Little Rock AFB hub for hurricane aeromedical teams Published Sept. 13, 2008 LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. (AFPN) -- Three C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 50th Airlift Squadron, 53rd AS and 62nd AS here were deployed Sept. 10 to perform aeromedical missions in preparation for Hurricane Ike's landfall in southern Texas with seven additional C-130s from the base on "standby" status. The aircrews transported post-surgery/post-intensive care unit patients from area hospitals in McAllen, Brownsville, Corpus Christi and Harlingen, Texas to Dallas medical facilities. Five aeromedical evacuation teams, which provide in-flight immediate on-scene emergency medical care for patients from the disaster area, and six critical care air transport teams -- known as "the ICU on an aircraft" -- were deployed. All teams comprise active duty, Guard, and Reserve military personnel. AETs are made up of two flight nurses and three flight medical technicians while CCATs comprise one critical care flight nurse, one critical care doctor and one respiratory technician. Currently, 200 aeromedical personnel are on hand at Little Rock AFB, which is serving as the hub for all aeromedical operations during Hurricane Ike. The base also was the command cell for Hurricane Gustav, evacuating more than 300 patients from locations in Beaumont, Texas and Lake Charles and Lakefront, La., into Little Rock International Airport. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page