Memorial Day Tribute

[jmelocik]

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This is SSG Robert "Brian" Cowdrey, he's a good friend of mine and we lost him on this deployment this year. He leaves behind a wife and 3 boys, the oldest of which has followed in his footsteps and chosen to serve in the U.S. Army (as a Blackhawk helicopter repairer.) I've flown with SSG Cowdrey on several occasions, we were at different team sites this deployment but last deployment I had the privilege of flying with him quite a bit. He was always professional and did a hell of a job providing the best medical care to everyone we picked up. We have both had the distinction and honor of serving with C Co 3/82nd Aviation as MEDEVAC crew members. He was not only one of the best crew members, he was also one of the best trainers as he never hesitated to take a new medic under his wing and show them the ropes or show us crew chiefs what was needed to assist the medic in the back of the aircraft.

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This is an actual picture of him doing a hoist training exercise.

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Once this patient was stabilized, Brian did everything he could to comfort him while on the flight to the hospital. This was Brian's attitude, he would provide incredible medical care, then make sure the human factor was attended to during what was often the worst days of the lives of the young, scared, soldiers we picked up.

RIP Brother, we will all miss and this world is better for having had you here for the short time we were blessed with your presence.

Josh

SSG Joshua Melocik
C C 3/82nd Aviation
"DUSTOFF!"

P.S. if you're in the military or friends/family of someone who is please feel free to make a respectful post thanking them.

 

[my dreamt dsm]

*salute*

 

[leet]

Those DUSTOFF boys have balls the size of watermelons. I've seen them do some truly crazy things to get a casualty evac'd out of a hot area.

Rest in peace, SSG.

NFS.

 

[jmelocik]

With the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday I would like to add to this thread and post in honor of some more of America's finest young men who I have had the pleasure of serving with and have paid the ultimate price to contribute to protecting the freedom everyone in this country loves so dearly. Whether you realize it or not there are young men and women who volunteer their services and commit everything they have to serving in our nations uniformed services and some of them pay the ultimate price for their belief that this country should always remain free and your rights should be protected. The next couple of posts will be a tribute to a few of those individuals.

 

[jmelocik]

SGT Dwight Burn was a CH-47F Chinook Crew member who I had the distinction of being deployed with during the 2011-2012 OEF rotation from Ft Bragg to Afghanistan. He was killed in a helicopter crash during a training exercise preparing to return to Afghanistan this year.

 

[jmelocik]

SGT Eric Williams was a flight medic who I had the honor and privilege of serving with while in C Co 3-82nd AVN REGT "DUSTOFF!"

Eric was a flight medic who had the ability to make humor in even the darkest hour and kept many of us going when we didn't feel we had any fight left in us. Eric was killed during a rocket attack at FOB Shank while enroute to Bagram to begin the long journey home after a year long deployment.

 

[jmelocik]

SSG Keith Rudd was also a flight medic from C Co 3-82nd AVN REGT who I was privileged enough to serve with while at Bagram Airfield for a short period of time prior to me moving to FOB Shank. Keith was a medic who had been there and done that, a whole closet full of t-shirts. He would never hesitate to train new guys and bring another view point to a situation. Keith was on his third rotation to Afghanistan in less then 6 years and died of a non-combat related medical condition.

 

[DSMBanditFZ6]

Till Valhalla. RIP never forget!