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Aeromedical evac team aids freed hostages

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Michael Charles
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  For Staff Sgt. Donald Ennis, a 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron medical technician, the day started routinely enough. He walked outside his room to video chat with his wife and two daughters on his computer. During the conversation he glanced up from the screen and noticed his evacuation team leader, Maj. Debra Sims, a 379th EAES flight nurse, walking toward him urgently.

"We've got a priority mission," said Sims.

Ennis quickly ended the video chat and ran to his room in order to prepare. As an air evacuation medical technician, Ennis had become accustomed to these alert calls; however, this alert was different. This time, Ennis would be participating in a secret mission calling for the medical evacuation of two hostages who had been rescued hours earlier from pirates in Somalia.

The 379th EAES transports an average of 120 wounded and injured service members each month from several locations throughout the Middle East. In addition to routine missions, they are also on standby to transport and provide medical attention to anyone in theater at a moment's notice.

"Every second we waste is time a patient need(s) for treatment and evacuation from a bad situation," said Ennis. "As a medical technician, I am trained to get an alert and be ready to go as soon as possible."

"Our job is to go in and get them the medical treatment they need as they are being evacuated from a hostile area," said Staff Sgt. Richard Brampton, 379th EAES medical technician and final member of the medical team who participated in the mission. "It's an honor to be able to contribute to bringing home a wingman, husband, wife, or a daughter to their families safely.

For this particular evacuation, details were scant due to the sensitivity of the mission. 

"Sometimes we don't get all the details right away," said Sims. "Situations change all of the time. A good team of medical technicians can adapt to those changes and provide the best care to patients in any possible situation."

There was one more obstacle in accomplishing the mission: manning. Due to the high volume of missions by the squadron, the medical team, which would normally consist of five members, was cut down to three.

"Our job is to be prepared to give the best care to patients in any situation; so we did just that," said Sims.

The key to overcoming obstacles is simple-training, said Sims.

"We train for situations like this constantly," said Sims. "There is nothing more important than getting the individuals who have sustained injuries out of harm's way. I'm fortunate enough to work with a great group of people who are hard workers and dedicated to providing the best care to patients that we possibly can."

Ennis added that another important component is teamwork.

"From the moment we receive a mission there is only one thing on the mind of all the members of the squadron; and that's the patient," said Ennis. "There are such professionals here that working together is like second nature."

Following the evacuation, Ennis was able to get back on his computer to video chat with his wife and daughters. They were excited to ask him if he had heard about the group of hostages that had been rescued from pirates and evacuated out of harm's way.

"Oh really?" he said, fighting back a smile. "I must have missed that."