571st Medical Detachment Dustoff Patch
U.S. Army 571st Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance)
The 571st Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) served as one of the U.S. Army's dedicated aeromedical evacuation "Dustoff" units, carrying forward the legendary tradition of helicopter ambulance crews who risked their lives to evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield. The "Dustoff" callsign, originally adopted by the 57th Medical Detachment in 1963 during the Vietnam War, became universally associated with all U.S. Army aeromedical evacuation units and represents one of the most honored traditions in military medicine.
The 571st Medical Detachment served in the Republic of Vietnam as part of the 67th Medical Group's aeromedical evacuation network. In early 1968, the 571st was relocated from Nha Trang to Phu Bai to provide expanded Dustoff coverage in I Corps Tactical Zone during the Tet Offensive and its aftermath. The detachment's crews participated in Operation Pegasus in early April 1968, the joint allied operation to relieve the besieged Khe Sanh combat base, flying into some of the most intense combat conditions of the war. During Operation Lam Son 719 in 1971, the 571st was directly involved in the dangerous Laotian incursion, with its commander or operations officer required to be physically present at the Khe Sanh operations bunker to help coordinate both the 571st and 237th detachments.
Following Vietnam, the 571st was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, where it continued its aeromedical evacuation mission and participated in the Military Assistance to Safety and Traffic (MAST) program, providing civilian emergency medical helicopter services to the surrounding communities. Operating the UH-1 Huey—the iconic helicopter that became synonymous with the Dustoff mission—the 571st's crews maintained the same tradition of courage and dedication to the wounded that defined the original Dustoff crews in Vietnam, where Dustoff pilots had a 33 percent chance of being killed or wounded in action.
Perfect For: 571st Medical Detachment veterans, Army Dustoff community members, Vietnam War aeromedical evacuation veterans, UH-1 Huey crews, Fort Carson soldiers, and supporters of Army aviation medicine.
When I have your wounded—honoring the Dustoff crews of the 571st who flew into danger so that others might live, from the jungles of Vietnam to the mountains of Colorado.
