Perspective: Army's storied air ambulance unit disbands

FORT BRAGG, North Carolina: The Army's 57th Medical Company, which helped save hundreds of thousands of lives in wars and hurricanes, is being disbanded and spread among other units as part of the Pentagon's military reorganization plan.

The company's Huey helicopters evacuated more than 100,000 casualties in Vietnam alone. In Iraq, the 57th evacuated more than 4,500 troops, Iraqi civilians and U.S. contractors. The unit also played a major role after devastating hurricanes Fran, Floyd and Katrina.

A disbanding ceremony held Friday was bittersweet for company veterans, as Vietnam vets mixed with Grenada and Desert Storm vets and men and women of the unit who are just back from their second tour of duty in Iraq.

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