Dustoff 7-3

By: Erik Sabiston

Narrated by: Al Peterson

This book is for heroes.

Dustoff 7-3 tells the true story of four unlikely heroes in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan, where medics are forced to descend on wires to reach the wounded and helicopter pilots must fight wind, weather, and enemy fire to pluck casualties from some of the world's most difficult combat arenas. Complete opposites thrown together, cut off, and outnumbered, Chief Warrant Officer Erik Sabiston and his flight crew answered the call in a race against time, not to take lives - but to save them.

The concept of evacuating wounded soldiers by helicopter developed in the Korean War and became a staple during the war in Vietnam, where heroic, unarmed chopper crews flew vital missions known to the grateful grunts on the ground as dustoffs.

The crew of Dustoff 7-3 carried on that heroic tradition, flying over a region that had seen scores of American casualties, known among veterans as the Valley of Death. At the end of Operation Hammer Down, they had rescued 14 soldiers, made three critical supply runs, recovered two soldiers killed in action, and nearly died. It took all of three days.

©2015 Erik Sabiston (P)2015 Warriors Publishing Group

Gripping, action packed storytelling

I've always been impressed by the sacrifices and humility of most service men and women I've met. I work with Army rotor pilots on the backend of their service careers. Most are extremely professional and capable yet remarkably humble. I met the author before reading this book, it is true of him. It's so hard to imagine the pressure, challenges and sacrifices that our service folks face on repeated deployments throughout their careers. This book is a gripping and eye opening snapshot. It is full of action packed accounts of combat situations and daring rescues but it's the accounts of humanity and loving kindness that stands out to me. The author even sprinkles two tastefully told love stories in to the pages. Erik is a great story teller and a remarkable person. This book is a great read.

Honor

I am proud to know you E. Your dedication is a reminder why we serve. Chief 60 Retired

Captivating

I completely enjoyed this book. It is a wonderfully told story of Dustoff Flight Crews doing what they do best in the worst environmental conditions, on the limit of performance of his aircraft and physiological limit of his crew. The characters are wildly relatable, true heroes who deserved to have their story told.

Lip smacking

Good story. Just can’t stand the sound of the narrators lips and the start of sentences. Wish the production company would have dealt with this issue. It takes away from the story

story was great.

The author did wonderful but the narrator wasn't my favorite. would like more stories like this.