Airmen, Afghan National Army Air Corps members complete medical evacuation together

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Richard Williams
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) --  Members of the Afghan National Army Air Corps and the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group/Combined Air Power Task Force completed a joint rotary wing medical evacuation Feb. 3, 2010, from Bagram Airfield to Forward Operating Base Lightening in Gardez, Afghanistan.

The mission was to transport an Afghan national who had been receiving care at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield to a local medical facility in Gardez, Afghanistan, for continued care and to allow the patient to be closer to home.

Other units that contributed to the mission were the 455th Expeditionary Medical Group, Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division and the 36th Air Support Medical Company.

The mission took more than 1.5 months of coordination between coalition members and their Afghan counterparts and was paramount to the nation's growth and capabilities, said Master Sgt. Richard Kramer, an ANAAC flight medic mentor assigned to the 438th AEAG/CAPTF.

"This is the first step for the Afghans to gain some independence and become part of the coalition to help us out," Sergeant Kramer said, who is deployed from the 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C. "(The ANAAC) coming here and getting Afghan patients out of a coalition hospital and taking them to an Afghan hospital is big."

"The efforts and support from everyone involved has been amazing and I am happy to play a role helping the Afghan medical teams pave the way," said Capt. Cassie Ayott, a flight nurse advisor assigned to the 438th AEAG/CAPTF.

Captain Ayott, deployed from the Stratton Air National Guard Base, N.Y., said the significance of this mission is that it's Afghans taking care of Afghans.

"They are really eager to get this program working and give their people the best care possible," the Captain said.

Captain Ayott said the program here is really in its infancy and the typical infrastructure seen at stateside locations has, in the past, been virtually nonexistent here, but the strides made in recent months have really gotten the ball rolling to make sure the program literally "takes off."

Sergeant Kramer said the importance of the operation is twofold: first, it will allow Afghan medics the ability to access remote areas where medical care isn't adequate or transportation isn't available to assist in critical situations. Second, it will free up much needed bed space in coalition medical facilities and allow the Afghans to provide medical care for their countrymen in Afghan hospitals with Afghan medical staffs. It also allows local national patients who have been treated at Bagram Airfield to receive continuing care in a facility closer to their families.

This significance isn't lost on the medical staff of the 455th Expeditionary Medical Group, who assisted with the coordination and transport on the recent medical evacuation.

"It's hard on them (Afghan patients) not being close to their families, just as it is with anyone receiving medical care," said U.S. Maj. Demea Alderman, the 455th EMDG patient administration flight commander.

Major Alderman, deployed from Robins AFB, Ga., and his team track all of the patients processing in and out of the Craig Joint Theater Hospital and ensure they receive the proper care. They also make sure if the patients leave they have a destination and the medical evacuation is a key component.

Bed space in the hospital is limited, Major Alderman said, and the ability to move patients with less debilitating conditions allows the medical facility to receive more patients requiring critical care.

Freeing up bed space in the facility is important, but Major Alderman also explains there's a more important aspect for the mission and that's community relations.

"It allows us to build a better relationship with the Afghan communities by getting patients back to their residence and to their families who can assist with their care."

Even with this first mission's success, there are still many steps that must be taken to ensure continued success and Sergeant Kramer emphasized the importance of the equipment, crews and training that must continue.

"The medics come to us with basic (American Nurses Association) medical training under their belt," Sergeant Kramer said. "We try to build on what they know by teaching them how to do care in the air."

Sergeant Kramer explained that airborne medical care has many more stressors that can affect a patient and the individuals administering the care.

"There are many variables in the air like temperature, humidity, vibration, noise, altitude and barometric pressure that can affect a patient and crew during flight."
, "We are really working on a crawl, walk, then run mentality," Captain Ayott said. "At this point we are going to be transporting stable and low-level medical care patients."

She pointed out that with the continued training, the ability to give critical care from the most remote locations will definitely be possible and that's the ultimate goal.

Sergeant Kramer said another goal is to make this a completely Afghan process and remove U.S. forces' assistance. He added this will take time with limitations on the Afghan pilots flying into Bagram Airfield airspace without their American mentors. This is primarily due to air traffic and some language barriers, that will improve with time and training.

"It is great to be able to make this happen and we are thankful for all of the support we have received," Captain Ayott said. "The medics that we work with are great and we look forward to hopefully doing this on a weekly basis throughout the country."