Air Force establishes training hub at JB Charleston for COVID-19 aeromedical evacuation
Capt. Naomi King, 628th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron infectious disease team lead, reviews COVID-19 cleaning procedures with Airmen in the Transport Isolation System at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., April 5, 2020. The TIS is an infectious disease containment unit designed to minimize risk to aircrew and medical attendants, while allowing in-flight medical care for patients affected by contagions like COVID-19. MEDCREW, a combination of Aeromedical Evacuation flight nurses and technicians, Critical Care Air Transport teams, Infectious Disease specialists and TIS support team members, participated in multi-day training at JB Charleston to focus on patient movement using the TIS. The training involved learning how to don and doff personal protective equipment specific to COVID-19, preparing patients for evacuation, loading and unloading patients from the TIS, and configuring the C-17 Globemaster III for patient movement.