Coast Guard helo takes fire (Gulf of Mx, 9/18/22)

One of my worries doing drug interdiction in the wild days of the late 80's and early 90's in the Bahamas and other places.
 
I used to fly fire patrol over the trees in West Virginia.

I learned that light colored pencil thin columns of smoke coming up through the trees was not worth investigating.

Truthfully, in that area those cooking could not hit the side of a barn if shooting from the inside, so I was not worried.
 
to summarize, a sailboat issued a distress call and when the guard's helo responded he....shot it? fascinating
 
Happens far more often than you'd think. I did a 3 year tour with the NAS Lemoore Helicopter Search & Rescue team. Got shot at flying over Sequoia-Kings Canyon wilderness area several times. One time, they holed our aft avionics bay with a high-power rifle and destroyed an inverter. Inverters smell like cheap bourbon when they burn.
 
Zeldman said:
I used to fly fire patrol over the trees in West Virginia.

I learned that light colored pencil thin columns of smoke coming up through the trees was not worth investigating.

Truthfully, in that area those cooking could not hit the side of a barn if shooting from the inside, so I was not worried.
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Because those mountain people didn't hang out with these mountain people:

https://www.theintelligencer.net/old-sections/wvu-150th/2017/09/mountaineer-rifle-team-on-the-mark/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_Mountaineers_rifle
Short version, it's the best college rifle team in the country.

But agree, moonshine folks are pretty much idiots.
 
Are CG helicopters armed? If so, what are the rules of engagement?
 
asicer said:
Are CG helicopters armed? If so, what are the rules of engagement?
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Not sure about lately, but the HITRONS had a sniper rile and an M4 for interdiction efforts; disabling the engines. SAR birds do not carry that I know of.

We carried 4 M870's with buckshot in the 80's and 90's for self defense (hit the deck, discharge DEA and defense forces) while I protected the helo in case things went sideways.

ROE's varied constantly and situation.
 
Could be it was a setup to get one particular member of the crew.
 
Wow! I’m sure a lot of criminals have been po’ed at me, but I’ve never been shot at. That I know of…
 
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