1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,830 uh , we deployed from Clearwater to the 2 00:00:02,830 --> 00:00:06,460 Bahamas in support of the effort , 3 00:00:06,940 --> 00:00:09,420 drug and addiction . One night we get a 4 00:00:09,420 --> 00:00:12,420 word via the radio that there's there's 5 00:00:12,420 --> 00:00:14,650 a fast boat approaching , 6 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,600 uh , person in the Bahamas . Well , we 7 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,530 launched . We discover the fast boat 8 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,170 that carries about at least a ton of 9 00:00:25,170 --> 00:00:27,960 cocaine , and they can do about , uh , 10 00:00:27,970 --> 00:00:30,950 45 dots . For the most part , they out 11 00:00:30,950 --> 00:00:34,620 ran every surface asset we have and 12 00:00:34,630 --> 00:00:37,870 helicopters find them . But there 13 00:00:37,870 --> 00:00:40,080 wasn't much we could do about it . And 14 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,247 we weren't about the fire . We weren't 15 00:00:42,247 --> 00:00:44,191 allowed to . And by the way , they 16 00:00:44,191 --> 00:00:46,191 didn't show any weapons . They knew 17 00:00:46,191 --> 00:00:49,610 they could go . So that incident shape 18 00:00:49,610 --> 00:00:52,770 me . We had to do something other than 19 00:00:52,770 --> 00:00:55,610 what we were doing . Our surface assets 20 00:00:55,610 --> 00:00:57,840 were too slow . Our helicopters are not 21 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,560 armed , and as a result , we are 22 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,590 getting kicked in the drug interdiction 23 00:01:04,590 --> 00:01:08,320 award , we have the estimated over 400 24 00:01:08,320 --> 00:01:12,160 events , 400 events of go fast 25 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,940 vessels in the Caribbean . We 26 00:01:16,290 --> 00:01:19,140 stopped the unlucky ones , the ones 27 00:01:19,140 --> 00:01:21,610 that broke down . We had to improve our 28 00:01:21,620 --> 00:01:24,860 surface fleet , improve our our 29 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,870 aviation flew and make it into a force 30 00:01:28,870 --> 00:01:31,950 package . How can we do ? This doesn't 31 00:01:31,950 --> 00:01:35,260 make sense . Are we safe ? It all comes 32 00:01:35,260 --> 00:01:37,820 down to a little boy . It's You need 33 00:01:37,830 --> 00:01:40,800 positive leadership , willing to make 34 00:01:40,810 --> 00:01:43,490 hard decisions and change . And Admiral 35 00:01:43,490 --> 00:01:46,380 Loy was right on top of we're going to 36 00:01:46,380 --> 00:01:49,060 arm our helicopters . We're going to do 37 00:01:49,060 --> 00:01:51,360 this and we're gonna do it safely . And 38 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,360 our mission has changed . We're not 39 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,471 going to become a force package along 40 00:01:55,471 --> 00:01:57,750 with our our culture means and their 41 00:01:57,820 --> 00:02:00,280 sailors . And we're now going to make a 42 00:02:00,290 --> 00:02:03,860 difference in this war on drugs . Well , 43 00:02:03,860 --> 00:02:07,160 what you need are additional flavor . 44 00:02:08,140 --> 00:02:10,196 And that was one of the obstacles we 45 00:02:10,196 --> 00:02:13,560 first faced . We selected the MD 900 46 00:02:14,140 --> 00:02:18,050 brought him to ATC Mobile and our six 47 00:02:18,050 --> 00:02:21,840 pilots coming from age 65 8 60 48 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,980 community . We bring them into mobile 49 00:02:24,990 --> 00:02:28,590 and we let them fly . They had to learn 50 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,920 the helicopter . It was three phases . 51 00:02:30,930 --> 00:02:33,480 Three phases of Operation One is the 52 00:02:33,490 --> 00:02:36,750 day phase where we train our helicopter 53 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,450 pilots and gunners . They practice 54 00:02:40,450 --> 00:02:43,490 their trade . We had in 2 40 machine . 55 00:02:43,500 --> 00:02:46,760 We had 50 caliber targeting rifle 56 00:02:47,340 --> 00:02:49,451 were there to target . We're going to 57 00:02:49,451 --> 00:02:52,180 target the motors , and we're going to 58 00:02:52,180 --> 00:02:55,160 be very very good at it . Phase two , 59 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,860 nighttime operations . Phase three is 60 00:02:59,340 --> 00:03:01,860 now . We're going IOC . We named the 61 00:03:01,860 --> 00:03:05,770 IOC Operation New Frontier because 62 00:03:05,770 --> 00:03:07,992 we are changing . It's a new frontier . 63 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:10,440 You know , these folks come in with 64 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,870 £2000 of cocaine . We're not talking 65 00:03:12,870 --> 00:03:16,420 grants . We're talking cool . We're 66 00:03:16,420 --> 00:03:20,380 taking dangerous drugs off the 67 00:03:20,380 --> 00:03:23,240 icy before they get to our United 68 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,790 States . I truly believe we're 69 00:03:25,790 --> 00:03:27,512 protecting the American public 70 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:29,690 helicopter introduction Tactical 71 00:03:29,690 --> 00:03:33,380 Squadron and 10 or 10 . That was a 72 00:03:33,390 --> 00:03:36,950 core group . Six pilots , four crew and 73 00:03:36,950 --> 00:03:39,006 then expanded to where it is today . 74 00:03:39,940 --> 00:03:43,060 Hit Ron . Change our service . 75 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:46,850 Mhm .