McConnell, Travis Reservists team up for life-saving training

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Abigail Klein
  • 931st Air Refueling Group public affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  For Air Force Reservists of McConnell Air Force Base's 931st Air Refueling Group and Travis Air Force Base's 349th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, the versatility of the KC-135 Stratotanker and lifesaving combat medical care go hand-in-hand.

In a display of teamwork and cooperation between units, an aircrew consisting of seven 931 ARG Airmen provided critical training for 12 members of the 349 AES, July 25-28. The more than 10 hours of in-flight training helped sharpen the aeromedical Airmen's skills and adaptability to rapidly provide medical treatment to patients both stateside and abroad.

Chief Master Sgt. Kathleen E. Lowman, 931 ARG superintendent and 18th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, has frequently assisted with aeromedical evacuation training missions throughout her career.
"They're doing a very critical job and it's important for us to facilitate them and let them perform the job they need to do," she said.

Lowman said this includes everything from pre-staging the aircraft to expedite the aeromedical evacuation set up to carrying a patient litter and ensuring the crew has ample space to move throughout the aircraft.
Master Sgt. Christine Palmer, 349th AES medical clinical coordinator, observes and leads scenarios for the AES team and provides feedback while also testing their knowledge of the aircraft.

"Because we fly in three different types of planes, the KC-135, the C-17 and the C-130, our aeromedical evacuation technicians are tested on their knowledge of the aircraft; especially in regard to oxygen and electrical," she said.

The unit typically utilizes two to three missions a month, simulating a variety of aircraft emergencies, including fires which require the aeromedical evacuation team to don MA1 Oxygen bottles and their quick don masks.

"Our training scenarios are for any type of [scenario] wartime, contingency or humanitarian scenarios, said Palmer. "Our focus is to take care of patients, and to take care of patients the best way we can."

During this mission, Capt. Maria Vazquez, 349th AES medical crew director, took the lessons even more to heart than usual, as she recently learned she will be deploying later this year.

"I've been focusing a lot more on the documentation and attention to detail because it's not just training anymore," she said.

Like most aeromedical evacuation Airmen, Vazquez has to master the difficult task of rapidly setting up medical equipment in variety of aircraft, a challenge made easier by the support of the plane's aircrew.

"It's so important to have a good relationship with you aircrew because in the end we're all on the same team, and have the same mission: To save lives," said Vasquez.

Tanker aircraft began augmenting the Air Force's aeromedical evacuation mission in 2003, demonstrating the versatility of both the airframe and the crews who fly it. Aeromedical members from the Air Force Reserve represent 65 percent of the total medical crew capability of the U.S. Air Force.