Reserve medics train at Kunsan

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Angela Ruiz
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFNS) --  More than 50 medics from three Air Force Reserve units tested their wartime medical support capabilities alongside Kunsan Air Base members Oct. 18 through Nov. 1 here.

The Reserve units, traveling from as far as Niagara Air Reserve Station, N.Y., conducted medical refresher training sessions and tested their ability to set-up and operate contingency aeromedical staging facilities.

Additionally the Reserve units took inventory of Pacific Air Forces' war readiness materials at Kunsan AB and got a taste of the 8th Fighter Wing's wartime mission during a base training day Oct. 27. 

The reservists are conducting advanced cardiac and pediatric life support training sessions and emergency medical technician training, said Col. Deb Esque, an individual mobilization augmentee from 51st Medical Group from Osan AB, South Korea. Some of the medics will be providing EMT refresher courses and training Airmen from the 8th Medical Group.

"This is a cooperative effort with our active-duty partners," the colonel said. "They will be giving us some training, and we will be giving them some training."

Kunsan AB Airmen also helped them with fulfilling their training requirements by providing chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training courses.

"The (contingency aeromedical staging facilities) tents can take anywhere from two to six hours to put up one tent," said Senior Airman Nikki Lougheed, assigned to the 944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. "I think this type of training has been going really well and everybody seems to be grasping the concept of what we're doing and why we're here."

The Reserve units include the 944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.; the 439th Airlift Wing from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.; and the 914th Airlift Wing from the Niagara Air Reserve Station in New York. 

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