FEVER 11 wins Tunner award

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  The aircrew of FEVER 11 received the William H. Tunner Award at the Annual Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition award ceremony here,Sept. 17.

FEVER 11 received the award, which is presented to the most outstanding airlift crew in the U.S. Air Force for a rescue alert, for a casualty evacuation mission to Farah Airfield, Afghanistan, where they picked up two wounded U.S. Army soldiers.

"An Afghanistan National Army member turned and fired on Army guys, and there was a sand storm that was restricting all other aircraft in the area," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Adam Kawatski, FEVER 11 aircraft commander. "So, we were the only ones allowed to launch to go in there. We flew in through a sand storm and picked up the two guys."

After landing at Farah Airfield, loadmasters and pararescuemen assisted the medical team to quickly load the wounded Soldiers. FEVER 11 then departed into the sandstorm toward Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan. While traveling to Kandahar AB, the crew was diverted multiple times in search of a medical specialist to treat one of the wounded Soldiers.

"On the way to Kandahar, they said one of the guys was in grave condition, and we diverted to Camp Bastian," said Kawatski. "On the way to Bastian, we were told to go to Kandahar because there was a specialist there. Then on the way to Kandahar, we got diverted again back to Bastian because the specialist was actually at Bastian visiting."

After reaching Camp Bastian, the two wounded Soldiers received the specialized medical care needed.

"We found out recently that the Soldier who was in critical condition actually survived," said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Lane, FEVER 11 flight engineer. "He lost his right leg and part of his lungs, but he survived."

The efforts of FEVER 11 saved the injured Soldier's life.

"We were told that if he stayed, there was a 100 percent chance of him dying, and if he came with us there was a 20 percent chance of him living," Lane said. "And when we got there, the medics had to pump his lungs the whole time to keep him alive."

After delivering the wounded to Camp Bastian, the members of FEVER 11 were alerted to return to Farah Airfield.

"We got called up to go back to the same field, through the sand storm and now at night to do a blood resupply," Kawatski said.

As a result for these actions, FEVER 11 won the Tunner Award.The Tunner Award, which is named after Lt. Gen. William Tunner, considered to be an outstanding authority on airlift in the U.S. Air Force.

"It's kind of neat that we beat out all the airlift missions in the Air Force," Kawatski said. "From C-5s to KC-135s and C-130s, we were recognized as the most outstanding amongst all these for our movement of the patients."

Winning the award left the members in awe.

"It feels good," Lane said. "It feels surreal. I've never seen anything like this."

Kawatski supported this statement by adding that it was a humbling experience and a privilege.

The aircrew of FEVER 11 saved lives and was awarded for it. But if you ask them, it's just part of the job.

"We did nothing different than what every other one of the crews did every time they went out," Lane said.

Kawatski agreed, adding, "We train to a level where any rescue crew can perform at this level." Kawatski said. "This is just the one that got recognized."