From Stuff
New Zealand soldiers in Afghanistan have been praised for their quick thinking and ingenuity after towing a disabled US helicopter to safety with a light armoured vehicle.
The US army Apache helicopter had to land in an exposed position in Bamyan last month after its engines were damaged by debris.
The NZ Provincial Reconstruction Team manufactured a tow bar and towed the helicopter into the safety of the Kiwi base.
US maintenance crew chief sergeant Judy Beltowski, from the army’s 10th Mountain Division, praised the Kiwis’ efforts, saying she had never seen that level of craftsmanship from a maintenance team before.
“Whatever we needed the NZPRT provided, and if they didn’t have it, they made it,” she said.
Sergeant George Alexander from the NZPRT guided the vehicle as it slowly pulled the eight tonne helicopter around a corner, across the ditch and up the hill into the New Zealand base.
The New Zealand crew led a team comprising of US Army air and maintenance crews, NZPRT and US personnel.
It took two days to fully repair the helicopter before it could return to its home base.
That’s Kiwis for you. Always doing more with less!
Kiwis are the most resourceful people on the planet. On a business trip to Auckland, I was invited to a Saturday family outing to a glow worm cave by my customer, an RNZN officer. When we arrived at the cave, on the back of an old farm, we discovered that our only flashlight was dead due to a broken bulb. My friend, the Commander, didn’t seem to hesitate in the least at the inconvenience. He opened the trunk of his old LPG powered Holden, disassembled the taillight, and fabricated a new “torch” on the spot. We had a great time touring the cave (except for the walking in ice water part) and the taillight was reassembled for a safe ride home. Love the country, LOVE the people.
Thanks people. We are all in this fight together.
Please help tell your military “Thank You” for helping out our service members!
Their on-the-spot solutions remind me of that great movie “Fastest Indian..”
🙂
NZ Kiwi Patriots, thank you for coming to the aid of our guys and the helo when the need was there; the administration here may be turning on all America stands for but our people have not…thanks again.
Kiwis not only taste good, they think fast! Thank you NZ Patriots, you guys are the best.
Kiwis are amazing people!