Airframes transform to save lives

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  Fixed wing aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker and C-17 Globemaster III, can transform into aeromedical evacuation, or "aerovac," airframes, allowing medical personnel to care for larger patient loads, over longer distances, at higher altitudes, with a greater ability to care for the seriously injured. 

The 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight here, which is tasked to care for and transport patients from all over Afghanistan to Bagram Air Field, and run missions taking patients out of theater to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, can provide litter space for up to 97 patients in the C-130. 

"Most people think medevac all the time even though that is the helicopters. We have no problem with that, however it all depends on missions," said Tech. Sgt. Alexandria Young, a duty controller for the 455th EAEF. 

The crews at the 455th EAEF are mandated to be airborne within 3 hours of receiving an aerovac request. This involves checking and loading 800 pounds of emergency equipment and converting the cargo hold of a C-130 or C-17 into a flying hospital. 

Despite the daunting time frame, Sergeant Young has seen this complex task performed in as little as 45 minutes, she said.

"(It) is always a team effort, working with the air terminal operations center, fuels shop, pilots and loadmasters," said Senior Master Sgt. Adam Marks, a 455th EAEF member.

"One of the big strengths of the aerovac mission is to be able to cater to the patients needing critical-care support," said Lt. Col. Michael Gainer, the 455th EAEF commander. "Depending on patient acuity, the standard crew of nurses and EMT trained aeromedical technicians can be augmented with a Critical Care Air Transport Team, consisting of a critical care doctor, critical care nurse and a respiratory therapist. This allows patients to be moved, when required, literally direct from the operating room to the aircraft."

The Army's medevac teams remain a valuable resources to deployed members in the area of responsibility, being able to go just about anywhere to rescue injured coalition forces, but the Air Force's aerovac teams transform medical evacuation to a whole new level.

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