Afghan National Army Air Corps Flight Medic Academy celebrates first graduate Published May 31, 2010 By Capt. Robert Leese 438th Air Expeditionary Wing KABUL -- Afghan National Army Air Corps Flight Medic Academy recognized its recent graduates, Master Sgt. Mohammad Rahim Bakhtiary and Sgt. Abdul Malik Nasiri Nezhad in front of their ANAAC leadership and peers at the ANAAC base in Kabul, Afghanistan on May 22nd, 2010. During the six weeks of training in Bagram Air Base, the flight medic students reviewed medical fundamentals, practiced crewmember skills, and learned advanced treatment techniques. Flight medics from Task Force Knighthawk, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Falcon, instructed the class, which includes both in-class instruction and flying. Topics studied included the history and role of MEDEVAC, patient assessments, basic airway and vital signs, fluid resuscitation and using both the Zoll and EKG monitors. The medicals also conducted hoist familiarization training, riding a thin cable from a hovering aircraft to the ground 50 feet below, and then sending the patient up to the aircraft utilizing a SKED strecher. The hoist training was key to increasing confidence in their ability to respond to patients isolated in areas aircraft cannot land. In-flight care was also rehearsed during two separate mock missions where the medics received a mission request, launched to a pickup site, assessed and loaded a casualty, and provided treatment. They also spent time at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital honing their skills and they conducted Combined Action MEDEVAC missions during which the Afghan Flight Medics treated real-world Afghan patient's onboard Marne DUSTOFF aircraft, a unit organic to Combined Joint Task Force 82. The Flight Medic Academy is designed to train and equip Afghan forces with the end goal of turning over increasing responsibility to the Afghan forces.