AMC focusing on Katrina aeromedical evacuations

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Paul Fazzini
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) --  The Tanker Airlift Control Center here is working to move as many aircraft as possible into the New Orleans airport to evacuate wounded.

“If we can get three more planes in by nightfall (Aug. 31), we might be able to save another 100 people,” said Col. Jeff Franklin, a control center controller.

There are more than 300 patients -- 43 critical -- waiting for evacuation to hospitals nationwide. So the controllers’ focus has changed to providing these flights.

“During the first 24 hours, we worked aggressively to move search and rescue teams and their equipment to Louisiana. Now, we’re making plans for a hub and spoke-type operation to bring supplies in and take patients out,” the colonel said.

The center currently has 15 to 20 missions in various stages of planning. Some will fly massive mobile air staging facilities from Lackland AFB, Texas, and Pope AFB, N.C., to New Orleans. The facility enhances medical operations already set up at the airport.

“Right now we’re chasing the sun because the New Orleans airport isn’t able to support night operations,” Colonel Franklin said. “In order to move the airport into a 24-hour location, the biggest challenge we must overcome is the infrastructure, specifically runway lights. Some of the cargo we’re moving in will help.”

That help is coming in the form of a special tactics team from Pope AFB that will set up expeditionary airfield lighting.

“Once we get the airport running full up, we’ll work around the clock to move those patients,” the colonel said.

Working around the clock is nothing new to controllers. But with an operation of this magnitude -- added to operations already supporting missions worldwide, center leaders increase their work force by 10 to15 percent. In addition, officials called on assets in the continental U.S., rather than tasking assets supporting other missions.

“We adjusted by adding personnel to the 24-hour operation. Those individuals have the skills to specifically work hurricane taskings,” he said. “We did the same for the three hurricanes last year.”

But to Colonel Franklin and his center mates, Hurricane Katrina is different than anything they have dealt with.

“Katrina is different because of the desperation we’re seeing in people’s faces,” he said. “That has created a larger sense of urgency for us.”

AMC officials said their aircraft will fly patients from New Orleans to hospitals in Dallas, Houston and Atlanta. But, flexibility in moving patients to cities nationwide is key to getting them where they’ll get the treatment they need.

“We could end up transporting a patient to Dallas, for instance, and (Federal Emergency Management Agency officials) might say, ‘We need you to take the patient to this city,’” Colonel Franklin said. “The TACC team on the floor is staying agile as FEMA directs.”

By Aug. 31, aeromedical evacuation aircraft moved 32 patients, with a large number of patients loaded into the system awaiting further flights. (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service)