An American medical evacuation ‘dustoff’ helicopter takes aboard a casualty during operations in the jungle. Photo from the Australian War Memorial via Wikimedia Commons.

Vietnam War Dustoff crews flew countless missions into unsecured landing zones with one mission: save the wounded.

One such pilot was Maj. Charles “Combat” Kelly, a leading figure for Army “Dustoff” units, which pioneered life-saving helicopter evacuations. As commander of the 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance), Kelly flew a mission on July 1, 1964, to evacuate wounded soldiers. When warned that the landing zone was too dangerous, he famously replied, “When I have your wounded.” Moments later, a bullet struck him fatally. Kelly’s courage and dedication inspired the “Dustoff” mission, as mid-battle air evacuation became known.

This week, veterans of Dustoff units gathered at the U.S. Army Medical Centre of Excellence in San Antonio, Texas, to celebrate a new honour for their community—the Congressional Gold Medal, signed into law by President Joe Biden on September 26. Brig. Gen. Clinton Murray spoke of the legacy these crews left for modern MEDEVAC operations, highlighting their daring missions. He shared examples of Dustoff crews flying backward to avoid intense fire, navigating through dense fog, and taking off despite overloaded helicopters.

The medal, proposed by Sen. John Cornyn, recognizes all Dustoff crews, especially the 57th and 54th Medical Detachments. By 1969, these units had grown to include 140 helicopters across Vietnam, with a staggering 33% chance of casualty among crew members due to the hazardous conditions.

Dustoff crews saved countless lives, often exceeding helicopter weight limits to bring all wounded personnel to safety. Their primary air ambulance, the UH-1 Huey, became iconic as they evacuated civilians, enemy fighters, Australian and South Vietnamese allies alongside American troops. Dustoff medics developed many techniques still used today in both military and civilian medicine.

Photo: Retired Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, a Medal of Honor recipient and former Vietnam Dustoff pilot, was a guest speaker at a ceremony recognizing the passing of the Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act. Army photo by Jose Rodriguez.

One attendee, retired Maj. Gen. Patrick Henry Brady, flew three daring missions in a single day on January 6, 1968, under enemy fire and across active minefields, rescuing 51 soldiers in a series of helicopters. His courage earned him the Medal of Honor from President Nixon.

Today, Dustoff crews’ achievements continue to guide military medical protocols, including the “golden hour” standard for rapid evacuation, ensuring that wounded personnel receive care within 60 minutes. Their advances—such as field-administered blood products, mechanical ventilation, and advanced battlefield care—remain vital.

As Brig. Gen. Murray noted, “All of those lessons are on the back of all that you did in the Vietnam War, and all those advances are not near as impressive as the people.” The Congressional Gold Medal will honour these pioneers, acknowledging the skill, bravery, and dedication that revolutionized combat medicine.

Ray Payne OAM – Frontline

In recent years, it feels as though we’ve started to drift from the true spirit that defines Australia. Our unique character—grounded in resilience, mateship, and an undeniable love for our land—should be at the heart of our daily lives. Yet, somewhere along the way, we seem to have lost touch with some of those core Aussie values. It’s time we put effort into bringing back that sense of national pride, instilling patriotism, and reinvigorating the characteristics that make us proudly Australian.

Australia Day in January is a prime example. This is a day meant to celebrate our history, heritage, and the achievements that have built our nation, yet every year, it becomes a battleground for division. Instead of focusing on what unites us, voices often rise to tear it apart. But this day should be about togetherness, remembrance, and celebration of all we stand for as Australians. It’s a day when we should all be flying our flag high, a flag that represents the unity of our people and the strength of our history.

Our schools should play a leading role in fostering this unity and pride. A daily raising of the flag and singing of the national anthem would go a long way in instilling a shared identity in our younger generations. Our kids should grow up with a strong sense of pride in being Australian, understanding our values, and learning to cherish our heritage.

While recognizing different cultures and histories is valuable, our primary focus should be on unifying elements rather than what separates us. Traditions like “Welcome to Country” are meaningful, but they should not replace our national expressions of unity. We need to remember that we are one nation, and that unity is reflected in our symbols, our flag, and our shared identity.

Australia’s strength lies in our diversity, but we should strive to bring that diversity under one flag and one set of values. When we put being Australian first, we foster a country where everyone, regardless of background, feels connected and proud. To truly be “dinky-di” Aussies, we need to renew our focus on what unites us, instilling pride in our national identity and embracing our heritage with open arms.

Let’s make Australia truly Aussie again by celebrating and passing down our unique character and pride in being Australian.

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The Post – Walt Pittman

Reports indicate that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has directed the country’s military forces to prepare for a retaliatory strike against Israel. This move comes in response to a recent Israeli airstrike that reportedly inflicted significant damage, despite Iran’s initial attempts to downplay its impact.

Khamenei has reportedly instructed the Supreme National Security Council to draft plans targeting key Israeli military sites, marking a shift in Iran’s official stance on the airstrikes. This decision, sources say, followed a comprehensive briefing where Khamenei was informed of both the scope of destruction and the casualties among Iranian personnel.

Key Points:

• Preparation for Retaliation: Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has been tasked with identifying strategic Israeli targets.
• Casualties and Damage: The briefing reportedly included details on the loss of Iranian personnel, prompting Khamenei to consider a measured response.
• Change in Narrative: Although initial Iranian statements dismissed the airstrike’s significance, the recent shift indicates a more serious impact than originally acknowledged.

Interestingly, pro-Iranian social media channels initially mocked the Israeli attack, claiming that Iran’s air defences effectively neutralized the threat. However, Khamenei’s response suggests that the strike was far more consequential than those accounts implied. This change has fuelled speculation about the true extent of the damage and the broader implications for the region’s stability.

The Australian Army’s new Black Hawk helicopters made their debut at Holsworthy Army Barracks in a counter-terrorism drill simulating an embassy rescue. With 1,400 flight hours logged, these helicopters will replace the troubled Taipan fleet and will soon conduct training exercises over Sydney, including night-time operations throughout November.

What happens when you mix the US Marine Corps with Australia’s unique military landscape? Could 16,000 Marines really become a permanent fixture in Darwin, Australia? In this video, I look into the latest proposal from the Australian Institute of Public Affairs and explain how this move could deter China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. From the AUKUS alliance to military drills like Exercise Pitch Black, I explore what’s driving the deepening military ties between Australia and the US. With China’s rapid military buildup and increasing geopolitical pressure on Taiwan, this expanded Marine presence might be the answer Australia is looking for.

Northern Arizona University

Luke Auld-Thomas, a PhD candidate at Northern Arizona University, made a remarkable discovery that has taken the archaeology world by storm. While analysing publicly available lidar data, he uncovered a sprawling, long-lost Mayan city hidden beneath dense vegetation in the Mexican forest. The site, now named “Valeriana,” revealed a hidden world containing nearly 6,700 undiscovered Mayan structures. These included everything from majestic pyramids to family homes, forming a complex network of infrastructure that flourished between 250 and 900 AD, known as the Classic Period of Mayan civilization.

This ancient city had been shrouded in obscurity for centuries, with no previous awareness of its existence within either the government or the scientific community. Valeriana’s location and scale hint at the city’s historical significance and underscore the vast, yet still hidden, secrets of Mesoamerican history.

The breakthrough wouldn’t have been possible without the transformative power of lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) technology. Over the past decade, lidar has become an invaluable tool in archaeological research, especially for exploring dense tropical regions where thick vegetation obscures ancient ruins. Traditional survey techniques allowed archaeologists to examine only a tiny portion of the expansive forested area, leaving vast swathes unexplored. In contrast, lidar scans can survey large tracts of land from an aerial perspective, sending laser pulses that penetrate the forest canopy and reveal hidden structures below.

This technology has revolutionized our understanding of Mayan civilization and has led to a surge of discoveries across the Yucatan peninsula. Researchers now realize that many more ancient Mayan cities might be lying hidden, awaiting rediscovery. The lidar data allowed Auld-Thomas to identify irregularities in the landscape, which ultimately led to the revelation of Valeriana, adding yet another chapter to the story of one of the most complex pre-Columbian civilizations in the Americas.

Studying the newly discovered city of Valeriana offers more than a glimpse into the past; it provides modern urban developers with a wealth of knowledge about ancient urban planning. Mayan cities were well-organized and designed to support growing populations, often with sprawling agricultural patchworks surrounding hyperdense urban cores.

Researchers have pointed out that Mayan urban planning was complex and sophisticated, involving extensive infrastructure to support both agriculture and daily life within dense communities. These ancient layouts could offer solutions to today’s challenges, such as rapid population growth, food security, and sustainable city planning. The discovery of Valeriana has already prompted archaeologists to reconsider previous assumptions about Mayan cities and their layouts, expanding our understanding of how ancient civilizations adapted to and thrived within their environments.

The accidental discovery of Valeriana emphasizes the incredible potential that technology holds for unveiling humanity’s hidden past. For centuries, the dense jungles of Central America have concealed countless treasures of Mayan civilization. With tools like lidar, researchers are now closer than ever to reconstructing the complex tapestry of ancient Mesoamerica and shedding light on the resilience and ingenuity of the Mayan people.

Luke Auld-Thomas’s discovery reminds us that history is often hiding in plain sight, waiting for the right technology — and a little serendipity — to bring it into view.