Lucky Charms and Bullet Holes: Medevac Missions in Afghanistan

A US Navy critical care nurse cares for a soldier with stab wounds on a Medevac helicopter north of Forward Operating Base Edi in Afghanistan.

Photo by Kevin Frayer/Associated Press

U.S. Army flight medic SGT Jaime Adame, top, cares for seriously wounded Marine CPL. Andrew Smith following an insurgent attack.

Photo by Kevin Frayer/AP

U.S Army medic SSgt. Bob Winchester of Alaska, from Task Force Lift “Dust Off”, Charlie Company 1-214 Aviation Regiment.

 AP Photo/Kevin Frayer

A United States Marine who was wounded in an explosion from an IED is carried to a U.S. Army medevac Blackhawk helicopter from Task Force Lift “Dust Off” Charlie Company 1-214 Aviation Regiment, as he is evacuated from an area north of Sangin District, in the volatile Helmand Province of southern Afghanistan.

(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

The "Dustoff" helicopters are distinguished with the emblem of the Red Cross and under international law are supposed to be off-limits to enemy fire.

Afghanistan's insurgents make no distinction.

Read more about "Dust Off" Medevac missions HERE & HERE.

Ghosts of the Mothball Fleet

The Mothball Fleet is the group of decommissioned Navy ships stored at Suisun Bay, just north of San Francisco. These ships served in conflicts going back to World War II, and now they are gradually being scrapped.Some of these ships were used in the movie Magnum Force (1973) with Clint Eastwood. Photographer Scott Haefner and friends managed to spend several days exploring and photographing these ships, despite security guards. Read about how they pulled off the caper, and see the collection of photos at Scott’s website.

Pirate of the Day: Blackbeard

Edward Teach or Blackbeard

Years active: 1716–1718
Location: East coast of North America and the Caribbean Sea.
Fate: Killed in battle against English Navy.

Successfully blockaded the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.  Also known for his flamboyant appearance and dark, full beard (to which he tied lit fuses as a method of intimidation during battle) which earned him his namesake.
Perhaps the most famous pirate ever, a claim that can likely be attributed as much to his catchy nickname as to his piratical prowess.  Much to his credit, however, was the fact that he managed to mobilize a rather large fleet of pirate ships which he led into various assaults.  Most notably, the flotilla under the leadership of Blackbeard (now referring to himself as Commodore) managed to blockade the harbor at Charleston, SC for several days.  During the blockade they captured several ships and took many hostages, all of which were eventually exchanged for various medicines required by his crew.  Teach terrorized the West Indies and the Atlantic coast for years at the helm of the Queen Anne’s Revenge before finally being bested by an English assault at the Battle of Ocracoke off the coast of North Carolina.  In his final moments, Teach is said to have fought off a multitude of Englishmen before succumbing to his wounds, which totaled at least five gunshots and over twenty sabre cuts.

SOURCE: AOM