KAW graduates basic flight medics

Published Sept. 17, 2011
By Capt. Jamie Humphries
438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Boosting Afghan medical response capability, Kandahar Air Wing recently graduated four medics from its first Afghan air force Basic Flight Medic course.

According to medical professionals, the goal of the 40-hour course was to combine ground and flight medical training to produce a better-rounded medical professional.

"The course was meant to be only half emergency patient care, point of injury care and the rest included an introduction to flying in aircraft such as the Mi-17 and C-27," said Tech. Sgt. Steve Guillen, a medical adviser with the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron. "The course is still in its infancy and, just like all courses, is developed for technical training. It will need to evolve and develop as the AAF does."

Throughout the course, AAF medics practiced basic emergency patient management, point of injury care procedures, aircraft and flight line safety, aircraft evacuation and emergency procedures and pre-flight patient assessment techniques.

The course was essential for AAF medics to learn the necessary skills to become flight medics and will help bridge the gap between the ground medic skills they've already learned and flying medical evacuation missions explained Guillen.

Another goal of the course was to provide KAW four certified flight medics capable of flying missions without adviser oversight. Medical advisers were happy with the results as they feel confident the course accomplished its goal with the students now being prepared to accept patients arriving from Helmand province and ensuring those patients are ready for transport.

Officials that taught the course explained although the class was a success, it will now be taught exclusively by instructors at Pohantoon-e-Hawayee, the AAF's "Big Air School," in Kabul with lesson plans being finalized now.

"I was thrilled to help the AAF by completing the course," said Guillen. This opportunity gives me the chance to not only help train the AAF hands on but help develop this course and tailor it to the AAF's needs. Not many U.S. Air Force medics can say they developed an entire tech school course for a country."

The new graduates also shared thoughts on the training.

"We are very happy to receive the certificate for training so we can officially be flight medics and help our country when they need us," said AAF medic Master Sgt. Soor Gulap.