy who said - " we should be biased towards non discrimination". Actually - I should check my facts on this - standby while I check the text of the ?1992 State of the Union address. Yeah - I'll get right on it. Later
You all are gonna bust me outta the Fed pen when I get there, right?
March 8, 1999 - Clinton is visiting the disaster area. The disaster occurred in October of 1998 - 9,000 are reported dead with another ?2,000 missing. (per NPR news account) Do we have to speculate why Clinton is really there? [No mention of Hillary being with him.]
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September 1999 - 10,000 dead in earthquake in Turkey - 2,500 dead in earthquake in Taiwan - 250 dead in Mexican flooding - thousands stranded on rooftops in North Carolina and New Jersey flooding - WHERE WERE THE USA MILITARY HELOS?
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