Medical aircrew train to bring America's heroes home

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Peter Dean
  • 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  Today, injured Soldiers, Seamen, Airmen, and Marines have a 98 percent survival rate once they make it into the skilled hands of an aeromedical evacuation technician stated Col. Kathleen Flarity, 34th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Commander.
 
"It's team work, starting with the combat medic," said Tech. Sgt. Joshua Lowe, Aeromedical Evacuation Technician with the 34th AES. "We have a 36 to 48-hour window to get a blast victim out of the theater but it's not just about speed, it's got to be done right," he added. The sergeant was one of the Medical Clinical Coordinators, similar to an Exercise Evaluation Team member, on an Oct. 3 aeromedical readiness training mission at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., a mission similar to those that the Air Force Reserve Command's 34th AES routinely conducts.

The aeromedical evacuation crew, comprised of two flight nurses, three technicians and for the first time, two critical care air transportation team members from the 302nd's Aeromedical Staging Squadron, boarded a 302nd Airlift Wing C-130 that resembled a flying hospital for a training mission that would not only put their medical skills to the test but also test their nerves. During this training mission the C-130, flown by an aircrew from the Air Force Reserve 731st Airlift Squadron, will experience multiple simulated in-flight emergencies that the medical crew are expected to respond to appropriately.

"Our goal is to ensure that they can be effective and efficient when they go into a real-world situation. We want to make this as realistic as possible," said Tech. Sgt. Angela Yahne, a flight instructor with the 34th AES. "They know they'll be hit with both medical and in-flight emergencies, but they won't know what or when," she added.

While preparing for the arrival of their simulated patients, the medical crew go over their patients' manifest, their medical conditions and plan for any equipment and medications they may need on the flight. Accordingly, all needs will be checked and checked again before the mission.

"We must have what we need before we take-off," said Flarity. "We check that we have the supplies and equipment to ensure the safe transport of the patients," she added.
 
Once onboard care begins, immediately, the medical crew ensured the litters were secure and patients were as comfortable as possible for the flight ahead. Shortly after take-off the medical crew was hit with their first test; a medical emergency, simulated by a mannequin patient named "Paul Goodson" who was transported onto the aircraft suffering from a tibial stress fracture. During the flight he experienced a medical emergency requiring the AES team to administer CPR.

Although the medical crew each wore headsets allowing communication between one another, there was little talk as each of the simulated medical emergencies were thrown at them. The medical crew responded to those emergencies both individually and as a team, each already knowing how the other will respond, resembling a well-oiled machine. Within minutes after the medical emergency, the C-130 plunged into a planned rapid decent, providing the medical crew with a realistic training event, testing their ability to quickly don their oxygen masks and safely secure themselves in a seat.

"Training such as this allows us to be very well prepared down range," said Maj. Carrie Willimson, 34th AES flight nurse.

"You learn something every time," said Senior Airman Chris Basham, an AES technician. "I'm very excited about my job, but unfortunately when I'm called upon, a Solider has been injured, but I'm proud to do my part in bringing a wounded warrior home," he added.

According to Flarity, the Air Force Reserve along with the Air National Guard makes up 88 percent of the fixed wing aeromedical evacuation teams in theater, with the majority of the members being part-time, holding civilian jobs in addition to their Reserve duties. The high combat survival rate can be attributed in part to the vast variety of skill sets that today's aeromedical professionals bring to the Reserve and Guard. In their civilian capacity, many Air Evac crewmembers are employed as nurses, emergency medical technicians, doctors and even surgeons.

"It's a very challenging, very humbling caring for our nations heroes," said Flarity.


Editor's note: Members of 34 AES logged 4,500 flying hours from Jan.-Sep. 2011 during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn deployments.