Wheels up for aeromedical technicians

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Shayne Sewell
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --  During a low-level assault maneuver in Southern Afghanistan, July 20, special operations forces and Army rangers came under small arms and artillery fire from enemy forces. In another incident, an ACH-470 Chinook helicopter loaded with troops and cargo hit ground fire from stinger missiles. The Chinook crash landed.

The survivors were evacuated in a UH-60 Blackhawk Dustoff helicopter to the nearest Army Combat Support Hospital for triage and initial treatment. There they awaited evacuation to the rear echelon medical treatment facility. Now onboard a fixed wing aircraft, they deadheaded to Oman and then to a forward staging area in Pakistan where they are being picked up by a 459th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron crew. During the two-hour flight from Pakistan to Al Seeb Air Base, Oman, the patients will receive critical care from two flight nurses and three medical technicians, the minimum required on all aeroevacuation missions.

This medical crew consists of Senior Airman Amy Burke, charge medical technician in first position, 459th AES; Staff Sgt. Joe Byrd, medical technician in second position, 459th AES, and Senior Airman Vicky Howard, medical technician in third position, 459th AES. The positions assigned dictate what duties each medical technician will have onboard the aircraft no matter what the aircraft. Aeromedical technicians have been universally qualified since 2004. This means that any medical technician can perform his or her duties on any fixed wing aircraft such as the C-130, KC-10, KC-135, C-5 and C-17.

In this mission, three patients with varying degrees of injuries from a head injury to chronic ulcers to a diagnosis of colitis, will be cared for by our medical professionals in the air. As the charge medical technician in position one, Airman Burke, essentially delegates to medical technicians in positions two and three. Responsible for a great deal to include aircraft safety (tie downs, zippers, etc), as well as her primary medical duties, she strives to help others. "Knowing that I'm working in a wartime environment, I realize the effects of my labor can make good outcomes. We learn how the patients are going to be saved and how to do it," said Airman Burke.

Rotating as the charge medical technician in first position on the second half of the flight was Staff Sgt. Scott Lusignan, 459th AES. He and Airman Burke were taking turns in charge. Rank is not a factor when it comes to the charge medical technician responsibilities. It is very common to have a senior airman as the "charge med tech" telling noncommissioned officers what to do.

In position two, sergeant Bryd is responsible for charting the patients care and performing neurological checks on the patients. Patient number one hit his head on the helicopter and was falling asleep frequently. Sergeant Byrd is responsible for periodically checking his eye, hands and feet movements while continuously documenting the patient's chart. "Any documentation into a medical record automatically becomes a legal document. It is crucial that the documentation is 100 percent accurate," said Master Sergeant Tracy Treece, flight evaluator, 459th AES.

In position three, in addition to her medical technician duties and mission management duties, Airman Howard is responsible for ambulatory and psyche patients. She is also responsible for monitoring cabin safety and flight crew meals. On her first mission she feels excited and ready to learn. "I wanted to do medicine and since I couldn't do Special Forces, this is the next best thing," said Airman Howard. "I have been waiting for this trip for almost two years and the fact that it was to Hawaii and I got a lot of flight time was good. I learned everything from contingency operations to basic in-flight emergency medical training and basics of aeromedical evacuation. The ability to adapt is a big key to learning," said Airman Howard.

Master Sgt. Tracy Treece acted as the MCC, or mission clinical coordinator. On a training or operational (real-world) mission, the MCC is responsible for a three-page checklist consisting of everything from preflight checks to interior inspections of the aircraft to ensure everything is et up, secure and safe. She evaluates the timeline, safety and communication of the medical flight crew. She is also apprised of any maintenance issues and works closely with the boom operator in this position, Master Sgt. Debbie Merrill, 756th Air Refueling Squadron.

The mission in Afghanistan is actually a simulated operational mission. The actual mission that took place July 20 to July 23 did involve sun, sand and heat, but in a more prestine locale ... Hawaii. The KC-135, simulated C-130, was flown by Lt. Col. Chuck Thibault, 459th Operations Group, Lt. Col. Mike Mudd, 459 OG and Maj. Rob Hayes, 756th Air Refueling Squadron. The maintenance crew from the 459th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron consisted of Master Sgt. Todd Glascock, Master Sgt. Stephen Reicharz and Staff Sgt. James Ritchie.

Also onboard was Tech. Sgt. Jennifer "Lil Bit" Higgs, flight instructor, 514th AES, McGuire AFB, N.J. Often, flight instructors will mix with other crews to assist in completing training requirements. On this training flight, not only was Airman Howard trained but Staff Sgt. Scott Lusigvan, 459 AES, as well. Each performed two positions (rotating third and second positions) during the four day mission. Capt. Andy Dietrich and Maj. Shaun Carter, both flight nurses, joined us from the 932nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Scott AFB, Ill. Captain Dietrich acted as the medical crew director or MCD. He oversaw all the medical requirements to ensure medical crew integrity. Major Carter acted as the second position flight nurse while Capt. Dietrich was in the first position.

When all is said and done, all three patients received expert care 38,000 feet in the air, thanks to the demanding quarterly training each aeromedical technician and nurse must maintain to keep their flight status. They must fly at least once every 90 days or as they say "wheels up" to keep qualified in to their extensive medical training.

"This training mission was very effective," said sergeant Treece. "When you get people from other squadrons who have different experiences, it brings different views into the mix. I like flying with sergeant Higgs and the nurses from Scott AFB offered different ways to train. We got a lot accomplished in this short mission," she said.

20 hours of traveling and 11 hours performing inflight medical care, this mission was short but successful once again proving the aeromedical motto, "In time of need."