Navy Pilots Who Rescued Victims Are Reprimanded

[quaoar]

This just figures. The pilots were reassigned to guard a kennel of dogs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/07/national/nationalspecial/07navy.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1126094453-FJJw3H6hKMC3bgtfqBjTcg&pagewanted=print

Navy Pilots Who Rescued Victims Are Reprimanded

By DAVID S. CLOUD
PENSACOLA, Fla., Sept. 6 - Two Navy helicopter pilots and their crews returned from New Orleans on Aug. 30 expecting to be greeted as lifesavers after ferrying more than 100 hurricane victims to safety.

Instead, their superiors chided the pilots, Lt. David Shand and Lt. Matt Udkow, at a meeting the next morning for rescuing civilians when their assignment that day had been to deliver food and water to military installations along the Gulf Coast.

"I felt it was a great day because we resupplied the people we needed to and we rescued people, too," Lieutenant Udkow said. But the air operations commander at Pensacola Naval Air Station "reminded us that the logistical mission needed to be our area of focus."

[Bob3]

1. There's the right way, the wrong way and the Army way.

This is an exhibit of that.

[sarcasmo]

2. By the people and for the people.

I am pretty sure our Government is no longer for the people. The Government is only for the rich.

[peacetalksforall]

3. Please, please - someone compile all these atrocities against us.

[ewagner]

4. If I were their Commanding Officer

they would have received a pro-forma "ass-chewing" for not following orders....

AND

A COMMENDATION for taking the INITIATIVE to save lives.

[rocktivity]

5. OMG, you WEREN'T kidding about the kennel duty!

But as the two helicopters were heading back home, the crews picked up a radio transmission from the Coast Guard saying helicopters were needed near the University of New Orleans to help with rescue efforts, the two pilots said.

Out of range for direct radio communication with Pensacola, more than 100 miles to the east, the pilots said, they decided to respond and turned their helicopters around, diverting from their mission without getting permission from their home base. Within minutes, they were over New Orleans.
So their help was requested. That's a far cry from their doing it on impulse.

...Lieutenant Udkow, who associates say was especially vocal about voicing his disagreement to superiors, was taken out of the squadron's flying rotation temporarily and assigned to oversee a temporary kennel established at Pensacola to hold pets of service members evacuated from the hurricane-damaged areas...
While the pets of the civilians were left behind to drown.

:mad:
rocknation

[leesa]

6. It was the Navy who awarded the Halliburton/KBR contract too

So they Navy is betraying our country as well?

[Coastie for Truth]

7. Commander Michael Holdener

should be charged with conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces of the United States, conduct unbecoming an officer, and dereliction of duty.

If these two pilots have good lawyers (either JAG corps or civilian) they should promptly demand an Article 138 investigation of Mr. Holdener (I am prior military, and I posted "Mister" - not "Commander")--

Title 10, United States Code, Section 938.

ARTICLE 138. COMPLAINTS OF WRONGS

Any member of the armed forces who believes himself wronged by his commanding officer, and who, upon due application to that commanding officer, is refused redress, may complain to any superior commissioned officer, who shall foreword the complaint to the office exercising court- martial jurisdiction over the officer against whom it is made. The officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction shall examine into the complaint and take proper measures for redressing the wrong complained of; and he shall, as soon as possible, send to the Secretary concerned a true statement of that complaint, with the proceedings thereon.

Take Mister Holdener down with them.

[paineinthearse]

8. This story is featured on the home page

see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1759677