Good Night Trooper 2

On this day three (3) years ago, a Maryland State Medivac Helicopter carrying, among others, two critical care patients, crashed on approach to, and a few miles short of, Andrews Air Force Base.  All on board perished, save for one of those patients,  Ms. Jordon Wells.   Her injuries were grievous.   She still suffers from those injuries and will likely do so the rest of her life.  She was 19 at the time of the accident.

 
I would hazard to say that most of us take for granted - and that is a symptom of the successes, efficiency and professionalism of our medivac system - that when we must get to a trauma unit within the "golden hour," odds are, we will get there.  We will get there because the crew of one of our State Police Helicopters will come get us.  No questions asked.  They will come day or night, rain or snow, good weather or bad.  

Make no mistake about it, the work is dangerous, well managed, but fraught with risk. The crews know it; most of us don't.    These unique people are hardwired to put themselves in peril so that we may live.  Selfless does not begin to describe what they do.

On the evening of September 28, 2008, the fine crew of Maryland State Police Helicopter "Trooper 2" took off for the last time near Waldorf, Maryland and flew into eternity.  On that evening, its fine crew  gave the citizens of this State their lives.     They were:  Pilot Steven Bunker; Trooper First Class and Flight Paramedic Micky Lippy;  and Flight Nurse Tanya Mallard (a volunteer, by the way).  Ms. Ashley Younger, the other critical care patient on board, too perished.

Please take a moment out of your busy day to remember these good folks and the families that they left behind.

And give thanks that there are those who have stepped in to pick up where they left off.


Thank you.