2-12-02
Colonel Votel, LTC Banach, distinguished guests and Rangers:
President John Kennedy said “a nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors and the men it remembers.” Today, those of us here, are doing just that, honoring and remembering two Rangers who gave the ultimate, their lives, to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.
Kris Stonesifer, my son, and Jonn Edmunds, Kris’s brother in arms, probably had no notion of what would befall them on landing in Dalbandin, Pakistan. They were briefed on what to expect, but were not prepared for what happened.
It is my hope that such an incident will never again occur, but hope cannot ensure certainty. Nothing can ensure certainty, especially in aviation. Whenever you are transported via aircraft, you put your trust in the pilots and crew. You have almost no influence on the conduct of the flight and, literally, are along for the ride. However, there are some things you can do to help yourself and your brother Rangers to influence the eventual outcome of the flight. You all know what happened the night of 19 October 2001. Five Rangers were thrown out of the Black Hawk when the aircraft impacted the ground in a right hand drift causing the aircraft to roll on top of and kill two Rangers. Had standard procedures been followed in the cockpit, the accident probably would have been avoided. Had standard procedures in the back been followed, the accident probably would have had different consequences. Had the Rangers in the Black Hawk known a little more about aviation, the consequences of such a landing as the one of Chalk Three on the night of 19 October 2001, would have been different. Let me be specific: under the circumstances of that night, that is, no one was certain whether the Rangers would be met by hostile fire when landing in Dalbandin; therefore, the Rangers had to be prepared for the eventuality of combat despite the briefing that the airfield was in the hands of Pakistani troops. Knowing this, the Rangers were keyed up and anxious to deplane and carry out their first mission. The uncertainty of what lay ahead contributed to their need to move fast. Some Rangers apparently unstrapped before the aircraft landed --- a violation of standard operating procedures, but perhaps not an unheard of occurrence, then. But now, when you are all aware of the consequences of such an action, unstrapping early, except for Fast Roping for example, can have grave results.
You should be aware of one more thing --- general knowledge of aviation that I alluded to earlier. As a passenger in the back of a helicopter, you can look out a window or door and see pretty much what the pilots see, although from a different perspective. The point is if you cannot see anything outside, as when in a brownout or whiteout, it’s likely the pilots can’t see either. Generally, there is no cause for alarm because there are instruments in the cockpit that allow the pilots to monitor the behavior of the aircraft and thus, compensate for the lack of a visual horizon. But if the instruments fail or the pilots fail to use those instruments, who knows what will happen? You as a passenger after seeing with the Mark One eyeball or with the aid of Night Vision Goggles that the horizon is obscured, must do what you can to minimize the consequences of the next few seconds. Don’t loosen or unhitch your safety strap; don’t even position your hand on the hook to save a half second unstrapping. Wait until the aircraft is firmly on the ground or you are ordered out of the hovering helo once the pilot in command has given the word.
I’m not advocating disregarding orders or ignoring standard procedures or overlooking doctrine. I’m imploring you to be situationally aware; that means knowing what is going on around you --- using all your senses; trusting your commonsense, your intuition and your gut feelings when things don’t appear to be as they should, such as the situation where a helicopter lands and creates a brownout.
Ideally, your training will cover all situations, so all you need to do is react. But sometimes, due to the fluid nature of life, situations change and don’t fit the standard mold. Don’t disregard your own ability to evaluate the situation and, perhaps, respond differently.
Situational awareness will keep you alive.
You are or are becoming the best soldiers in this Army. Don’t doubt your abilities. Trust in yourselves! Keep your name off this memorial!
Recognize that you volunteered Acknowledge that you are a more elite soldier Never fail your comrades Gallantly show the world how good a soldier you are Energetically meet our enemies Readily display the guts required to fight on.
If you move on to other endeavors within the Army, never forget your roots as a Ranger and what that means.
Thank you all for honoring Kris and Jonn with your presence here today.
Rangers lead the way!