Air Force flies to top of world to care for member

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Nicole Langley
  • 821st Air Base Group Public Affairs
THULE AIR BASE, Greenland (AFPN) --  Thule Air Base, Greenland, may be located more than 700 miles north of the Arctic Circle, but it's never too far for Air Force members to go when an emergency arises.

When the call came in that a medical evacuation was needed from Thule AB, members from around the Air Force came together with a team on the way within little more than three hours from notification.

A C-17 Globemaster III aircrew  from Dover Air Force Base, Del., were on the flightline at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, when the call for help came in. Within three hours a Ramstein medical team was onboard and they were on their way. 

The team landed Dec. 7 to fly the Team Thule member to a stateside hospital for emergency medical treatment. 

"The Air Force is more than willing to provide critical medical support for Airmen worldwide, even at the top of the world," said Col. Lee-Volker Cox, the 821st Air Base Group commander. 

Due to the quick response of a medical team and a C-17 aircrew, the patient was quickly taken to the states for proper care and treatment.

"Although we'd rather not ever have to medevac anyone, it's good to know that we have the capability to do it on a moment's notice, and when the need arises, that one individual becomes the Air Force's top priority," said Maj. Brian O'Connell, the 3rd Airlift Squadron Standardization and Evaluations assistant chief and aircraft commander for the medevac flight.

The colonel said he feels comfortable knowing that the people at Thule AB will be taken care of, even if that means flying a C-17 to Greenland for an individual patient.

"The entire DoD medical infrastructure is available to the Airmen here," Colonel Cox said.

Although Thule AB is an extremely remote location, the base partners with medical centers around the globe to ensure that members of Team Thule receive the care they need if it is beyond the capabilities of the base clinic.

"We work closely with medical facilities in the states and in Europe to determine the proper facility that can provide treatment for a patient," said Capt. Michael Metz, Thule AB's medical liaison officer.

This medevac mission not only proved that the Air Force is dedicated to caring for its Airmen, but also highlighted the versatility of its aircraft.

"This is what makes the mission of the C-17 so great," Major O'Connell said. "Seventeen hours earlier we were on the ground in Baghdad unloading armored vehicles, which will help keep our Soldiers and Marines protected and hopefully save lives. Twelve hours after landing back in Germany from our combat mission, we were on our way to Greenland to get one of our Airman vital medical care back in the states."
Due to the combined effort of Airmen in Europe, the U.S. and Greenland, the Thule AB patient arrived safely at a medical facility in the states for treatment and was later released. 

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