Painted Rocks

Gallant Eagle 1982

Rod - Jun 02, 2016 01:09 AM EDT
It took 3 days to set up out semi-mobile (MUST) hospital across from Painted Rock. I was coming off a night shift and had gotten word of a mass cal drill later on that day. At 0745 a call when out for a mass casualty situation, THIS WAS NOT A DRILL!!! I was the Triage NCO, so I hauled ass to the rfront of the EMT area. There I saw 3 DUSTOFF A/C unloading and many Crackerbox Ambulances and 2 1/2 ton trucks loaded with casualties. The first casualty was a Lt.(I think) who streamers in. That was the first Black tag(Expectant) I have ever issued, but not the last. I think there were 4 more. This is the bad part, I can't remember much after that. We worked all day into my normal night shift with no relief. One thing I do remember was we were running low on supplies early, and SFC Franklin our med supply NCO said he would go "find" us some supplies. I short time later he and a 2 1/2 ton truck showed up with more supplies than we used. THx SFC Franklin. Final total that I think I saw was 152 inj, 4 DOA. We had a great artist n the unit, and he spent over $100.00 Of his own money on paint to draw/paint a memorial to the guys that jumped. It's a large painting showing a eagle in full flight over 4 white crosses with maroon berets on each. Give a shout out if anyone has seen it.

Gallant Eagle "82

SP5 Murphy - Feb 19, 2015 12:43 PM EDT
I was with 864th Eng during Gallant Eagle 82, that could possibly be our unit crest (the castle) in the middle of your picture., too small for me to be sure. We were there for 4 months cutting pads for the mobil hospital, building berms for the fuel dumps and cutting tank traps etc... I had been on a dozer all night before the jump (we ran 24/7)and had just got back to what I thought would be some rest... Nope, everyone had to go back out in order to be inside the DZ before 0400. I'll never forget the carnage that day! I never knew about the painted rocks, I will have to visit and pay my respects to all that were lost that day and the many other days.

gallant eagle 82

sgt wood u.s.army retired - May 31, 2014 07:52 PM EDT
I would say 400 hundred injured, is extremely low, I was seriously injured on that jump, and was medic vac out of silver drop zone, the winds were so high that the pilot and co pilot were having problems with leaving the dz. I didn't thank we were even going to make over the mountains...

In Memoriam - First FTX

PFC Sam S. (Rank at the time - OR Specialist, OR/CMS Section, 93rd Evac Hospital) - Feb 27, 2014 06:22 PM EDT
Gallant Eagle '82 was my first FTX with the US Army. My unit was the 93rd Evac Hospital, a MUST unit of inflatables set up in the high desert for "patient play." Instead, we were flooded with actual casualties when the 82nd Airborne jumped in what were gale-force winds that fiercely whipped the drop zone that day, March 30, 1982. We expected troops with simulated wounds, and we got casualties which resembled injuries suffered on the battlefield. Our hospital was set up for maybe 100 assumed injured (honestly, this is my best guess - I have tried to find the stats on this but have been unable to) but we ended up receiving over 400 actual wounded, everything from broken bones to one paratrooper who had tried to cut his shroud lines and also sliced the femoral artery in his leg. He survived, amazingly so. We were inundated, working 'round the clock, all personnel on hand. At one point, I recall humping wounded on stretchers for hours - from a makeshift triage area to surgery, to radiology, to various wards. I'm proud to have served those men with steadfast dedication, as did my brothers and sisters in the 93rd. Proud, but forever left wondering why they jumped when reporters on the drop zone couldn't even stand up because the winds were so high that day. 82nd troops were dragged over the unforgiving terrain of the Mojave, and there were even a few streamers, troops dropping straight to their deaths. I understand that soldiers do die in peacetime exercises, but under conditions that would not even have been attempted during regular combat? When we of the 93rd received a unit citation from the 82nd Airborne Division in addition to our Army Achievement Medals for our service, I knew in my heart that we'd earned them, but somewhere in the back of my mind it smacked of appeasement. Anybody else on the ground back then?

Gallant Eagle 82

93rd EVAC Hosp - May 09, 2012 10:43 PM EDT
We were setup across from Painted Rock for Gallant Eagle 82. 82nd jumped in, bad jump, 152 injuried / 4 DOA. We painted a memorial on Painted Rock to those that were injuried and died.

bubbalinn - Aug 16, 2009 09:30 PM EDT
Hi Bmajkows, Thanks for dropping by.. I'm glad my photo brought back some memories, I hope they were good ones :) My service time was back in 1971..

bmajkows - Aug 15, 2009 09:49 PM EDT
Brings back memories for me. I did a rotation at the NTC in 1989 fighting the OPFOR with the 1/33 Armored Regiment from Ft. Lewis, Washington.

bubbalinn - Jul 24, 2009 10:22 AM EDT
LOL :) Good one Alex.. Thanks for checking out my pretty rock photos..

Pinetree3 - Jul 24, 2009 06:51 AM EDT
So that is what they mean by the painted desert.

bubbalinn - Jul 22, 2009 09:48 PM EDT
Hi Christina, I'm glad you liked my photo :) Thanks very much... I'm really surprised at how many people like these photos, the next time I'm down in Barstow I'm going to go back and take more shots.

OneWomanPaparazzi - Jul 22, 2009 03:51 PM EDT
This is just too cool!! I would love to see this and photograph it.

bubbalinn - Apr 06, 2009 12:31 PM EDT
Thanks Mystic.. I'm glad you liked my photo, the service men and women did all of the work :)

mystic - Apr 06, 2009 09:50 AM EDT
This is so cool !

bubbalinn - Mar 02, 2009 01:35 PM EDT
Hi Jas, Thanks very much :) It is a unusual site for being 30 some miles out in the middle of nowhere. You might even luck out and see some tanks out playing.

Jas - Feb 28, 2009 05:00 PM EDT
What a neat idea. Next time we're down that way I must remember to stop by and have a look. I like the angle you've taken your shot from; it makes a great composition against the bright, blue sky in the background. :)

bubbalinn - Feb 28, 2009 12:11 PM EDT
Hi Brian and Cindy, Thanks very much for your nice comments. This sure is something to see after miles and miles of nothing but desert. This is just one hill, there were around three hills with the big rocks all painted.

Cindy - Feb 28, 2009 04:27 AM EDT
Your description is great reading. Nice to view this image of all the logos :)

azkul - Feb 27, 2009 08:59 PM EDT
This is really cool. I'd love to travel to Barstow, California and see this.

Guest - Jan 07, 2008 03:12 PM EDT
Thanks for the info Alan - normally I'm heading south on 15 when I'm in that direction - I'll simply adjust your great directions. It's good to be back here for awhile! Vicki

Guest - Jan 07, 2008 12:24 PM EDT
Hi Vicki, Thanks very much! I'm glad you enjoyed my photo. Fort Irwin is around 30 North of Barstow. You can go to say Yahoo Maps and look from Barstow to Ft Irwin. This is what I got doing that. Distance: 29.83 miles Time: 44mins Starting in BARSTOW, CA on E MOUNTAIN VIEW AVE go toward BELINDA AVE - go 0.2 mi Turn Right on BARSTOW RD - go 0.6 mi Turn Right to take ramp onto I-15 N - go 6.0 mi Take exit #189/FT IRWIN ROAD - go 0.3 mi Turn Left on FORT IRWIN RD - go 22.9 mi Arrive at the center of FORT IRWIN, CA. If you know Barstow just go past the cemetery and keep going lol.. There are two roads out there now, the old one is still there and now there is the new highway. Hope this helps some. To see a map the Yahoo maps works pretty good.

TravlynWomyn - Jan 06, 2008 06:34 PM EDT
OK, Alan - where is this exactly? I know Barstow from my transporting days, but have no idea where Ft Irwin is. What highway is it near? This is a great image, from a well-thought-out perspective. It would be a fun place to visit. Vicki

Guest - Jan 06, 2008 08:39 AM EDT
Hi Ann, Thanks for commenting on my photo. I took this shot bending down just a little. The area around the little mountain of rocks was sloping up helping me with the low view.

Guest - Jan 05, 2008 10:53 AM EDT
What a unique concept. I liked the way you photographed the photo from ground level. Very interesting.