Hawaii National Guard Aviation Unit Iraq-Bound (provides medevac here)

[KamaAina]

This is actually the second time this has happened this year! Once again, just like with Katrina, we see how lives are being put at risk not only in Iraq but right here in the good ol' USA. (Statehood did pass, right? :-) )

http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/10526636/detail.html

HILO, Hawaii -- A Hawaii Army National Guard helicopter unit that has provided emergency medevac transportation on Oahu will likely be deployed to Iraq.

The Hilo-based soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation have been flying civilian patients on Oahu since April 1.

It replaced a Schofield Barracks Black Hawk unit, which provided the free service for decades. It's already in Iraq for a yearlong deployment.

:grr: :banghead:

[DRoseDARs]

1. Do any hospitals in Hawai'i have helicopters?

While I'm sure it was a nice buffer to have the Guard help out, surely a major medical institution in an island-chain state would have its own helicopter.

[KamaAina]

2. Why would they when the Army's always been there?

The destination of most of these flights is Queen's Hospital in Honolulu, which in fact has its own helopad. But no way is Queen's paying for a chopper and crews out of its budget! That would have to come from our Legislature, which would, in effect, be picking up the tab for Bush**'s Iraq qWagmire. :puke:

[DRoseDARs]

3. There's a naval station here in Nevada (yeah, a naval station... in the desert)...

...but Washoe Med (recently renamed Renown Health, but I'll be damned if I'm calling it that) and Saint Mary's here in Reno use a Careflight helicopter, which services a wide area in Northern Nevada, including the area around the Fallon Naval Station.

[KamaAina]

4. Hmmm. Maybe Careflight might wish to expand here.

It just sticks in the craw that there's even a slight chance the Bush** oil 'n' ego war might cause the service to disappear, even temporarily.

[razors edge]

5. spent 3 years launching F-4s at Kaneohe,

Why should the hospitals have helos when the military is so prevalent in the area? Maybe we should start using the fed's birds for med lift everywhere, call it training, they waste enough fuel and money providing nothing of any use to the citizens of the US as it is.

[mahina]

6. Wasn't the service negotiated for in an agreement?

I thought it was.

Ehren Watada is here in town to see his lawyer. http://www.thankyoult.org/
Any support you can give would be appreciated, he is standing up for all of our men and women who serve.