All hands on litter

Published July 10, 2012
By Staff Sgt. Alexandra M. Boutte
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The 386th Expeditionary Medical Support and 1-126th Aviation Unit General Support Aviation Battalion conducted a joint medical evacuation exercise here July 2.
United States Army HH-60 Blackhawks landed here with a "casualty" on board to train in the event of a real world medical evacuation.

"For us to be cohesive when we operate, it is imperative so we do not have hiccups or delays," said Master Sgt. Christopher Breed, 386th EMEDS flight chief. "We need to exercise this like it is real world, so it is smooth as possible to get the patient the care he or she needs as fast as possible."

Air Force medics trained on proper loading and unloading procedures and approach alignment during an evacuation.

The 386th EMEDS train on Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility procedures supporting aeromedical evacuation, mass casualty response, in-flight emergency, aircraft mishaps, clinical procedures, and joint service MEDEVAC and GROUNDEVAC (ground evacuation).

"I personally have had MEDEVAC training many times," Breed said. "However, we have members of the team who are on their first deployment. It would be foolish to think we are 100 percent ready by reading PowerPoint Presentations. We must run the drill, get your hands on the litter and perform the task."

Senior Airman Emilee Germanson, 386th EMEDS, is currently on her first deployment and has been working in the medical career field for three years.

"I have had this training before with local nationals," Germanson said. "This time was different. The helicopter had a carousel, which is where patients can be stacked on litters in the middle of the helicopter and can be rotated to easily load and unload the patients. I have never seen it before."

The training was more informative, Germanson added.

"I got to see exactly what it looks like in the helicopter and how it feels when the helicopter lands," Germanson said. "Training with everything running really helps me get the feel of things."

It is unfortunate that opportunities to work hand-in-hand with the army and their helicopters are absent at home station, Breed said.

"Many of us will never receive this type of training back home," he explained. "We try and look at every chance to practice the mission as an opportunity. Practice makes perfect and that is what we strive for while taking care of our brothers and sisters in arms."