Medevac squadron proves it’s 'always ready'

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nicole Spence
  • 435th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) --  The 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron lived up to its motto, “always ready,” April 19 as a routine C-130 Hercules channel mission to Pristina, Kosovo, turned into a life-saving assignment.

An hour before takeoff, Maj. Chuck Wheeler, 86th AES training flight commander, learned there would be a delay because of a change in plans. They would be airlifting two patients with multiple gunshot wounds.

“We completed our pre-mission planning and aircraft configuration expecting this to be a routine mission,” Major Wheeler said.

“We were told that one of the patients would require a critical care air transport team to augment our team,” Major Wheeler said. Preparations were quickly set in motion, and the aircrew began making adjustments to the initial plan.

A CCAT team from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center was alerted and reported to the aircraft.

“The aircraft configuration had to change to accommodate two critical patients,” Major Wheeler said. “We worked with the 37th Airlift Squadron loadmasters to update our load plan out of Pristina, and we contacted the 86th (AES) to preflight and deliver additional medical equipment required for this change in patient load.”

Once they arrived in Pristina, the biggest complication was loading the two patients on the aircraft. Because of multiple IV drips, drains and ventilator/oxygen requirements, extreme care was necessary. Also, cargo loading had to be postponed until the patients were safely settled inside the plane.

The patients were delivered safely to Landstuhl.

“This mission was the epitome of the motto on our patch ‘Always Ready,’” Major Wheeler said. “You start out a mission thinking one thing, and must have flexibility and be ready to adjust to mission changes.

“It’s great when you get to see all the pieces come together,” he said. “The aircrew worked in perfect unison to accomplish the many facets of this mission.”

In the end, “this is what I’m here for … to provide ‘care in the air,’ whatever the requirement,” Major Wheeler said. (Courtesy of USAFE News Service)