A retired medical evacuation pilot who helped rescue more than 2,000 wounded soldiers during the Vietnam War asked lawmakers Tuesday to make his fellow Dustoff crew members eligible for the Army's Combat Medical Badge.
Thousands of helicopter ambulance crew members in Vietnam, organized in medical evacuation units that were known by the radio call sign Dustoff, were credited with pulling hundreds of thousands of wounded soldiers out of battle, often at great risk to themselves. Since they were not specifically assigned to ground combat units, Dustoff crew members were denied the combat badge under Army regulations.
Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer John Travers of Harrisburg, Pa., told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee about fellow crew members who risked their lives every day to save wounded soldiers.
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