Medical Evacuation Exercise

Major Brian Oconnor gives airmen and soldier medics a pre-brief for the Medical Evcauation exercise that took place in an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia July 27. Major Oconnor is the Operations Flight commander with the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senoir Airman Katie Gieratz)

Medical Evacuation Exercise

Mr. Kelvin McIver gives a briefing to the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group medics on proper procedures for preparing patients to be off loaded from an ambulance in preparation for on-loading to a Life-Flight helicopter at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia July 28. Mr. McIver is the Lead Life Flight Paramedic. (U.S. Air Force phtoo/Senior Airman Katie Gieratz)

Medical Evacuation Exercise

Staff Sergeant Jason Stone and Technical Sergeant James Pounds load a patient onto an ambulance during training at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia July 28. Sergeant Stone and Sergeant Pounds are aerospace medical technicians with the 379th Expeditionary Medical Operations flight. Sergeant Stone is deployed from Lackland AFB, TX and Sergeant Pounds is deployed from Keesler AFB, Miss. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Katie Gieratz)

Medical Evacuation Exercise

Technical Sergeant James Pounds and Technical Sergeant Donald Barr stabilizes a trauma patient for training at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia July 28. Sergeant Barr and Sergeant Pounds are aerospace medical technicians with the 379th Expeditionary Medical Operations flight and are deployed from Keesler AFB, Miss. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Katie Gieratz)

Medical Evacuation Exercise

Technical Sergeant James Pounds radios patient information during training at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia July 28. Sergeant Pounds is an aerospace medical technician with the 379th Expeditionary Medical Operations flight and is deployed from Keesler AFB, Miss. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Katie Gieratz)

MEDEVAC exercise takes emergency training to new level

Published Oct. 3, 2010
By Staff Sgt. Nika Glover
379 AEW Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Medical technicians from the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group witnessed the landing of a Life Flight helicopter here Tuesday and Wednesday during an exercise intended to prepare and train them for a real-world emergency patient evacuation.

The exercise, the first of its kind here, was a collaborative effort between the host nation, 379th EMDG and the Hamad Medical Corporation's emergency response unit.

The exercise was designed to provide a higher level of care for patients in need of unmitigated medical attention. The scenario also allowed the Life Flight pilots and 379th EMDG members to survey the MEDEVAC landing sites to ensure they would be sufficient enough for a real-world emergency landing.

"This collaboration vastly expands our medical capabilities and response to care for our most precious asset, our warriors," said Col. Rachel Lefebvre 379th EMDG commander. "While the 379th EMDG is a small comprehensive, Level 2 community hospital, our partner, Hamad General Hospital, a 621-bed, Level 1 medical center, offers an array of 65 subspecialty care functions, a comprehensive accident and emergency trauma care, five intensive care units and eight operating room theaters.

"We are honored and truly value our enduring partnership with Hamad and the quality of medical care rendered to our warriors. Today's Life Flight landing and training is monumental and continues to build upon and strengthen our strong relationship," she added.

Brig. Gen. Randy Kee, commander of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, General Saleh Nasser of the host nation's air force, along with other members of the wing's leadership, looked on as the medics trained alongside the MEDEVAC crew.

J. Talbot, Life Flight crew member, showed the medics different aspects of the helicopter and explained their patient care capabilities. He told them they liked to pack light in case they had special circumstances where they needed the extra room.

Dick Hornsby, the helicopter emergency medical service pilot, said he's being flying since 1989. He described the evacuation procedures and time frame for getting patients to the hospital.

"Today it took us approximately 12 minutes to get here," he said. "An exact time depends on wind speed. So I'd say it could take between 10 to 15 minutes to reach the base. We have equipment available to provide advanced life support while in flight and we are capable of carrying two patients at a time."

Later in the exercise, the pilots and paramedics trained side-by-side with 379th EMDG medical technicians, showing them how to load and unload a patient, using a 150-pound medical manikin.

Airman 1st Class Samantha Orosco, 379th EMDG medic, said she had previously worked in the labor and delivery department at her home station, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. With this being her first deployment, she said it was her first time experiencing something like this.

"It's different, but it's a nice change," Airman Orosco said. "I like the idea of doing the exciting stuff. I think the exercise turned out pretty well. We had a lot of fun learning how to quickly load and unload a patient. The training definitely prepared us for transporting a trauma patient."

Although the medical technicians spent the day practicing, listening and taking instruction, the team, who arrived here only three short weeks ago, could one day prove just how invaluable that training is when dealing with future acute trauma or complex patients.