troung

Royal Marines launch dramatic rescue bid to save fallen soldier

Media: The Associated Press
Byline: By DANICA KIRKA
Date: 17 January 2007


LONDON_British Marines strapped themselves to helicopters in a daring dash
into hostile territory to rescue a fallen comrade in Afghanistan, but it was
too late to save his life, defense officials said Wednesday.

The effort to save Lance Cpl. Mathew Ford, 30, followed an attack Monday on
a fort being used as an insurgent base in Afghanistan's southern Helmand
province. After falling back to regroup, the forces realized Ford had been
left behind, according to an account by the Ministry of Defense.

The forces quickly drafted a plan to rescue Ford using Apaches, an attack
helicopter which is so crammed with equipment that only two people can be
seated. Two Marines were strapped on the side wings of each of two Apache
helicopters. A third Apache provided cover.

"It was a leap into the unknown," said Lt. Col. Rory Bruce, the spokesman of
the U.K. task force, which is the British force operating under NATO
command. "This is believed to be the first time U.K. forces have ever tried
this type of rescue mission."

While other units provided cover fire, one Apache landed inside the wall of
the fort, and one outside. The four Marines got off the wings, together with
some of the army air corps air crew, to provide cover. Ford's body was
strapped on an Apache and taken away.

"With great sadness, they later found that their brother-in-arms had been
killed in action," Bruce said.

British troops have faced fierce action since moving into southern
Afghanistan last year for a mission some have charged was a disaster in the
making. Critics of Prime Minister Tony Blair have accused politicians of
failing to anticipate the strength of resurgent Taliban forces and of
sending forces ill-equipped to do a job involving far more combat than
anticipated.

Casualty figures have climbed: 46 military personnel have died in
Afghanistan, though not all have been killed in combat.

News of the rescue mission dominated British television newscasts Wednesday,
leading to speculation that the forces who undertook the rescue mission
should be awarded military honors. The Marines who undertook the mission
have not been named.

"Clearly the prime minister would want to pay tribute to the bravery
displayed, but it is too early to speculate about awarding of honors," said
Blair's official spokesman, who speaks on condition of anonymity in line
with government rules. "Everyone recognizes the bravery involved."

__________________
To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway

Tronic

Hats off to those boys... puts the good guys in a league of their own...

__________________
Nabha Sparasham Deeptam
-Touch The Sky With Glory

MarquezRazor

Good God!Thats incredible bravery indeed!Wish they could have saved the soldier.


that we all know whats it about!

glyn

__________________
Semper in excretum. Solum profunda variat.

tankie

[quote=troung;331802]Royal Marines launch dramatic rescue bid to save fallen soldier

Media: The Associated Press
Byline: By DANICA KIRKA
Date: 17 January 2007



"It was a leap into the unknown," said Lt. Col. Rory Bruce, the spokesman of
the U.K. task force, which is the British force operating under NATO
command. "This is believed to be the first time U.K. forces have ever tried
this type of rescue mission."

QUOTE]

Very commendable to say the least .

__________________
TANKIE , WITHOUT WAX

MarquezRazor

Sign of the times!

Shipwreck

USMC reportedly training to do the same from a Hog

Attached Images

manmod.jpg (32.7 KB, 44 views)

__________________
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9)

Shipwreck

Kudos to the Royal Marines

Ray

It was on Indian TV too!

Excellent work that!

Really worth the kudos.

Well done!

Hope medals come their way!

A great morale booster the world over!

__________________


"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

HAKUNA MATATA

Shipwreck

Footage of Rescue on BBC News :

BBC NEWS | UK | Film of marines' daring mission

(click on *Watch the Rescue Attempt*, top of page, for the footage)

Stan187

Now that's committment to your buddies. I'm surprised though that the got the go ahead to land a chopper inside this compound, let alone agreement from the army aviation pilots!

__________________
In Iran people belive pepsi stands for pay each penny save israel. -urmomma158
The Russian Navy is still a threat, but only to those unlucky enough to be Russian sailors.-highsea

pdf27

They seem to have been fairly keen. Some of the Apache aircrew even got out to try and find the guy!

__________________
Rule 1: Never trust a Frenchman
Rule 2: Treat all members of the press as French

Stan187

While its good that it worked out without any casualties on the part of the rescuers, I'm just saying that this time luck was on their side. Executing an op like that is just asking for it, in my opinion. The line between daring and disasterous is drawn by the outcome.

Ray

Shipwreck,

Thanks for the link.

Just saw the rescue operations on the video.

Marvellous work by the soldiers and the helicopter pilots.

Very daring and great!

Ray

It is true it is a thin line between daring and disaster. But then, there are people in uniform who take such gambles even at the risk of their own careers!

We had a Colonel (Aviation) who flew into the night in his helicopter in the Siachen where there is a raging battle daily and rescued a trooper who was surely going to die otherwise.

It was, and still is, against the rules to fly at night since there are no night navigational instruments on board. He did it. He got sacked. But he is a legend today.

His name is Tom Dulat.

I sure would love to have him around when I am under fire or ill where there is no medical aid.

Such people make the Armed Forces what it is all about and not the penpushers, who only understand how to chalk a successful career!

The Apache pilots and the Marines and this Indian Aviation Colonel are the ones that allow the citizens their peaceful night's sleep while they slog it out braving the dangers and the risks.

God Bless their types!