quote:

82nd Airborne Paratrooper Keeps His Head, Saves Another’s in Ambush
By Army Sgt. Timothy Dinneen
Combined Joint Task Force - 82

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – As a convoy of more than 20 vehicles snaked its way through a creek bed in Tag Ab Valley, Nov. 10, 2007, small-arms and rocket propelled grenade fire interrupted the patrol’s five-day mission of searching for high value targets in Kapisa province.

Spc. Nicholas Colgin, a medic with Bravo Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, heard the call for “medic†and responded by running through sporadic enemy fire to a wounded French soldier ultimately saving Sebastien’s life, according to hospital officials.

“All of a sudden, we started taking fire and we would return fire and then it would stop; it would go on like this for more than an hour as the sun went down,†said Colgin.

The convoy was pushing through the intermittent ambushes when Colgin said he noticed a French vehicle passing his coalition Humvee from the trail position moving alongside the lead armored security vehicle.

“They were trying to notify the lead vehicle of an injury, their gunner took a 7.62 round through the helmet,†Colgin, a Chesterfield, Va., native said.

“When the lead vehicle called for a medic, I stopped the Humvee I was driving, hopped out and the (Radio Telephone Operator) in the back (seat) tossed me the aid bag.â€

As the convoy was still under attack from enemy fire, Colgin ran in the open past five vehicles reaching the French vehicle jumping up and down waving his arms screaming “I’m a medic!â€

“I wasn’t thinking much at all when I left the Humvee, I got caught up in the moment,†Colgin recalled. “I did know I had to move fast to help whoever it was.â€

Colgin said the French soldiers didn’t speak English and were surprised at first seeing an American Soldier out in front of their door during an ambush but eventually they let him in.

“I had no idea what his injuries were; he was sprawled out in the back of the vehicle with loose bandages on his head and was unresponsive,†Colgin explained. “I positioned him properly and started treating him and that meant stopping the bleeding.â€

Colgin asked if anyone spoke English in the French vehicle because they were trying to talk to Colgin while he was treating their comrade. When he asked, they pointed to the guy with the bandage on his head.

“It was crazy because I’m trying to help the Soldier and all I hear is French. The gunner would fire off some rounds, pop down to try and talk to me and then pop back up and fire more rounds,†Colgin said. “I’m pretty sure this guy was going to die, I knew we had to get him out fast or he wouldn’t make it.â€

According to Colgin, the French vehicle did not have communications with the coalition vehicles so he stuck his head out one of the gunner’s turrets and began yelling the extent of Sebastien’s injuries to the lead ASV.

“There was so much going on I decided to run back to the commander’s Humvee to give (medical evacuation) information and a (situation report) while avoiding the small-arms fire,†Colgin said. “I then ran back a second time to the French vehicle and gave him an IV and further assessed his injuries. Once I was able to push him with fluids and stop the bleeding he became responsive.â€

Colgin would stay with his patient through the sporadic ambushes, reassuring Sebastien he would be make it while firing his weapon through the gunner’s turret Sebastien occupied. What was normally a 20-minute drive to reach Forward Operating Base Kutschbach took the convoy three hours, according to Colgin.

Sebastien was MEDEVAC’d and diagnosed with a skull fracture and brain swelling. Hospital officials who treated Sebastien said Colgin’s action’s saved his life.

“Simple stuff saved him like stopping the bleeding and pushing fluids,†said Colgin. “The reassuring didn’t hurt either.â€

There was nothing simple about Colgin’s actions that day.

quote:

Originally posted by TCLouis:
Looking at those pictures, what makes me laugh in the very saddest of ways is that we think that killing a few thousand people and blowing up a lot of thing that we(the pig knuckles in DC) think those people are going to embrace democracy and get ready to stuff the ballot boxes just like they were living in chitown.

The minute we leave the disbelievers will be killed and it will be business as usual as it has been and will be

And I am truly sad to see that, but ever since barry threw in the flag of truce with a date certain, it has been a waiting game.

Wonder if we took the time and did it right if it could really be done

quote:

Originally posted by Schmetterling:
I don't think the above post has anything to do in this thread, you should post it in the political forum. I think your father did not want to tell you how many german women he screwed for a pack of Camel, some chocolate or a liter of milk. His "respect" must come from these sweet memories.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
LOL You Merkins see Legionnaires everywhere when they are less than 8000 in the French Armed Forces. only those with the green berets are FL in the above pictures.

People wear this type of beret in mountain areas for a long time, in Alps or in Pyrenees.

Alpine Troops and Chasseurs ( Light Infantry, Motorised or Mechanised) wear this beret. It protects from the sun in summer and the cold in winter. It was useful in breaking the head shape and kept the face from reflecting the light before helmets were worn and camouflage face paints were used.

The nickname for this beret in french armed forces is "tarte", pie.

The french horn insignia on the beret indicates Chasseurs.

Chasseurs alpins, Alpine troops http://www.alpins.fr/

Chasseurs in action in Afghanistan.

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=OldzXXTUg-k

French Aeronavale, Navy pilots

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=XkQagFoQxz8