Hey Cav med guy...where ya been? If you haven't been visiting this site often you may have missed some of the articles. Not to worry - gotcha covered. Visit our
Old Front Page News and you'll be able to catch up with past articles.
november-december saber article posted
The latest article about the 15th Medical Battalion in Vietnam is now available on this Web site under Informational/Historical Documents/Saber Articles. Mike Bodnar faithfully pens this article each month for the 1st Cavalry Division's Saber newspaper. We have back articles all the way to 1999. So if you're stuck indoors for a while, why not browse through the old articles - it's interesting reading.
A Nice history of the Huey
Stemmed from a Korean War era requirement for a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopter, the “Huey” family of helicopters saw action widely during the Vietnam War. In fact, the Huey is often referred to as a synonymous icon with the war in the southeast Asian country. The story of the UH-1 (and the AH-1 “HueyCobra”) is an interesting one that finds itself centered on the Vietnam War.
First generation helicopters were large, lumbering, cumbersome airframes that were described as “maintenance nightmares” full of complexities. The U.S. Army began to search for a design that was easier to maintain as a utility and multipurpose helicopter, specifically for the role of MEDEVAC and instrument training. The Army selected a design submitted by Bell Helicopter from a pool of 20 designs in February 1955. The following year, the prototype XH-40 made its first flight, but by this time the Army had already requested six more XH-40s to be built. Finally in 1960, the Army ordered 100 of the helicopters using the designation “HU-1.” [Read whole article]
CharityWatch
As the year whines down, I find I receive a lot of mail from organizations
dealing with veterans and the military. I use CharityWatch to guide me in
which organizations I write a check to.
Founded in 1992 as the
American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP)—it is the only independent charity
watchdog in the United States. Charity trade associations issue ratings of
charities primarily designed to serve the interests of charities, not donors
like you. They do this by repeating and/or repackaging charities'
self-reported financial and "impact" data, amplifying charities' fundraising
and marketing strategies. This can make it more difficult for donors to
distinguish between good and bad charities.
CharityWatch's ratings do not merely repeat what a charity reports about itself in its "impact" reports or tax filings using simplistic or automated formulas. They dive deep into charity-audited financial statements, tax filings, state solicitation filings, and other information so they can let you know how efficiently a charity will use your donations to fund the programs you want to support. CharityWatch exposes nonprofit abuses and advocates for your interests as a donor.
This link takes you directly to veterans & military organizations. https://ww.charitywatch.org/charity-donating-articles/categories/veterans-military
CASEVAC: How Will Drones Support US Army Casualty Evacuations?
CASEVAC refers to transporting injured civil or military individuals from battlegrounds or fighting zones to medical or trauma centers so they can receive care, often in nonmedical vehicles or aircraft. CASEVAC refers to "Casualty Evacuations."
In contrast, MEDEVAC refers to "Medical Evacuation," which involves
carefully transporting patients from an accident scene or another medical
center to another facility using designed medical transport.
Russia's
war on Ukraine has increased demand for unmanned systems, potentially
accelerating the transition towards remotely piloted platforms for casualty
evacuation. The Russian and Ukrainian militaries have experimented with
these systems, making it difficult for traditional helicopters to carry out
rescue missions. Experts predict a shift in unmanned platforms' roles in the
future.
Autonomous technology is becoming more reliable every day. It
performs repetitive tasks accurately and consistently, reducing human error.
It also offers increased safety, performing long hover times and initiating
independent holding cycles, allowing it to stay over a threat area or
battlefield and quickly drop to the casualty when needed. Autonomous
technology is becoming more reliable every day. It performs repetitive tasks
accurately and consistently, reducing human error. It also offers increased
safety, performing long hover times and initiating independent holding
cycles, allowing it to stay over a threat area or battlefield and quickly
drop to the casualty when needed.
[Read more]
2025 Reunion Information
We're proud to announce the next reunion will be at the Holiday Inn
Orlando Intl Airport Hotel.
DATES: Wednesday,
April 23 - Sunday, April 27, 2025
ACCOMMODATION RATE: $119/night for either single King-size bed
or Double Queen-size beds Includes complimentary daily parking.
Discounted Breakfast Buffet Vouchers will be available for purchase by
the group at $13.00 each. Rate is good 3 days before and 3 days after.
Complimentary Airport Shuttle 24/7.
Complimentary Shuttle within
3 miles of the hotel .
Pets are allowed with a pet fee.
HOSPITALITY ROOM: On-site, 9am-11pm daily; there is no
cost for the Room, but we are required to pay for drinks and food.
Snacks are allowed to be brought into the hospitality room.
BANQUET SATURDAY NIGHT: On-Site Buffet
2024 Association Reunion
I want to thank John Tabor and all the “helper bees” who put on a great reunion. At first, the challenges seemed insurmountable, but everything fell into place, and I had a fantastic time. The auction items were eclectic, and we reeled in $3200 to keep our Association solvent for another year. I’m looking forward to Short Round and Linn putting on a great reunion next year in Orlando, FL. I’ll update the times and the host hotel here and on Facebook as I receive them.
lost and missing members
It's been a few years since the Historian, and I asked for help finding lost members of the 15th Med Bn. We'd appreciate it if you'd go to our Missing Members page and see if you know the contact information for any listed. If you know the whereabouts of a missing member, please complete the update form by clicking the link above the table.
15th Medical Battalion Association EIN: 99-4409750
Texas Taxpayer Number: 32064960969
NTEE W30
The 15th Medical Battalion Association is
registered
as a non-profit tax-exempt private foundation
with
tax-exempt status granted under
IRS rules section 501(C)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code.