Runway Accident Cancels Flight Carrying Troops to Gulf

[UpInArms]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-plane7mar07,1,7374491.story?coll=la-headlines-california

(free registration required or try www.bugmenot.com )

CORONADO, Calif. — A charter flight taking sailors and Coast Guard personnel to the Persian Gulf was canceled Saturday night when the plane struck "ground support equipment" on the runway at North Island Naval Air Station.

The Lockheed L1011 was taking the Reserve troops to the Persian Gulf when the mishap occurred. No one was injured, but the plane was not considered capable of flying, officials said.

The sailors and Coast Guard personnel are part of a Reserve unit from California assigned to protect U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf.

...just a bit more...

[bucknaked]

1. Not registered at latimes, but the most striking thing to me...

...in the truncated snip, is that we're utilizing Coast Guard personnel in Iraq!

[UpInArms]

2. we used the Coast Guard during Vietnam also

see:

http://www.archives.gov/research_room/research_topics/vietnam_war_casualty_lists/statistics.html

for some statistical details - can't find out how many CG were in action but they lost 7 CGs during the "conflict".

[mobuto]

3. The Coast Guard had very high casualty rates

in the Second World War. 2000 Coastguardsmen died.

[bucknaked]

5. That is interesting!

The CG certainly doesn't get the respect they deserve.

[Xithras]

4. They're not "in Iraq" per se

FYI, the CG has been over there for a while. The Navy used to patrol the Persian Gulf for contraband, to protect oil tankers, and to otherwise supress naval conflicts in the Gulf. When the Iraq war started, the Navy was redirected to supporting the war effort and the CG was drafted to cover the Navy's former duties.